The Eighties: Difference between revisions

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{{Useful Notes}}
[[File:80s_pop_culture_nutshell_7983.jpg|frame|link=media:the_eighties_3159.jpg|'Twas a good decade for pop culture.]]
[[File:The eighties 3159.jpg|thumb|400px|'Twas a good decade for pop culture.]]


{{quote|''"Legend has it that man once washed his jeans in pure acid!"''|'''[[Stephen Colbert]]''', ''[[The Colbert Report]]''}}
{{quote|''"Legend has it that man once washed his jeans in pure acid!"''
|'''[[Stephen Colbert]]''', ''[[The Colbert Report]]''}}


[[The Eighties]]: a time where you [[The Go-Gos|go-go]] when you want to [[The Bangles|walk like an Egyptian]], [[Prince|hear doves cry]] or feel the [[Punky Brewster|Punky power]].
'''The Eighties''': a time where you [[The Go-Gos|go-go]] when you want to [[The Bangles|walk like an Egyptian]], [[Prince|hear doves cry]] or feel the [[Punky Brewster|Punky power]].


All the men were preppies who wore pastel suits with narrow ties, drove sports cars that Lee Iacocca personally stood behind and traded stocks on Wall Street - after all, as [[Oscar Wilde]] said, nothing says success like excess. (Unless they happened to be teenagers, in which case they were [[Totally Radical]] or studied karate and learnt the meaning of "[[Wax On, Wax Off]]".) Everyone had [[Eighties Hair|huge hairdos]], enough make-up to sink a ship and power suits with shoulderpads big enough to knock the giant mirrored sunglasses off anyone who walked within a three foot radius of them. And those without them had flat-tops and wore gym clothes and break-danced on top of cardboard. Generation Y started being born, one day to become, [[Adult Child|despite their best efforts]], the young adults of The [[Turn of the Millennium]].
All the men were preppies who wore pastel suits with narrow ties, drove sports cars that Lee Iacocca personally stood behind and traded stocks on Wall Street - after all, as [[Oscar Wilde]] said, nothing says success like excess. (Unless they happened to be teenagers, in which case they were [[Totally Radical]] or studied karate and learnt the meaning of "[[Wax On, Wax Off]]".) Everyone had [[Eighties Hair|huge hairdos]], enough make-up to sink a ship and power suits with shoulderpads big enough to knock the giant mirrored sunglasses off anyone who walked within a three foot radius of them. And those without them had flat-tops and wore gym clothes and break-danced on top of cardboard. Generation Y started being born, one day to become, [[Adult Child|despite their best efforts]], the young adults of The [[Turn of the Millennium]].


Computing technology first became a true cultural force in this decade, starting a trend that would keep on snowballing to this very day. The Eighties was the decade of [[Cell Phone|cell phones]] literally sized and shaped like bricks, jokes about being unable to program VCRs, the death of Betamax, and the beginnings of personal computers and gaming consoles beginning to proliferate inside homes, perhaps one of the trends from this decade with the largest of cultural implications. Cable television also took off big time, with [[MTV]], [[TBS]], [[HBO]], and [[Cable News Network|CNN]] becoming household acronyms.
Computing technology first became a true cultural force in this decade, starting a trend that would keep on snowballing to this very day. The Eighties was the decade of [[Cell Phone|cell phones]] literally sized and shaped like bricks, jokes about being unable to program VCRs, the death of Betamax, and the beginnings of personal computers and gaming consoles beginning to proliferate inside homes, perhaps one of the trends from this decade with the largest of cultural implications. Cable television also took off big time, with [[MTV]], [[TBS]], [[HBO]], and [[CNN]] becoming household acronyms.


In the US, it was also the first wave of the [[Japanese Invasion]], the inklings of which started in '78 with the dub of ''[[Battle of the Planets]]'', continuing on with ''[[Star Blazers]]'' ('79),'' [[Voltron]]'' ('84), [[Took a Level In Badass|getting even more hardcore]] with ''[[Robotech]]'' in '85, and hitting its apex by [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|cranking the quality]] [[Up to Eleven]] with the nationwide release of ''[[Akira]]'' ('88).
In the US, it was also the first wave of the [[Japanese Invasion]], the inklings of which started in '78 with the dub of ''[[Battle of the Planets]]'', continuing on with ''[[Star Blazers]]'' ('79),'' [[Voltron]]'' ('84), [[Took a Level in Badass|getting even more hardcore]] with ''[[Robotech]]'' in '85, and hitting its apex by [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|cranking the quality]] [[Up to Eleven]] with the nationwide release of ''[[Akira]]'' ('88).


