I was a college freshman when this magazine was published, and found a copy, in near-mint condition, at a local flea market today (paid 50 cents for it, too). The story accompanying the headline at the top of the page should be read by anyone who waxes nostalgic for the early 1980s, or who thinks AIDS is really no big deal. It was still 2 more years before we even knew what caused AIDS in the first place.
For those of you under 40, imagine SARS, bird flu, MRSA, flesh-eating bacteria, etc. rolled up into a bundle and magnified by about 1,000, and you may have some vague idea how frightened people were of this “new” disease (which has since been proven to not be all that new, but it was new to most of us).
I’m under 40, but I think it really hit main stream media (along with the concept of safe sex and then safer sex) in the 90’s. So it’s really going to be people under 30 that aren’t going to remember hearing about AIDS everywhere they turned.
I remember it being a big deal when Rock Hudson had it (the joke going around was "What do you call Rock Hudson on roller skates? Rolaids!). He died in 1985.
I remember talking to my little sister, born in 1981, when she was maybe 20 or so. I mentioned something about “before AIDS.” She was confused because, as far as she knew, it had always been around.
I am amazed at how little front page real estate is taken up by text.
I agree with Silvorange. It was Rock Hudson who brought it to the forefront, so it was pre-1985 for me. Much of the 80s is a blur and hodge-podge, it’s hard for me to recall pop cultural events in correct chronological order.
The scene: a skydiving club.
I see a commercial poster on the wall, advertising the latest parchute equipment and safety devices.
The slogan was: “Remember when skydiving was dangerous and sex was safe?”
I started high school in 1982 and I remember hearing about aides then. I can’t pin down an exact year, but there was all the political arguments about teaching kids about aides and gays (since it was supposed to be a gay/IV drug user problem).
Not to mention the furor over handing out/recommending condoms for kids.
I do remember the Rock Hudson gay jokes.
I also remember thinking aides was screwing up my chances of having lotsa sex in high school…turns out it was my acne and personality that did that:D:D
But at the time I though no one was puttin out because they were all scared everybody had aides:rolleyes:
Vagabond, I can assure you that NOBODY stopped having sex because of AIDS. They may have become a little more careful, but became celibate or even reduced their number of partners? Nope.
If anything, people (or straight ones, anyway) became MORE promiscuous. They certainly advertised more, in any case.
Uproar about closing bathhouses (were you didn’t bother to get dressed between partners)
The fear of going to a business lunch with a gay person (luckily, he ordered a single-serving pizza, and didn’t touch the communal one).
Assholes proclaiming “God’s punishment for the abomination of homosexuality!”
The President of the United States NEVER publicly saying “AIDS” (he was one who thought it was Devine retribution, apparently. Or sincerely hoped that it was)
The newspapers rushing to print every new theory, proposed treatment.
The sentiment was most prevalent among right-wing “Christians”. Reagan never did anything to distance himself from those - who were also the biggest fans he had.
After he left office, he and Nancy (“i’m going to sleep my way to the top”) Davis did a photo op of a visit to a home for infants born with AIDS.
This was promoted as his “apology” for ignoring it for 10 years - when he could have used his position to repudiate the bigots and establish Federal research and treatment.
