# Hey, remember the '80's? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 9, 2000, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748 "2000-08-09T21:13:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2000, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/1 "2000-08-09T21:13:08Z")
For some reason, the '80’s is a fun decade to reminisce about. Here’s a list of my fave memories from those totally awesome years: Wearing polo shirts with the collars turned up at just the right angle. Hair gel and lots of it. Gotta get that “Pat Benetar” look, ya know. An armload of those rubber bracelets. The more the better. Gathering at a friends house to watch “Friday Night Videos” because our side of town didn’t have cable yet. Taking “computer” class at school and learning to write a program in BASIC The SuperBowl Shuffle (song and video) Hey have you heard that new singer named Madonna? What a weird name!! Making fun of the Preppy’s Penny loafers with shiny new pennies in the slot Van Halen was known as a “heavy metal” band!! You got tickets to see Journey AND Styx???!!! Excellent! I’m sure you all can come up with a good list… ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2000, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/2 "2000-08-09T21:19:28Z")
I was part of a conversation the other day with some rather young girls, one of whom was breathlessly relating her plan to marry one of the boys from \*NSYNC. I mentioned that my friends and I used to do the same thing about Duran Duran. And she said, “Who?” Oh my God… ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/3 "2000-08-09T21:27:20Z")
Hm. To continue the previous hijack, they’re touring, y’know (Duran, not N\*Sync. Well, I dunno about NS). But I don’t have a good list for the 80’s. I’m doing my best to blank out that entire decade. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalMuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@DigitalMuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalMuse)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/4 "2000-08-10T01:10:42Z")
80’s music is one of the best parts of the decade Who could forget Depeche Mode The Cure Nena The Police Dead or Alive Devo Madness The Bangles Dexie’s Midnight Runners Duran Duran among others? There was something about reagonomics and cabbage patch kids, but those were trivial detail ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/5 "2000-08-10T01:22:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HelloKitty \* > \*\* > Wearing polo shirts with the collars turned up at just the right angle. > > Penny loafers with shiny new pennies in the slot > > Making fun of the Preppy’s > \*\* You wore polo shirts with the collar up and pennyloafers AND made fun of preppies? I knew the preppies were harsh, but I didn’t know they mocked their own. BTW, isn’t ‘harsh’ a great 80’s word? Like ‘doyeee’ ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/6 "2000-08-10T02:11:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChiefWahoo \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by HelloKitty \* > > \*\* > > Wearing polo shirts with the collars turned up at just the right angle. > > > > Penny loafers with shiny new pennies in the slot > > > > Making fun of the Preppy’s > > \*\* > > You wore polo shirts with the collar up and pennyloafers AND made fun of preppies? I knew the preppies were harsh, but I didn’t know they mocked their own. > > \*\* Of course!! That’s all part of the “Preppy Mystique”. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/7 "2000-08-10T02:36:05Z")
And Boingo, soundtrack artists for such classics as \* Weird Science, The Forbidden Zone, \* and \* I was a Teen Wolf Too. \* ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/8 "2000-08-10T04:41:28Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by DigitalMuse \* Depeche Mode The Cure Nena The Police Dead or Alive Devo Madness The Bangles Dex(y)'s Midnight Runners Duran Duran among others? QUOTE] You just named all my favorite bands 😉 BTW HelloKitty I love your userid. ---
**Author:** ![Amthystre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Amthystre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amthystre)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/9 "2000-08-10T08:46:38Z")
All right what about big hair, using entire can’s (aresol not pump) of hair spray lot’s of blush hello kitty , my mom never bought me any hello kitty stuff, fragel rock. All girl bands “The Go Go’s the ‘first!’ all girl band”, roller skating not blading and Miami Vice clothing. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/10 "2000-08-10T10:02:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HelloKitty \* > Taking “computer” class at school and learning to write a program in BASIC 10 for x=1 to 20 20 print “I hate school” 30 next x I was so proud when I first did that . :o Don’t forget _Live Aid_ . ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/11 "2000-08-10T12:53:17Z")
I spent my thriteenth through twenty-third years in the 1980s! Who can forget… Being a DJ and using records (Yes kids, I’ve done it!) Figuring out what Too-Rye-Ay really meant (And Mrs Chance is named Eileen! How cool is that!) Twisted Sister Atari home computers 2nd-hand Datsun B-210s **More important that Madonna: Girlfriends who wanted to dress and ACT like Madonna (YES!)** She’s _so_ usual Kajagoogoo Getting that front part of your hair to stick out at JUST the right angle. Seeing if you could get your eye to go off at an angle like the singer from Men At Work Playing Dark Tower ---
