# Say something that is true to a person in 1985 that will make you sound like a crazy person **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2022, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283 "2022-07-20T20:59:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/281 "2022-08-18T14:59:13Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > What would sound crazy is that it would be those superheroes. Yes, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, etc., were second- or third-string characters. In the 1980s, of the featured characters in the MCU, only the Hulk would have been considered top-tier, because of the Bill Bixby TV show. But what would have been even more crazy would have been the suggestion that successful full-length feature films might have been led by Ant-Man, Black Panther, and, especially, the Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel’s top-tier was X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four. And it was exactly those properties that Marvel was able to sell for cash to Fox and Sony. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/282 "2022-08-18T15:09:36Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Dinosaurs had feathers. That’s definitely one of those things that was known back then by paleontologists and people in the know, but wasn’t part of the general public’s canon of knowledge in 1985. > [@cochrane](#): > > Not only that, these phones are complete miniature entertainment systems, with TV and radio capabilities, as well as serving as jukeboxes with their own stereo speakers. You can also read thousands of books on them. I think pretty much most aspects of technology in 2022 would sound insane to a person from 1985. “Yeah, the average TV size in 2022 is 55”, it weighs like 45 lbs, and mounts on your wall like a painting. That average TV has six times the resolution of 1985 TVs as well." While maybe not out of the realm of possibility, it’s still kind of a mind-blowing jump in capability. I mean, I recall a friend’s parents having a 30" TV and that thing being the hugest TV I’d ever heard of, much less seen. Had someone told me that in 35-40 years, we’d have TVs like that, I’d be amazed. Today’s smartphones would be more notable for ALL the stuff that we cram into them, and how they’re integrated. I mean, the idea of cellphones was kind of “near future” in 1985, but the idea that we’d have one of those that was also a powerful computer, a top-notch camera, a GPS receiver, and connected wirelessly to a global data network would be mind-blowing. And the idea that all those functions are integrated with each other- your pictures can have their GPS location included, or your camera can be used to search for stuff by taking a picture? Amazing future stuff that nobody in the general public foresaw at all. I mean, I still sort of marvel at the integration aspects when I actually think about it, and to someone from 1985 where we had landlines, CRT televisions w/cable TV, and home computers were relatively incapable, it would be astounding. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/283 "2022-08-18T15:16:37Z")
Didn’t 2015 Marty McFly have a tv similar to that on his wall though? I admit BTTF2 didn’t come out until… 1989?? but it wouldn’t have been that crazy sounding in 1985. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/284 "2022-08-18T15:19:54Z")
He did, and it was one of those insane future things like hoverboards, flying cars, etc… In reality, that whole big TV/videoconference thing was one of the few things that actually came true, except for the attached fax machine. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/285 "2022-08-18T15:21:14Z")
> [@bump](#): > > “Yeah, the average TV size in 2022 is 55”, it weighs like 45 lbs, and mounts on your wall like a painting. That average TV has six times the resolution of 1985 TVs as well." Yep. And we can watch any episode of any season of any show anytime we want (mostly). No commercials, and we can pause the show to go to the kitchen or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/286 "2022-08-18T15:22:38Z")
A fax machine in the loo would actually be quite handy were toilet roll running short, especially if you didnt like what you read. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/287 "2022-08-18T15:22:59Z")
I don’t think TV’s getting much bigger and thinner in the future would sound remotey crazy to a person in 1985. I mean, movie screens are big and thin, and its a clear direction to steer into. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/288 "2022-08-18T15:24:38Z")
The real-time pausing and rewinding would be astounding. I mean, we had VCRs at the time, but the idea that whatever we were watching could be paused, rewound, restarted, etc… would have been mind blowing, especially considering that there’s no loss of quality, unlike videotaped content. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/289 "2022-08-18T15:29:23Z")
