Living In The
80s
INSIDE - Major events - The way we lived including trends 1
Table of Contents Page 3 - Popular Food Page 4 - Film and Theatre Page 6 - Fashion Page 7 - Music Page 9 - Culture Page 10 - Sports Page 12 - Way we Lived Page 13 - Law and Justice Page 15 - Government and Politics Page 16 - Domestic Affairs Page 19 - Foreign Affairs Page 21 - Foreign Affairs Page 22 - Book Review Page 23 - Game Page 24 - Gossip 2
Popular Food Food in the 1980s grew tremendously. Hubba Bubba Gum was a delicious treat that many kids loved and still love today. It comes in a wide range of flavors, but its main flavor in the 1980s was bubble gum. It is a pink gum that is sweet and powdered in sugar. Another great treat was Jello Pudding Pops. Instead of having Jello in a cup, it was served as a type of chocolate popsicle. As well with having many treats, there were many dishes. A popular dish in the 1980s which is still popular today are sloppy joes. Sloppy joes are sandwiches with hamburger buns that contain onions, meat, mushrooms, and green peppers. It is very messy, but worth it in the long run. Lastly, another popular dish was Sushi. The main sushi roll that propelled was California rolls. It was made up of crab, rice, seaweed, avocado, and cucumber. 3
Film and Theatre Movies and theatre were very popular as entertainment in the 80s. Some movies that were well-known include, Back to the Future, ET, Return of the Jedi, Batman, and Ghostbusters. These movies were made in the 1980s, but further elaborated upon into sequels and trilogies that we love and know today. The favorite movie was Back to the Future which was about Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean "time machine" invented by a slightly mad scientist. Marty must find a way to convince Doc that he is from the future, reunite his parents, and ultimately get back to the future. In addition to movies, theatre was also popular. Into the woods was first released in broadway and was a big hit in the theatre industry. 4
The official beer sponsor of the NFL!
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Fashion Athletic accessories were a massive trend in the early 1980s, and their popularity was largely boosted by the aerobics craze. Some things that were trendy in this craze included ripped jeans, leotards, tights, sweatpants, and track suites, especially in Society’s love for brands became the color of velour. Also, sneakers became a big hit with popular with the Coca-Cola brand clothing in 1987. MTV had a huge this in the United States. impact on fashion, as teens across the U.S. were tuning in to watch music videos starring wildly dressed celebrities. Suddenly it became much easier for a trend to spread across the country. By the late 80s, Nike had grown into one of the most profitable clothing companies in the world. Like Coke vs. Pepsi, Reebok vs. Nike was the athletic wear battle of the decade. With the help of Michael Jordan, Nike won the war. In 1988, every kid had to have a pair of Air Jordans and a Chicago Bulls baseball cap. 6
Music The 1980s was a major decade of growth and change for popular music, with the advent of music videos, CDs, new genres, and superstar artists who captivated millions of people all over the world with their talent and their tunes. The 1980’s was the year that was seen as the single biggest mainstream market, with heavy metal, punk rock and hardcore punk, and hip hop achieving increased crossover success. With the demise of punk rock, a new generation of punk-influenced genres arose, including Gothic rock, post-punk, alternative rock, emo and thrash metal. One leap for music in the 1980’s was the creation of the walkman. The Walkman profoundly changed how music was enjoyed, making it personal and mobile. Soon, cassettes were eating into sales of vinyl. The mixed tape became increasingly popular, as people dubbed and swapped songs. Some popular artists or groups are Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Run-D.M.C., Van Halen, Public Enemy, Billy Joel, and The Police. 7
"Tomorrow Starts Here."
Changing the way we work, live, play, and learn. 8
Culture The Decade of Excess was also the glory days of the Me Generation, helping form what was 80s culture. Life was quickly changing, and everything was new, for example, a new president, new technology, new music and new fashions. These factors come together to prove that the 80’s was one of the greatest decades of all. First, music was a big part of 80s culture. Pop was huge. There were metal ‘hair bands,’ hip-hop was swiftly gaining popularity, and technology was used in electronic and new wave music. In the 80’s, a keen interest in everything futuristic and high-tech existed, and with good reason. Cell phones and computers were the biggest technological advances of the decade. The Commodore 64, the first Apple Macintosh, and the IBM 5150 found their way into homes everywhere. They were also relatively inexpensive at anywhere from $300 to $1,000. Motorola gave one of the first mobile phones, the DynaTac 8000x. There were also big car phones and bag phones that could weigh as much as 25 pounds. The 80’s started in a recession that lasted until about 1983, when the new president, Ronald Reagan, cut taxes and government spending – as well as the size of the government. In 1989, after President Reagan pleaded with Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” the powerful and emotional reunion of East and West Germany was intently watched.