On the homefront, the 1980s produced a rash of pop-cultural icons that today are looked upon, at worst, with [[Affectionate Parody]], and at best, as the national ideal. The conservative political culture of the era meant two rather contradictory things for the production of pop-culture; on the one hand, the surge of private enterprise together with new media technologies allowed corporations such as Hasbro an unprecedented ability to build [[Merchandise-Driven|massive franchises]] around their products, typically with a TV show and accompanying toys, but on the other [[Moral Guardian]] complaints would challenge the ethics of making a show that was "essentially one large commercial." The result was the rather spoof-worthy [[And Knowing Is Half the Battle]] segment common to many mass franchise shows, shoving an [[Anvilicious]] moral into the action. Fortunately, these were conveniently located after the actual plot, so kids could just turn it off at that point and run down to buy the toys. Besides, the segments [[So Bad It's Good|make]] [[Memetic Mutation|great]] [[Youtube Poop|joke]] fodder.
On the homefront, the 1980s produced a rash of pop-cultural icons that today are looked upon, at worst, with [[Affectionate Parody]], and at best, as the national ideal. The conservative political culture of the era meant two rather contradictory things for the production of pop-culture; on the one hand, the surge of private enterprise together with new media technologies allowed corporations such as Hasbro an unprecedented ability to build [[Merchandise-Driven|massive franchises]] around their products, typically with a TV show and accompanying toys, but on the other [[Moral Guardian]] complaints would challenge the ethics of making a show that was "essentially one large commercial." The result was the rather spoof-worthy [[And Knowing Is Half the Battle]] segment common to many mass franchise shows, shoving an [[Anvilicious]] moral into the action. Fortunately, these were conveniently located after the actual plot, so kids could just turn it off at that point and run down to buy the toys. Besides, the segments [[So Bad It's Good|make]] [[Memetic Mutation|great]] [[YouTube Poop|joke]] fodder.


Politically, the first part of the decade, [[Cold War]] tensions continued to escalate. Some accuse this of being an [[Batman Gambit|intentional move]] by the West to render the economically inept Soviet Union infeasible by drawing its resources away from things like infrastructure and feeding its people, which market economies could accomplish easily. While this is, essentially, what ended up happening (though more complicated than that in real life; in Eastern Europe the decade's real deathblow to communism was considered to have been all the new media technology), the fact that the other possible outcome of such a strategy was global thermonuclear annihilation had a profound impact on Western media tropes. Most obviously, dystopian [[Speculative Fiction]], particularly set [[After the End]] [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]], enjoyed a surge.
Politically, the first part of the decade, [[Cold War]] tensions continued to escalate. Some accuse this of being an [[Batman Gambit|intentional move]] by the West to render the economically inept Soviet Union infeasible by drawing its resources away from things like infrastructure and feeding its people, which market economies could accomplish easily. While this is, essentially, what ended up happening (though more complicated than that in real life; in Eastern Europe the decade's real deathblow to communism was considered to have been all the new media technology), the fact that the other possible outcome of such a strategy was global thermonuclear annihilation had a profound impact on Western media tropes. Most obviously, dystopian [[Speculative Fiction]], particularly set [[After the End]] [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]], enjoyed a surge.
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See Also: [[The Forties]], [[The Fifties]], [[The Sixties]], [[The Seventies]], [[The Nineties]], [[Turn of the Millennium]] and [[The New Tens]].
See Also: [[The Forties]], [[The Fifties]], [[The Sixties]], [[The Seventies]], [[The Nineties]], [[Turn of the Millennium]] and [[The New Tens]].