Yup. No VCR, no tapes to change. I talk to my remote control and just tell it what show, movie or music I want. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/290 "2022-08-18T15:45:03Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Didn’t 2015 Marty McFly have a tv similar to that on his wall though? I admit BTTF2 didn’t come out until… 1989?? but it wouldn’t have been that crazy sounding in 1985. Note, though, how Marty watched TV. Hundreds of tv stations, all at once. While we’ve gone through the phase of having cable tv with lots and lots of specialized channels, we’re now to the point of more “on demand” viewing. A more accurate depiction of Marty would be him walking into a room, saying into the remote, “Show me a Clint Eastwood movie” and have it start playing “A Fistful of Dollars”. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/291 "2022-08-18T15:57:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > People wear hooded sweatshirts and wool caps in the middle of summer. [![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDl9BrEJO-JyUqZVe0Gs_6tSvpn78LHXcoGWusfyRKDFi3P1IDlNBJVhUwcB4MaGx-en7UpghPiIzY4YjcRR28XmPwPPw-YUItStRXRrD_SMgj7cUMCIAfQ-dp1eVGN3r51jFkJf1iK1TiDIbj8DLScNg2eWLrcRYFm9fCvd0S5nnMLjSC8PEUR1hA=w541-h362) ](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDl9BrEJO-JyUqZVe0Gs_6tSvpn78LHXcoGWusfyRKDFi3P1IDlNBJVhUwcB4MaGx-en7UpghPiIzY4YjcRR28XmPwPPw-YUItStRXRrD_SMgj7cUMCIAfQ-dp1eVGN3r51jFkJf1iK1TiDIbj8DLScNg2eWLrcRYFm9fCvd0S5nnMLjSC8PEUR1hA=w541-h362) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/292 "2022-08-18T18:15:26Z")
The Sony Discman will be replaced by something lighter than two pounds which can shuffle more than the ten songs on the CD. However, it lacks “bass boost”. A: “You know, you can still call directory assistance. But they are _not_ expecting your call.” B: “How can I help you?” A: “I was wondering if you could tell me all the Japanese restaurants within a five mile radius?” B: “Well, where are you?” A: “You tell me. I’d also like to know if any nearby cinemas are playing any movies in Cree. And I would like you to play “All The Things She Said”.” B: “You want me to play some music?” A: “Yes… some music… No. I want _all_ the music.” B: “All the music? We could do that . What are you prepared to pay?” A: “Senator, my offer is this. Nothing. I also want you to call the restaurant, make a reservation, and remind them I am allergic to soybeans”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/293 "2022-08-18T23:25:52Z")
Above half remembered quote: apologies to Gary Gulman. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/294 "2022-08-19T01:33:49Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > The Sony Discman will be replaced by something lighter than two pounds which can shuffle more than the ten songs on the CD. However, it lacks “bass boost”. Sure but how many seconds of [skip protection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_skip_protection) does it have? > [@Morgyn](#): > > Sears still has brick and mortar locations, but they’re darn few. Down to [23 stores total](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears). There are zero in Illinois where Sears was founded and remains headquartered. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/295 "2022-08-19T02:08:33Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I think Limmin is saying old GPS units had static-ish map data as opposed to something that is frequently updated via the internet. No, I used GPS units professionally that just gave you lat long — no map of any sort — as late as 2002. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/296 "2022-08-19T02:18:52Z")
Frankly, I doubt that anything regarding the capabilities of a smart phone would make you seem “crazy.” I was 16 in 1985, and had someone told me all that, I’d have thought it was all perfectly plausible. It pretty much sounds like stuff we were used to from science fiction anyway. The crazy stuff would be the social stuff, like the resurgence of fascism, Nazism, and KKK-ism. And the idea that a sitting president would try to void the results of a legitimate election via putsch, and that two years later, he would have lost almost no support. Oh, and also that that president would be Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/297 "2022-08-19T03:20:17Z")
IIRC, a lot of Sears’ problems were blamed on a CEO who was a fervent Randist. Something about pitting departments against teach other for location in the catalogs or their circulars? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/298 "2022-08-19T18:26:31Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Trump was a national news figure no later than 1983-1984 when he bought the New Jersey Generals football club. That’s when I—a midwesterner who wasn’t even interested in sports—started seeing regular coverage of him. I remember when Trump’s “Art of the Deal” came out. That was 1987, and he was already a big name. Everyone knew Donald Trump. And back then he had a much better rep than he got in later yers. No one in 1985 would have been surprised that Trump became President. He was a Democrat then, and I’m sure the dems would have picked him over Reagan in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/299 "2022-08-19T20:20:36Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > That was 1987, and he was already a big name. Everyone knew Donald Trump. I didn’t. I might or might not have seen the name; but I wouldn’t have paid it any attention. Yet another Book On How To Do Things that somebody wants to make money by selling. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283/300 "2022-08-19T21:04:52Z")
> **[Ayn Rand killed Sears](https://www.salon.com/2013/07/18/ayn_rand_killed_sears_partner/)** > > How the me-first corporate structure installed by hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert helped ruin the retail giant > Units competed for ad space in Sears’ circulars, and since the unit with the most money got the most ad space, one Mother’s Day circular ended up being released featuring a mini bike for boys on its cover. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-something-that-is-true-to-a-person-in-1985-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-crazy-person/968283.md?page=16)