Furthermore, not everything was cheap, when put into relation to the present. Back in the 80’s, the average minimum wage was only $3.35 and the average household income was around $23,000. A new cell phone would set one back about $4,000, and that doesn’t include minutes. To conclude, the Decade of Excess and 80’s culture in general was full of optimism for whatever the 90’s were bringing. It was a decade of big changes, lots of fun, great movies, music, and with of course, big hair.
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Sports Many great sports events happened during the years of the 1980s. An event called “Miracle on Ice� was one of the greatest upsets and achievements in sports history. Taking place during the Cold War, the U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union, a strong favorite. A few months later, the Summer Olympics of 1980 were held in Moscow, USSR. This event was boycotted by over 60 countries, U.S. being the foremost to protest. Furthermore, in 1981 boxing legend Muhammad Ali retired after completing 20 successful years as a professional boxing. A year later, a very intense match for the FIFA World Cup, held in Spain, ended up with Italy winning against Germany 3-1. That same year, Carl Lewis became the first man to win three events at the U.S. track and field championships.
In terms of basketball, Michael Jordan was a huge star of the game. In 1984, he got selected by the Chicago Bulls. That same year, he won a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. As his amazing playing continued, the Air Jordan I pair of sneakers was introduced by Nike for Michael Jordan.
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Waste Your Time With Joy
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Way We Lived Americans became tired of a social struggle. They became tired of losing money, and they had all been working together for common interests. Now, many wanted to spend more time on their own personal interests. As this appeared in many parts of American society, popular culture, education, and politics were affected. For example, many new television programs were presenting an escape from serious issues. Entertainment showed the interest in society placed on financial success. In this decade, computers had become much smaller. Anyone could learn how to use them, even children. Millions of Americans soon had a ‘personal’ computer in their homes. They could use it to read newspaper stories, buy things, do schoolwork, and play games. Such technological improvement filled Americans of the early and middle 1980s with hope.
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Law and Justice During the 1980s, many new immigration laws were passed. In 1980, the Refugee Act removed refugees as a preference category and established clear procedures for their admission. In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was an act passed as a reform effort. First, it legalised immigrants who had resided in the United States in an unlawful status. Secondly, it established sanctions to prohibit employers from hiring, recruiting, to illegal immigrants. Lastly, it created a new classification of temporary agricultural worker, and provided for the legalisation of such workers.
In the Supreme Court many cases were justified. In 1986, Meritor v. Vinson, the first sexual harassment case took place. It declared the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) interpretation that sexual harassment that is sufficiently served to create a hostile work environment violates Title VII. It states that the title prohibits employment discrimination biased on race, colour, religion, sex, and national origin. Another case that was justified was the Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Antonio, in 1989. It held that a plaintiff make a showing of different impact violation of Title VII only by demonstrating specific practises.
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Government and Politics Politics in the 1980's was all about Communism vs. Democracy. Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. His policies were about dismantling the Communist block continuing to better America. During one of his speeches at the Berlin Wall he challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall!" This is one of his most famous speeches and the ironic thing is that he was advised not to say it beforehand however he still went ahead and said it. Outside the U.S, one of the most memorable events occurred, which is the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. This happened in 1989 and was urged by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The Berlin Wall was a symbol of communism, as it separated the democratic West Berlin from the communist East Berlin. When it was torn down, it signaled the end of the communist bloc. Also, Mikhail Gorbachev took over the USSR in 1985 and made many reforms that allowed citizens to express their political disinterest. This marked a start of intellectual freedom for citizens in Russia. This, too, led to the end of the communist bloc.
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Domestic Affairs After Reagan had been taken to office, his main goal was to get the country out of the deep recession they were in. Reagan used his method of “Reaganomics”, which was a huge success. He cut government spending, reduced taxes, reduced regulation and reduced inflation. To further help the U.S’s economic system, he used the “Trickle Down Economic System”. This was when benefits that came to the wealthy trickled down to the middle class and to the poor. The benefits were usually tax cuts on businesses, high income earners, capital gains and dividends. This theory or method was also part of the Reaganomics system. This led to a maintain well-being of the people in the U.S. These two tactics helped end the 1980 Recession. Another step that Reagan took to helping the U.S was reforming the Oil Policy. Reagan's first executive order eliminated price controls on oil and natural gas. Production soared, and the price of oil declined by more than 50 percent. This was a remarkable contrast to President Carter's gasoline rationing, which limited people to buying gasoline every other day depending on the last number of people’s license plate. 16
Domestic Affairs Reagan has also started the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as Star Wars, which was when the U.S was to launch a satellite into space that would fire at the Soviet Union missiles, that were to hit the U.S. Although it was a good thought, it was soon abandoned because the Soviet Union never launched a missile at the U.S. It was a good initiative on Reagan’s part, and it would be remembered in history. Another domestic policy that was conducted by Reagan, was the Just Say No To Drugs campaign. An initiative started by Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan’s wife, and carried out by Ronald Reagan, was about just saying no drugs and it was carried out through the United States. It is just to show how the people in the 80’s cared about the wellbeing of others, and just not themselves.
