# The '80s in a nutshell **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 25, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905 "2007-08-25T17:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/1 "2007-08-25T17:33:53Z")
Bought a “Double Feature” DVD at Target last night – _Footloose_ and _Flashdance_. Having watched them both immediately, thus reliving the entire decade in less than four hours, I am here to report that the '80s can be summed up in two words: Bad Hair. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/2 "2007-08-25T20:39:26Z")
and a flock of seagulls ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/3 "2007-08-25T20:43:45Z")
Same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/4 "2007-08-25T22:07:06Z")
Ffftt! :rolleyes: No _Breakfast Club_? You’re 80’s Lite. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/5 "2007-08-25T22:11:40Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Bought a “Double Feature” DVD at Target last night – _Footloose_ and _Flashdance_. Having watched them both immediately, thus reliving the entire decade in less than four hours, I am here to report that the '80s can be summed up in two words: Bad Hair. [/QUOTE] If you think the 80s had bad hair you should see the 70s, when I was growing up. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/6 "2007-08-25T22:23:30Z")
Can’t relive the 80’s without Cocaine. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/7 "2007-08-25T22:31:39Z")
[QUOTE=suranyi] If you think the 80s had bad hair you should see the 70s, when I was growing up. Ed [/QUOTE] You’re a child. I grew up during the '60s. My bad hair era, though, was definitely the '80s. (I believe I have destroyed all photographic evidence of that perm, however, so try to prove it ever existed – just try.) ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/8 "2007-08-25T23:07:44Z")
Bad hair, tight jeans, big shoulders, shiny plastic everything. I graduated from high school in 1987. ---
**Author:** ![Phantom\_Dennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Phantom\_Dennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantom_Dennis)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/9 "2007-08-25T23:16:51Z")
Shoulder pads. All the women looked like linebackers back then. Big earrings, too. And crappy synthesizers. Every '80s song had to have at least one. ---
**Author:** ![Hobohob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Hobohob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobohob)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/10 "2007-08-25T23:22:57Z")
As Freddy said, the operative phrase is Relax, don’t do it. The end of activism. Follow Ronald Reagan and work fewer hours than any of your recent predecesors, rake it in and spend it on yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/11 "2007-08-26T01:08:21Z")
[QUOTE=Hobohob] The end of activism. [/QUOTE] I think that ACT UP would beg to differ with you on that. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/12 "2007-08-26T01:31:25Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] You’re a child. I grew up during the '60s. My bad hair era, though, was definitely the '80s. (I believe I have destroyed all photographic evidence of that perm, however, so try to prove it ever existed – just try.) [/QUOTE] I give you [THIS!!!](http://images.google.com/images?q=80's+perm&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi) ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/13 "2007-08-26T01:48:32Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] You’re a child. I grew up during the '60s. My bad hair era, though, was definitely the '80s. (I believe I have destroyed all photographic evidence of that perm, however, so try to prove it ever existed – just try.) [/QUOTE] Arrrrrggggggghhhhhhh I had the same perm, I don’t even need to see it. If I could go back in time I’ld just shoot myself. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/14 "2007-08-26T04:18:08Z")
[QUOTE=Amp] I give you [THIS!!!](http://images.google.com/images?q=80's+perm&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi) [/QUOTE] Hee. In the middle of that page is [this image](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/images/blog/myhair-1989.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2006/11/the_wall_o_bang.php&h=400&w=318&sz=43&hl=en&start=11&sig2=x0r0mFBrdE-drgDDf0azOQ&um=1&tbnid=fcisaYNBnWjMiM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=99&ei=C_7QRu2oGJveggOb9KWjCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3D80%2527s%2Bperm%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN). The funny thing is, this hairdo still looks “normal” to me. I look at her and don’t see anything all that bad–yeah, intellectually I know that it isn’t in style, but somewhere in my head, that poofy bangs/perm rest of hair (preferably as curly as possible, and long!) still looks normal and fine. Of course, I watched _Pretty in pink_ last year and thought, “hey, she looks good!” --except for the hideous prom dress of course, no one likes that thing. So don’t ask me for fashion advice (I look like a normal person, really I do!). ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/15 "2007-08-26T05:13:15Z")
There’s a cashier at a local convenience store with hair that is completely 80’s. A little past shoulder-length, permed, with “the claw”- you know, those high, round, shellacked bangs. Every time I see her it makes me smile. She thinks I’m really nice but little does she know that it’s her hair that makes me grin. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/16 "2007-08-26T07:08:58Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] Hee. In the middle of that page is [this image](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/images/blog/myhair-1989.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2006/11/the_wall_o_bang.php&h=400&w=318&sz=43&hl=en&start=11&sig2=x0r0mFBrdE-drgDDf0azOQ&um=1&tbnid=fcisaYNBnWjMiM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=99&ei=C_7QRu2oGJveggOb9KWjCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3D80%2527s%2Bperm%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN). The funny thing is, this hairdo still looks “normal” to me. I look at her and don’t see anything all that bad–yeah, intellectually I know that it isn’t in style, but somewhere in my head, that poofy bangs/perm rest of hair (preferably as curly as possible, and long!) still looks normal and fine. [/QUOTE] \< small print \>]I think her hair is pretty, too.\< / small print \> ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/17 "2007-08-26T10:37:38Z")
[QUOTE=Hobohob] As Freddy said, the operative phrase is Relax, don’t do it. The end of activism. Follow Ronald Reagan and work fewer hours than any of your recent predecesors, rake it in and spend it on yourself. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: It was Frankie who said that, not Freddy. (The band was called Frankie Goes to Hollywood.) For me, it was definitely the fashion. I graduated high school in 1989 and I remember acid-washed jeans and big collared blouses over them with a wide belt and non-black Chuck Taylor All-Star high-tops. I also remember the hair. I escaped the hair tragedy, but not the clothes. True fact: A couple years ago, I got a pair of the same hot pink Chucks that were popular when I was growing up. My mother wouldn’t let me get them; she favored more “practical” shoes. So I staged a minor rebellion as an adult. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/18 "2007-08-26T11:02:29Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] I watched _Pretty in pink_ last year and thought, “hey, she looks good!” --except for the hideous prom dress of course, no one likes that thing. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure about that. I don’t like the homemade prom gown either, but whoever designed it was prescient, because that style was seen a lot in the early '90s. Long, straight skirt, only the suggestion of a waistline, high collar, bare shoulders, sleeveless. The whole prom sequence in that film is a tossup, really. Even I have to admit that the pink vacuum cleaner at least beats the poofy gowns the other girls were wearing. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/19 "2007-08-26T13:01:23Z")
[QUOTE=Alice The Goon] There’s a cashier at a local convenience store with hair that is completely 80’s. A little past shoulder-length, permed, with “the claw”- you know, those high, round, shellacked bangs. Every time I see her it makes me smile. She thinks I’m really nice but little does she know that it’s her hair that makes me grin. [/QUOTE] I have just come back to the city from a few days in a country town, and I noticed all the 15 - 25 year old girls there are straight out of 1985 (except the 1975 blue eye shadow). I even passed a clothing store that had t-shirts with BIG WRITING. They didn’t say CHOOSE LIFE but they may as well have. OR is that retro and cool again? I dunno - I’ve worn blue jeans and a plain t-shirt for decades. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905/20 "2007-08-26T13:18:26Z")
What an ugly, ugly decade. Leg warmers. Skirts with sneakers. Parachute pants. Bad drum machines. Reagan. Poodle hair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-80s-in-a-nutshell/416905.md?page=2)