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=== Popular tropes from this time period include: ===
{{tropelist|Popular tropes from this time period include:}}
* [[The Aggressive Drug Dealer]]: Crack cocaine and heroin caught on big during this decade, along with their pushers.
* [[The Aggressive Drug Dealer]]: Crack cocaine and heroin caught on big during this decade, along with their pushers.
* [[And Knowing Is Half the Battle]] (''[[G.I. Joe]]'' et al)
* [[And Knowing Is Half the Battle]] (''[[G.I. Joe]]'' et al)
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* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: Thanks to the movie ''[[Wall Street]]'', an enduring image of this time. Part of the economic climate of the time were [[Ronald Reagan]]'s reforms and the Black Monday crash of 1987.
* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: Thanks to the movie ''[[Wall Street]]'', an enduring image of this time. Part of the economic climate of the time were [[Ronald Reagan]]'s reforms and the Black Monday crash of 1987.
* [[Cyberpunk]] (kicked off by ''[[Blade Runner]]'' and ''[[Neuromancer]]'')
* [[Cyberpunk]] (kicked off by ''[[Blade Runner]]'' and ''[[Neuromancer]]'')
* [[Darker and Edgier]]:Even though this was a fun decade for many people this decade had many negative sides to it. This was the decade when the crack cocaine drug was created and many people became addicted to this life threatening drug. The drug destroyed the lives of many people. Also during this decade,the sexually-transmitted disease AIDS became more noticeable. The first two cases of patients dying from AIDS had taken place in 1959. But there are only a hand full of known cases dating to the 1960s and 1970s. But the seemingly rare disease became an epidemic in the 1980s. At least 121 AIDS-related deaths took place between 1980 and 1981. By the end of the 1980s, the disease had spread worldwide and there were over a million of known patients.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]:Even though this was a fun decade for many people this decade had many negative sides to it. This was the decade when the crack cocaine drug was created and many people became addicted to this life threatening drug. The drug destroyed the lives of many people. Also during this decade,the sexually-transmitted disease AIDS became more noticeable. The first two cases of patients dying from AIDS had taken place in 1959. But there are only a hand full of known cases dating to the 1960s and 1970s. But the seemingly rare disease became an epidemic in the 1980s. At least 121 AIDS-related deaths took place between 1980 and 1981. By the end of the 1980s, the disease had spread worldwide and there were over a million of known patients.
* [[Eighties Hair]]: If you were in a (popular) metal band or were a female country singer you wore it one way and only one way, BIG!
* [[Eighties Hair]]: If you were in a (popular) metal band or were a female country singer you wore it one way and only one way, BIG!
* [[Football Hooligans]]: For the UK at least. It became such a problem that [[Margaret Thatcher]] put together a cabinet just to tackle them. Measures put in place then led to [[Tear Jerker|Hillsborough]]. These days the problem has been virtually eradicated, although the trope appears quite often in foreign films set in the UK where Football is involved.
* [[Football Hooligans]]: For the UK at least. It became such a problem that [[Margaret Thatcher]] put together a cabinet just to tackle them. Measures put in place then led to [[Tear Jerker|Hillsborough]]. These days the problem has been virtually eradicated, although the trope appears quite often in foreign films set in the UK where Football is involved.
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* [[I Was Quite a Fashion Victim]] (applying to works looking at this decade in hindsight), a survivor of the so-called "decade fashion disaster" might confess to this.
* [[I Was Quite a Fashion Victim]] (applying to works looking at this decade in hindsight), a survivor of the so-called "decade fashion disaster" might confess to this.
* [[Japan Takes Over the World]] (A staple of the decade, particularly in [[Cyberpunk]] works. Often seems a little silly now.)
* [[Japan Takes Over the World]] (A staple of the decade, particularly in [[Cyberpunk]] works. Often seems a little silly now.)
* [[Merchandise-Driven]] (Virtually [[Thundercats|every]] [[MASK|original]] [[Centurions|cartoon]] [[Strawberry Shortcake|made]] [[Rainbow Brite|in]] [[The Real Ghostbusters|the]] [[G.I. Joe|eighties]] [[The Transformers (animation)|seems]] [[Care Bears|to]] [[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe|be]] [[Jem and The Holograms|this]] [[Western Animation/My Little Pony|way]].)
* [[Merchandise-Driven]] (Virtually [[Thundercats|every]] [[M.A.S.K.|original]] [[Centurions|cartoon]] [[Strawberry Shortcake|made]] [[Rainbow Brite|in]] [[The Real Ghostbusters|the]] [[G.I. Joe|eighties]] [[The Transformers (animation)|seems]] [[Care Bears|to]] [[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe|be]] [[Jem and The Holograms|this]] [[Western Animation/My Little Pony|way]].)
* [[Montage Ends the VHS]]: It's when a commercial VHS tape has trailers, intros or just a compilation montage promoting a line of VHS's come up at the end after a movie or episode it contains is over.
* [[Montage Ends the VHS]]: It's when a commercial VHS tape has trailers, intros or just a compilation montage promoting a line of VHS's come up at the end after a movie or episode it contains is over.
* [[Mini-Dress of Power]]: and by power, they mean "powerdressing"
* [[Mini-Dress of Power]]: and by power, they mean "powerdressing"
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* [[Sweater Girl]] (with or without shoulder pads)
* [[Sweater Girl]] (with or without shoulder pads)
* [[Valley Girl]] (like, ''totally''!)
* [[Valley Girl]] (like, ''totally''!)