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Endless possibilities, one solution.
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Foreign Affairs Reagan not only participated greatly in Domestic Affairs, but he also participated greatly in foreign affairs. First, he reversed the detente with the USSR. This is usually known as the Reagan Policy. Reagan never used to like the detente. He said it allowed the USSR to meet its goals in Nuclear Technology and even try to go past it. Not only did Reagan reverse the detente, but he also reversed the gain and subdued it. He started to rapidly increase the production of military missiles, and challenge the USSR to compete. And just like he had suspected, the Soviet Union could not compete. As America's military build-up proceeded, President Reagan put forward another policy to complement it. From a formidable foundation of military and economic power, the United States would promote freedom and democracy throughout the world. President Reagan predicted that given a choice, people everywhere, even within the Soviet Union, would reject totalitarian government. Not only did this deal with the Soviet Union, but it also dealt with other countries that did not support communism. After this, Reagan set up a treaty with Gorbachev, the leader of the USSR, which stated that both the U.S and the Soviet Union would reduce military arms levels worldwide. 19
Foreign Affairs The Reagan Doctrine was in support for anti-communist rebel movements in Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Nicaragua, etc. He granted the military permission to go into Nicaragua and to help their people fight the anti-communist views. During the 80’s, Reagan’s foreign policy was an incredible time for the U.S. Reagan’s foreign affairs not only was in Russia and Central America, but it was also in Japan. In 1981, Reagan signed a treaty with Japan that they could only Reagan signed an agreement with Japan that it would not import more than 1.67 million cars into the United States. This was to help the American Industries to help them grow, because the Japanese were rapidly taking them out of business. 20
Save the fruits. Save the world.
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Book Review A famous book that came out in the 80s was BFG, or the Big Friendly Giant. This is a book about a girl, named Sophie, who gets taken by BFG and into the giant world. Hence the name, she meets the nicest, most kind hearted giants in the world. Most of the giants in his society are mean, and eat humans at night, or for breakfast, but BFG keeps dreams and eats snozzcumbers. Knowing this, Sophie and the BFG devise a plan to lure the giants into a trap so that no more people are eaten, and all they can eat are snozzcumbers. Sophie then teaches the BFG how to read and write and it turns out the BFG is writing the story.
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Games
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Gossip Chevy Chase and Jacqueline Carlin, married in 1976 and divorced in 1980. Chase being a total a-hole was divorced because of constant “violence threats” towards Carlin.
Another gossip/divorce that happened in the 80’s was Malcolm McDowell and Margot Bennett. This was one of the difficult cases of the 80’s because Malcolm was not married before he met Margot, and Margot was married when she met Malcolm. Then, Margot broke her marriage to be with Malcolm, and after 5 years of dating, they decided to get married, but Malcolm had already started seeing other women because he already knew a long-distance relationship wouldn’t work. The divorce was filed in 1980.
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Works Cited List of Celebrity Divorces in 1980 - FamousFix List." FamousFix.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2017. Michael Jordan Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2017. "Music History of the United States in the 1980s." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2017. Web. 15 May 2017. "Politics." Back to the 1980's. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017. "Reaganomics." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 18 May 2017. "Ronald Reagan and Executive Power." Ronald Reagan and Executive Power | Presidential Leadership in the Cold War. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017. "Ronald Reagan: Domestic Affairs." Miller Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017. "Ronald Reagan: Foreign Affairs." Miller Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017. Schoenfield, David. "Remember the '80s: The Iconic Moments." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 07 July 2009. Web. 15 May 2017. "Sports in the 1980s." RetroWaste. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2017. Supreme Court in the 1980s. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017. "10 Recipes That Defined the 1980s." Kitchn. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2017. "Top 100 Artists of the 80’s." Weekly Top 40. N.p., 15 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 May 2017. "What Made The 1980s Memorable." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. N.p., 19 Jan. 1990. Web. 15 May 2017. 26