# What if Back to the Future were made today and Marty went back to 1981? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280 "2011-06-04T03:04:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/41 "2011-06-05T01:39:24Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I think this is actually the recent-ish thread people are thinking of. It took a little while to turn up because the thread title is **30 years ago now versus 30 years ago 30 years ago** and not something about _Back to the Future_: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13354641](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13354641) That’s the thread I was thinking of. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/42 "2011-06-05T01:53:21Z")
Marty brings a DVD of plans for the time machine, and all the technical papers Doc has written for the past 30 years. “What’s a DVD?” “Well, maybe we can Google it?” “What does applying the principles of a number that’s 100 digits long have to do with this?” “I mean, look it up on the Internet.” “What’s an Internet?” “Um, where’s your computer?” “Marty, the only computer in Mill Valley is located in the bank, which closed at 3:00 in the afternoon, just like it does every day.” ---
**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:** [June 5, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/43 "2011-06-05T04:42:21Z")
The Delorean was supposed to be the lightweight, exotic sports car for the masses. The modern equivalent would be the [Lotus Elise](http://www.lotuscars.com/en/lotus-elise). The Tesla is basically an electric Elise. Make it a hybrid, and there’s your perfect base car. After all the DeLorean in the movie was a gas/plutonium hybrid. Heck, it’s almost like modern hybrid cars were designed to be time-travel friendly. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/44 "2011-06-05T06:03:38Z")
The DeLorean was also built in a way which was supposed to improve the journey. Perhaps carbon fibre would be even better. ---
**Author:** ![LAV25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@LAV25](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAV25)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/45 "2011-06-05T06:23:07Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > You could still do it but it’s unlikely you’d capture the sheer magic of the original. All the more reason to expect it soon. _Dukes of Hazzard_, \*Charlie’s Angels, Nikita,\*etc etc etc… ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/46 "2011-06-05T06:37:06Z")
The DMC-12 was a one of a kind “actor” who played the time machine. Replacing it with a Tesla, $250k Aston Martin, or even a Hummer would be the equivalent of replacing Michael J Fox with Shia Labeouf. Actually, Shia might have the chops… Nah. Anyway, the timing was perfect for production of BTTF. The disparity of a one of a kind, Irish, sports car to the usual boxy 1955 fare is unbeatable both as what seems right for the “future-shock coolness” that’s needed for the car, but also the futuristic-quirky aspects that make that car seem suitable as a chassis for a time machine. Low profile. Minimal design. Angular, no curves. Gull wing doors. Two-seater. Why, even the stainless steel construction makes the flux dispersal-- **beep beep** --WATCH OUT MARTY! Also. There is no band that would be considered cooler by today’s standards, that the teens of 1981 wouldn’t be mortified by. Shit. We had the Sex Pistols already. I’m thinking this particular time-travel gag/story is only effective for that very particular, but critical, era in human history: the technology boom and cultural revolution during the 3 intervening decades, relative to 2011/1981, was vastly more pronounced. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/47 "2011-06-05T06:40:47Z")
I rather doubt even the most hickish resident of 1981 America would look at an exotic 2011 car and think it was an airplane - without wings. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/48 "2011-06-05T06:45:31Z")
Although a MacBook Pro would blow their fucking minds. And with the internet… Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/49 "2011-06-05T08:46:12Z")
“Space shuttle? You’re still using those?!” ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/50 "2011-06-05T16:02:35Z")
“Alright then, _Future Boy_, who’s the president of the United States In 2011?” “Barack Hussein Obama!” "HA! A Muslim?! Who’s the vice president… _Muammar Gaddafi?!"_ * * * “Doc, you better back up. We don’t have enough road to reach 88.” “Roads? Oh yes, in 2041, there’s a ton of repair work.” “Still?” “Yep. And yeh, your kids are assholes.” TO BE CONTINUED… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/51 "2011-06-05T16:12:15Z")
