am i missing something?

[datasuspect]

the 80s weren't as cool as the nostalgia revisionism machine is making the decade out to be.

to wit,

1. AIDS

2. preemployment urine screenings

3. Reagan

4. bullshit idiotic fashions

5. the triumph of plasticity over authenticity

6. punishment ethic in full swing

7. Reagan

8. loads of horseshit music

9. Reagan

10. the release of David Bowie's "Never Let Me Down" in 1987

[NJmaverick]

1. You can add the corporate mergers and acquisitions to that list

the start of the artificial generation of wealth.

[datasuspect]

6. add the consolidation of regional credit bureaus into less than 4 national firms

although some of the predecessor firms still exist, they didn't communicate with each other they way they do now.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

27. Deregulation -

it actually began under Carter, with the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, but it took off under Raygun, and look how well it all worked!

[dropkickpa]

2. Big wheels, man, fuckin big wheels!

I spent the majority of the '80's outside playing, so I missed all that downer shit you listed.

[charlie and algernon]

9. hells ya

big wheels, playing with chalk and bubbles on the driveway, I didn't have a care in the world in the 80s

[raccoon]

3. I'd rec this if I could! ITA. nt

[redqueen]

4. Bullshit idiotic fashions applies to every decade.

Cause it's not about time, it's about idiots and how much they just loooooove their superficial bullshit.


The triumph of plasticity over authenticity happened in the 70's, IMO.


Loads of horseshit music also applies to every decade.


And *$*% you, David Bowie doesn't owe you dick. He's entitled to a shit album now and then, so piss off.

[NJmaverick]

7. "David Bowie doesn't owe you dick"

Does anyone ever owe "dick"? If so, how does one pay that off?

[datasuspect]

11. no, up until the late 70s, mid 80s

you still had regional music distribution. there were plenty of acts that got exposure, even if just in local markets, to counter the deluge of corporate rock/soul/country. and you still had freeform FM radio that exposed lots of people in various markets to music and ideas that might not have seeped out of culture centers otherwise.

the mid part of the 20th century saw the beginning of the loss of erstwhile "authenticity." cultural production and distribution methods were perfected in the 80s. they perfected the "least challenging entertainment product to units moved" ratio in the 1980s. this applies to music, films, television, and art.

you still could find regional subcultures in the US that weren't largely affected by the advertising machine. at least not to the extent they are now.

and piss off, David Bowie owes me $20.

[redqueen]

13. I can prove it.

If plasticity hadn't already won over authenticity, that dumbass Reagan would never have won in such a landslide.

Plus, disco.



Thank you.

[datasuspect]

14. well, thanks for proving my point?

and disco, in its purest form, relative to its genesis in the gay nightlife scene, was ideologically pure.

i'll remember next time to write an exegesis fully supported with every possible qualification in a one off, light hearted post IN THE LOUNGE (of all places) to satisfy your need for almost scientific rigor in Lounge posts.

[redqueen]

15. When did Saturday Night Fever come out?

Was that ideologically pure?


It's okay to be wrong... no need to get all defensive about it.

[datasuspect]

16. 1977

disco finds its roots in music played at gay bars as early as 1972.

reading comprehension, ur doing it wrong.

are you one of the people around here who are still smarting over "something?"

because your unsolicited nastiness surely is NOT about the topic of discussion.

if you have something to say, don't hide behind snotty dickishness, come right out and say it.

[redqueen]

17. WOW... are you carrying a grudge or what?

I was just messing with you about Bowie... lighten up, Francis.

And what's this about reading comprehension? Your argument is that it was authentic before the 80's. You are incorrect. You can still think that just cause disco was already plasticized before the 80's started, that doesn't mean that plasticity had won out entirely over authenticity, but as I said before - I disagree.

Sorry you got your panties all wadded over... whatever... I'll cease attempting to joke with you in the future. Due to your posting habits, I didn't know you were so sensitive to such things as kidding around.

[datasuspect]

19. i couldn't find you on my spreadsheet

and i couldn't remember if we were on joking terms. i wasn't sure if you were someone with whom i should keep my guard up, so i erred on the side of caution.

anyway, i made the proper notations, and you are on the safe list.

you must have changed your avatar.

i'm joking too. about the avatar.

seriesly, just kidding.

[Pool Hall Ace]

23. You have a spreadsheet?

Do you use Open Office? Microsoft Excel? Lotus 1-2-3? VisiCalc? Borland Quattro?

Just curious! :hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. two words

Miami Vice

[NJmaverick]

8. MV had a great first season

then it fell victim to its own success.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. and so...you just described the decade...again: two words

Miami Vice ;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. I'll take Magnum P.I. myself.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

20. Love my Magnum

;)

[enigmatic]

18. What was then known as College Rock saved music in the 80's

The list of great bands that came out then are many; radio (AM/FM) did start it's long slide to shit in the early 80's as corps bought up stations and put in crap, tightly controlled playlists.

And Bowie after "Heroes" was worthless to me, anyway..

[Heidi]

21. From a strictly personal perspective, I am not a fan of the 80s.

I won't enumerate my (strictly anecdotal) reasons but that is not a decade I would want to revisit.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. the eighties do not even register a blip on the timeline of eternity.

[mitchum]

24. The 80s were fucking horrible...

that's why I spent the decade high and underground

[TrogL]

25. Hey, the 60's were worse

1. Lots of diseases for which we now have cures or went extinct (eg. polio)
   
2. institutionalized racism
   
3. Nixon
   
4. full-length dresses and skirts even in summer (pre-miniskirt breakout)
   
5. institutionalized authoritarianism
   
6. instututionalized homomophobia
   
7. McCarthy
   
8. The Montovani orchestra
   
9. Agnew
   
10. institutionalized spousal and child abuse
    

[Tangerine LaBamba]

30. Ummmm -

that "long skirt" stuff ended just as the sixties began - you remember the British Invasion? That was 1963.

And you forgot that the birth control pill became available in the early sixties, which made sex so much more fun, and so much more.

Polio was treated in the fifties.

In case you haven't noticed, racism is still alive and well, as is homophobia.

I don't have the slightest idea of what you mean by "institutionalize authoritarianism."

McCarthy was in the fifties.

Montovani made a lot of people happy, including my parents.

The Beatles, the Stones, Dylan - I could go on.

Agnew got caught and had to resign, remember?

Abuse is still with us - take a look around.

People could afford to go to college and get educations without taking on crippling debt. We could screw without fear of pregnancy, and a case of the clap or the crabs was easily treated - unlike AIDS.

Practically every job came with health insurance. Health insurance that covered everything. There wasn't even anything called a "co-pay."

We could hitchhike anywhere and we were usually safe.

The dope was nicer. Mellower.......................

[susanr516]

26. I was born in the early 50s

The 80s sucked. The 80s was the decade of personal greed. It will take us a century to recover everything we lost in that "Greed is good" decade.

[Brigid]

28. Hostile takeovers leveraged with junk bonds.

Yeah, the 80's were a barrel of laughs. :eyes:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

29. You know why the 80's were so much fun?............

I was in JrHi/HS and didn't have to pay any bills. Now, that was fun.

[Kali]

31. yes socio-politically the 80's pretty muched sucked

FM was dead, although this is when community stations were getting started
the commercial music sucked
greed was the order of the day
Reagan
the space program had a big disaster and kind of got shut down
AIDS

but for me personally it was ok - met and got hitched, had both my sons, and moved to the ranch all during the 80's