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=== Works that are set/were made in this time period include:\\ ===
{{examples|Works that are set/were made in this time period include:}}
(Note: <small>many were also a part of the Nineties; usually those made in the later part of the decade, and are marked with a</small> '*').
(Note: <small>many were also a part of the Nineties; usually those made in the later part of the decade, and are marked with a</small> '*').


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* ''[[Fist of the North Star|Hokuto no Ken]]'' (1983; later translated in English as ''Fist of the North Star'')
* ''[[Fist of the North Star|Hokuto no Ken]]'' (1983; later translated in English as ''Fist of the North Star'')
* ''[[Kimagure Orange Road]]''
* ''[[Kimagure Orange Road]]''
* ''[[Maison Ikkoku]].''
* ''[[Maison Ikkoku]].''
* ''[[The Mysterious Cities of Gold]]''
* ''[[The Mysterious Cities of Gold]]''
* ''[[Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''
* ''[[Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''
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== Comic Books ==
== Comic Books ==
* The [[Jim Shooter]] era of [[Marvel Comics]] mostly took place in this decade.
* The [[Jim Shooter]] era of [[Marvel Comics]] mostly took place in this decade.
* Most long runners from previous decades persist here. [[The Bronze Age of Comic Books]] ends here.
* Most long runners from previous decades persist here. [[The Bronze Age of Comic Books]] ends here.
* [[The Dark Age of Comic Books]] begun in this decade.
* [[The Dark Age of Comic Books]] begun in this decade.
* [[Tintin]]. Series started in 1929.
* [[Tintin]]. Series started in 1929.
** [[Tintin/Recap/Tintin and Alph Art|Tintin and Alph-Art]] (1986), the final entry in the series.
** [[Tintin/Recap/Tintin and Alph Art|Tintin and Alph-Art]] (1986), the final entry in the series.
* [[The Dark Phoenix Saga]]. Storyline started in January, 1980.
* [[The Dark Phoenix Saga]]. Storyline started in January, 1980.
* [[Banana Man]]. First appeared in February, 1980.
* [[Banana Man]]. First appeared in February, 1980.
* [[Dazzler]]. First appeared in February, 1980.
* [[Dazzler]]. First appeared in February, 1980.
* [[She Hulk]]. First appeared in February, 1980.
* [[She Hulk]]. First appeared in February, 1980.
* [[Taskmaster]]. First appeared in May, 1980.
* [[Taskmaster]]. First appeared in May, 1980.
* [[Nemesis the Warlock]]. First appeared in July, 1980.
* [[Nemesis the Warlock]]. First appeared in July, 1980.
* [[Anselme Lanturlu]]. Series started in September, 1980.
* [[Anselme Lanturlu]]. Series started in September, 1980.
* [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]. Relaunched with new cast members in November, 1980.
* [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]. Relaunched with new cast members in November, 1980.
* [[Days of Future Past (comics)|Days of Future Past]]. First written in January 1981
* [[Days of Future Past (comics)|Days of Future Past]]. First written in January 1981
* [[Elektra]]. First appeared in January, 1981.
* [[Elektra]]. First appeared in January, 1981.
* [[Ms. Tree]]. First appeared in May, 1981.
* [[Ms. Tree]]. First appeared in May, 1981.
* [[Vixen (comics)|Vixen]]. Secondly appeared in July, 1981.
* [[Vixen (comics)|Vixen]]. Secondly appeared in July, 1981.
* [[Rogue Trooper]]. First appeared in September, 1981.
* [[Rogue Trooper]]. First appeared in September, 1981.
* [[Captain Mar-Vell|Captain Marvel/Monica Rambeau]]. First appeared in 1982.
* [[Captain Mar-Vell|Captain Marvel/Monica Rambeau]]. First appeared in 1982.
* ''[[Grendel]]: Devil's Legacy''. First appeared in 1982.
* ''[[Grendel]]: Devil's Legacy''. First appeared in 1982.
* ''[[Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew]]''. Series started in March, 1982.
* ''[[Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew]]''. Series started in March, 1982.