There’d be a scene where Marty needs some information. Of course he’s unable to look it up online. So Doc takes him to the local library. After dealing for hours with card catalogs and microfiche readers, Marty rants to Doc about how much better things will be in the future when there’s google and wikipedia and all the information in the world is available in your home. Then the camera would pull back to a table of nerds overhearing the rant and have them saying, “That would be awesome. We should do that.” ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/52 "2011-06-05T16:18:14Z")
Lou: You gonna order something, kid? Marty McFly: Ah, yeah… Give me - Give me a TaB. Lou: Okay. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/53 "2011-06-05T16:28:13Z")
Dad hooks up the Atari 2600 to the console TV… “Whoo hoo hoo, kids! Now we can play Asteroids while eating dinner!” “Ha! Asteroids! I love this one… it’s a classic!” “What do you mean it’s a classic? It’s brand new.” “Well, I used to… uh… be a beta tester.” “What’s a beta tester?” “You’ll find out.” ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/54 "2011-06-05T16:32:45Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > The White Stripes are hardly a new sound. If anything the kids would think he’s playing some sort of 60s psychadelic rock. > > Even hip hop would have been popular since 1979 (Rapper’s Delight by The Sugerhill Gang). > > I say say he would sing “Born this Way” by Lady Gaga. Then some girl would be on the phone with her cousin Madonna. > [@cmyk](#): > > Also. There is no band that would be considered cooler by today’s standards, that the teens of 1981 wouldn’t be mortified by. Shit. We had the Sex Pistols already. Two words: Death Metal Seriously, the '80s was right in the middle of all the crap about metal being “satanic”. What better than to shock everybody with singing that actually sounds like they might imagine a demon would sound? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/55 "2011-06-05T16:34:49Z")
“Hey George? Where ya been?!” “Last night, Glen Beck came down from the planet _Foqsnooze_ and told me that if I didn’t take Lorraine out that he’d melt my brain.” “Alright George, let’s just keep that between you and I.” ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/56 "2011-06-05T16:50:31Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Two words: > > Death Metal > > Seriously, the '80s was right in the middle of all the crap about metal being “satanic”. What better than to shock everybody with singing that actually sounds like they might imagine a demon would sound? True that. However, by that time, it was still mostly the same group of people who were mortified by such music: The baby boomers… who would now be staffing the school. By the 80s, any music that pissed your parents or teachers off was embraced. Misfits, Black Sabbath, Metallica, etc. Granted, not nearly as obnoxious as death metal, but still, probably wouldn’t phase a bunch of students like Marty’s guitar solo at the Dance. Not with all the pot everyone was doing. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/57 "2011-06-05T17:01:12Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > “Alright then, _Future Boy_, who’s the president of the United States In 2011?” > > “Barack Hussein Obama!” > > "HA! A Muslim?! Who’s the vice president… _Muammar Gaddafi?!"_ Hell, you could go back to 2003 and get that reaction! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/58 "2011-06-05T17:01:59Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Hell, you could go back to 2003 and get that reaction! Ha! ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/59 "2011-06-05T20:42:20Z")
The problem is we have a lot of the same tech, just more advanced. So someone from the past wouldn’t be as dazzled/baffled, ie cell phones- cell phones existed in the eighties. If you showed them a smartphone, they’d be impressed, but probably assume that’s the direction cell phones were going (smaller, more features, cheaper, etc). Similarly, a car that ran on gasoline and electricity wouldn’t seem so amazing, since its combining two things that already existed. The internet would probably be the biggest gag fodder. Maybe also text messaging/email: “Shoot, E-mail probably doesn’t even work around here [fiddles with smartphone]” “Sure it does, it works just fine! give me that, I’ll show you” [hands smartphone, looking rather incredulous] "It just needs one thing [puts stamps on phone, throws it in a street mailbox] :smack: ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280/60 "2011-06-05T23:25:25Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Dad hooks up the Atari 2600 to the console TV… “Whoo hoo hoo, kids! Now we can play Asteroids while eating dinner!” > > “Ha! Asteroids! I love this one… it’s a classic!” > > “What do you mean it’s a classic? It’s brand new.” > > “Well, I used to… uh… be a beta tester.” > > “What’s a beta tester?” > > “You’ll find out.” Lorraine’s little brother: Do you have a video game console? Marty: Yeah, we’ve got four of them? Lorraine’s little brother: Wow, really? Lorraine’s mother: Come on, nobody has four video game consoles. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-back-to-the-future-were-made-today-and-marty-went-back-to-1981/584280.md?page=4)