**Author:** ![SixStringSamurai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@SixStringSamurai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SixStringSamurai)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/12 "2000-08-10T13:54:39Z")
I love watching the VH1 show “Behind the Music” just because so often it brings back memories of things from the 80’s and other decades that I haven’t thought about in years. One tends to block out their parachute pants and those little leather spiked bracelets and belts until you run across “Hall and Oats” or “Duran Duran” BTM. Where are they Now ranks pretty high too. The funny thing about this show is the almost universal common elements. A. You find that they had about 4-5 more albums than you thought they did. (usually one before they got popular and about 3 or 4 more as they desperately try to dredge up another hit) B. They are usually defensive about the album after their hit pointing out that it went gold or platinum. (Not bothering to mention of course that “gold” or “platinum” sales are based on records sold to distributors not to the public.) C. They are getting ready to go back in the studio to record a new album and then go on tour. D. In the meantime they have started their own natural food company, reacord label or have become a minister. Sometimes all three. Kind of sad though to see the icons of our youth that have become fat, bald, and middle aged before their time. I guess that rock and roll lifestyle catches up with you sooner or later. ---
**Author:** ![johnboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@johnboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/13 "2000-08-10T14:21:39Z")
The only thing I remember about the eighties (other than the fact that I started high school in 79) was the fact that the global weather patterns seem to have never been the same since Mt. St. Helen’s (you do remember that, don’t you?) erupted. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/14 "2000-08-10T14:30:20Z")
I remember Jordache, Sassoon, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Guess? I remember PR wars between Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. I remember hearing “Open Arms” about 5,000 times too many at school dances. I remember roller skating parties. I remember middle school and high school. I remember being very very very damned glad to be done with them both. I remember living in a nasty little uptight upper-middle-class 99.9% (literally) white community, in which “Coolest Set of Wheels” was an actual Mock Election category in the yearbook. I remember having to suppress the desire to vomit every time one of the jackasses in my school made an AIDS joke. ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/15 "2000-08-10T14:31:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\* > Figuring out what Too-Rye-Ay really meant (And Mrs Chance is named Eileen! How cool is that!) > \*\* ok, I give. What DOES Too-Rye-Aye mean? For those of us who spent our younger years in the 80s: LA Gear. Multiple Shoe Laces. Sure, they were hard to tie, but you HAD to have them. Don’t roll your jeans wrong, for the love of God. Fold and roll. Fold and roll. Leg Warmers are everyone’s friend. I had rainbow ones. Yea! Ponytails that emerged from the side of your head, not unlike a hairy goiter. SisterRiddles to SwimmingRiddles, circa 1987 or so: “No, no, no. Michael Jackson is SO out. Prince is totally in now. You are SO out of it.” Anthony Michael Hall. Need I say more? And remember: it’s not a cool shirt unless it has an animal embroidered on the chest. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/16 "2000-08-10T14:32:04Z")
**Jonathan Chance** said: > [@](#): > > Playing Dark Tower Yes! Yes! **Yes!** Mrs. pld had never heard of this game, which I played incessantly from ages 11-13, and I thought maybe I had imagined it. Remember the Dark Tower commercials with Orson Welles? Man, I would love to find a working copy of that game. If anyone ever comes up with one somewhere, let me know. I’ll pay good money for it. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/17 "2000-08-10T14:40:44Z")
hmmm - 80 - bought my first house 83 - bought my second house, got married 84 - turned 30, first major surgery, bought my third house, got out of the Navy 85 - gave birth, sold first and second houses, moved out of 3rd house to live aboard boat, got first engineering job 86 - sold 3rd house 87 - bought 4th house, moved off boat and into house 89 - second major surgery up till now, I’d blocked most of this out… \ ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/18 "2000-08-10T14:49:33Z")
Ahh, the 80s: Parachute pants Skinny ties Flecked sportcoats with the sleeves rolled up Members Only jackets Poofy permed Mullets Flock of Seagulls Andrew McCarthy ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/19 "2000-08-10T15:02:13Z")
“Sixteen Candles” was on TV last night. Despite my pleas, SO refused to watch it. That’s what I get for being with a guy who grew up in the (gasp) 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748/20 "2000-08-10T15:10:07Z")
No one’s frickin’ mentioned _Miami Vice_ yet?! What’s wrong with you cretins? I owned white, black, pastel blue, pastel lime, and grey unstructured linen jackets. Sua [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-remember-the-80s/28748.md?page=2)