90s topics

George HW Bush

Bill Clinton

Branch Davidians, Waco, TX

World Trade Center Bombing

OKC Bombing

Columbine

Whitewater - Lewinsky

Gangs

OJ Simpson

Rodney King riots

Matthew Shepard

Gardner Museum Heist

Dolly

World Wide Web

80s TV Shows

The TV shows of the 80s represent the decade because shows emphasized family values and close ties. The Cosby Show emphasized the value of family as the family is always seen together and always settling their disputes peacefully and comically. This show also was unique in its portrayal of a high-class African-American family, showing the increase of acceptance in society. I enjoyed The Cosby Show for its unique, family-friendly humor and its relatability. Another show of the 80s that emphasized the importance of close relationships was Cheers. This show depicted a feel-good environment in which friends could hang out and joke around with each other. The fact that the show takes place almost entirely in a bar makes the bar seem almost like a safe haven for the friends. This safety and reliability appealed to Americans at this time because of the uncertainty and danger that loomed over them in the form of nuclear war. I thought Cheers was a very funny show and reminded me of one of my favorite modern shows, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Additionally, The A-Team worked comedy and action together into a nice mixture, giving Americans a reliable group that always got the job done. This show also relates back to the feeling the America needed a strong hero or group of heroes in this time of uncertainty. The humor injected into The A-Team broadened the audience that would view the show. I liked the suspense and action in this show along with Mr. T's ridiculousness.
In Sci-Fi, few shows really took off and became popular in the 80s. Of course, Star Trek: The Next Generation was immensely popular, mainly because it gave people a show that they already knew they loved just with new plots and characters. The episode I watched, the whole crew of the Enterprise gets infected with a virus that makes them act intoxicated. This episode relates to the society at the time as they felt that their lives were out of their own control because of the nuclear attack that could come at any moment. Also on the sci-fi front, Misfits of Science, although short-lived, was very entertaining and displayed teenagers as being multifaceted and intelligent, just as movies like The Breakfast Club portrayed. I really enjoyed this show as well and wished we could have shared it with the class.

80s movies

The movie that best represents the decade is War Games. This movie fictionalizes the constant feeling of an impending nuclear war. The computer in the movie illustrates the insecurity over increasing technology and the fact that war is inevitable and virtually unstoppable once it has begun. The horrors about war continued in Platoon. This movie was a graphic reminder of the horrors of the Vietnam War, perhaps as a caveat to avoid further wars, especially nuclear war with the Soviets. Platoon showed the destruction and brutality of which Americans could be capable. War Games was an interesting concept but the dialogue was shallow and the jokes were somewhat corny. I thought Platoon was very eye-opening, although graphic, and I (for lack of a better word) enjoyed learning a different perspective of the Americans' actions in Vietnam.

In addition to war movies, another group of movies we watched were about high schoolers. The Breakfast Club, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off all portrayed high schoolers in a more multidimensional way than they had been shown previously. As younger and younger students started to protest against wars and make their voices heard, movies started to realize the large audience that they had been excluding. Especially in the Breakfast Club, high schoolers are seen as multidimensional and not as one stereotype. I loved the Breakfast Club because it showed the many different kinds of high schoolers and their interactions with one another. Ferris Bueller's Day Off showed a high schooler that everyone admired for being free-spirited and rebellious. This movie is one of my favorites as well as it depicts a high schooler that every teenager wants to emulate.

We also watched a hodge-lodge of other movies including Batman, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Back to the Future. Batman and Indiana Jones expanded on the theme of good vs. evil in reference to America vs. Soviets and democracy vs. communism. These movies fictionalized this conflict in order to help people relate to these problems. Back to the Future represents the nostalgia felt by the audience of the 80s to return to simpler times.

80s music post 2

The music of the 80s returned to lyrics that protested American systems, wars, and policies. The popularization of hip-hop allowed hip-hop artists from different social classes and regions to express different concerns. Some artists did not come from low-class environments, such as Run-DMC, and their songs were merely for expressing materialistic and sexual desires such as in "It's Tricky" and "Walk This Way". Other hip-hop artists expressed the views of the decade by expressing their dislike for the American system in regards to the financial situation in which they were raised, many coming from low-class families. For example, "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash expresses discontent for the American system during this decade. For the most part, music in the 80s, just like music in the 60s, returned to protesting wars in which America was involved. Songs such as "99 Luftballoons" by Nena illustrated people's concerns of the threat of nuclear war. "Nikita" by Elton John also depicted American's issues with the Cold War. A growing tension with the Russians was shown in the aptly named "Russians" by Sting. This song best illustrates the sentiment of the decade by showing the Americans' relationship with the Russians and the anxiety it caused throughout the nation.

80s music post 1

          The major difference between 80s and 70s music came from the development of technology. This technology led to the development of a new genre: hip-hop. Hip-hop spread rapidly with groups such as Run-DMC and began to represent different social groups and different regions. Hip-hop developed through the ability to scratch records and to rhyme verses. In the 80s the music industry transitioned from cassette to CD, illustrating another use of increased technology. I somewhat enjoyed this new hip-hop genre as it is different than the hip-hop/rap of today that I don't really like.
          As in the 70s, the rock genre continued to split in the 80s. Metallica morphed heavy metal into thrash metal such as in the song "Hit The Lights". I like a lot of Metallica stuff except for when they get too heavy. Mainstream rock also continued with Van Halen and Aerosmith, two very successful and very talented bands. Of the 80s rock, Guns 'n Roses has to be one of my favorites. Of course their songs "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child 'o Mine" are unbelievable and became very popular in the late 80s. Their guitar riffs and unique vocals make them very popular. Another change to the rock genre from the 70s came from Pat Benatar songs such as "Love is a Battlefield" as women emerge on the rock scene for the first time. Alternative rock, one of my favorite genres, with songs such as "Jane Says" and artists such as REM, also developed in the 80s.
The best development of the 80s was the "death" of country music, one of my least favorite genres. Listening to Alabama's "Mountain Music" and "Love in the First Degree", however, aren't as terrible as modern country. Maybe because the lyrics are more about appreciating nature and life instead of the country songs that focus on gaining pity for their sad lives. The country music in this decade also somewhat combined with pop to diverge away from the more twangy outlaw country music.
Pop and R&B also continued to expand in this decade. Madonna, MJ, and Prince rocked the pop scene expanding their popularity by becoming accessible to MTV and producing my personal favorite, Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach". New Kids on the Block started the American boy band image focusing less on instruments and more on lyrics and pretty faces. Of course my (and my parents') favorite of this genre and time period are U2 and Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen. These pop/rock groups focused on guitar and classic rock and roll. The lyrics and guitar riffs of U2 and Springsteen are enough for me to never get sick of listening to their music.
As technology improved and equipment such as synthesizers became less expensive, electronic music gained a larger following. Songs such as "Mr. Roboto" seem to completely disregard instruments and meaningful lyrics and instead focus on synthetically manufacturing music. Despite the arguable illegitimacy of this type of music, I actually thoroughly enjoy electronica music because of the upbeat and fast-paced beats.