* ''[[Cloak and Dagger (comics)|Cloak and Dagger]]''. First appeared in March, 1982.
* ''[[Cloak and Dagger (comics)|Cloak and Dagger]]''. First appeared in March, 1982.
* ''[[V for Vendetta]]''. Storyline started in March, 1982.
* ''[[V for Vendetta]]''. Storyline started in March, 1982.
* ''[[Contest of Champions]]''. Series started in June, 1982.
* ''[[Contest of Champions]]''. Series started in June, 1982.
* ''[[Global Guardians]]''. Debuted in June, 1982.
* ''[[Global Guardians]]''. Debuted in June, 1982.
* ''[[The Savage Dragon]]''. First appeared in June, 1982.
* ''[[The Savage Dragon]]''. First appeared in June, 1982.
* ''[[Frank Miller's Wolverine|Frank Millers Wolverine]]''. First appeared in September, 1982
* ''[[Frank Miller's Wolverine|Frank Millers Wolverine]]''. First appeared in September, 1982
* [[Archie Comics]]
* [[Archie Comics]]
** Cheryl Blossom. First appeared in October, 1982.
** Cheryl Blossom. First appeared in October, 1982.
* ''[[Ambush Bug]]''. First appeared in December, 1982.
* ''[[Ambush Bug]]''. First appeared in December, 1982.
* ''[[New Mutants]]''. First appeared in December, 1982. Received their own series in March, 1983.
* ''[[New Mutants]]''. First appeared in December, 1982. Received their own series in March, 1983.
* ''[[Robin]]''
* ''[[Robin]]''
** Jason Todd. First appeared in March, 1983. Became Robin in December, 1983.
** Jason Todd. First appeared in March, 1983. Became Robin in December, 1983.
** Damian Wayne. First appeared (as an infant) in 1987. He would grow up to become a Robin.
** Damian Wayne. First appeared (as an infant) in 1987. He would grow up to become a Robin.
** Timothy "Tim" Drake. First appeared in August, 1989. Became Robin in December, 1989.
** Timothy "Tim" Drake. First appeared in August, 1989. Became Robin in December, 1989.
* ''[[Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld]]''. First appeared in April-May, 1983.
* ''[[Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld]]''. First appeared in April–May, 1983.
* ''[[D.R. & Quinch|DR and Quinch]]''. First appeared in May, 1983.
* ''[[D.R. & Quinch|DR and Quinch]]''. First appeared in May, 1983.
* ''[[Albedo: Erma Felna EDF]]''. Series started in Summer, 1983.
* ''[[Albedo: Erma Felna EDF]]''. Series started in Summer, 1983.
* ''[[Jon Sable Freelance]]''. First appeared in June, 1983.
* ''[[Jon Sable Freelance]]''. First appeared in June, 1983.
* [[Lobo]]. First appeared in June, 1983.
* [[Lobo]]. First appeared in June, 1983.
* ''[[Batman and the Outsiders]]''. Team debuted in July, 1983.
* ''[[Batman and the Outsiders]]''. Team debuted in July, 1983.
* ''[[Alpha Flight]]''. The team received its own series in August, 1983.
* ''[[Alpha Flight]]''. The team received its own series in August, 1983.
* [[Slaine]]. Character debuted in August, 1983.
* [[Slaine]]. Character debuted in August, 1983.
* [[The Sandman/Characters|The Sandman]]
* [[The Sandman/Characters|The Sandman]]
** Silver Scarab/Hector Hall. First appeared in September, 1983.
** Silver Scarab/Hector Hall. First appeared in September, 1983.
** Silver Scarab/hector Hall assumed the Sandman identity in May, 1988.
** Silver Scarab/hector Hall assumed the Sandman identity in May, 1988.
** [[The Sandman|Sandman]]/Morpheus/Dream of the Endless. First appeared in January, 1989.
** [[The Sandman|Sandman]]/Morpheus/Dream of the Endless. First appeared in January, 1989.
* [[Beta Ray Bill]]. First appeared in November, 1983.
* [[Beta Ray Bill]]. First appeared in November, 1983.
* [[Normalman]]. First appeared in November, 1983.
* [[Normalman]]. First appeared in November, 1983.
* [[Magik]]. Series started in December 1983.
* [[Magik]]. Series started in December 1983.
* ''[[Zot]]!''. First appeared in April, 1984.
* ''[[Zot]]!''. First appeared in April, 1984.
* The ''[[Flaming Carrot]]'' series started in May, 1984.
* The ''[[Flaming Carrot]]'' series started in May, 1984.
* ''[[Secret Wars]]''. First appeared in May, 1984, starting the trend of crossovers.
* ''[[Secret Wars]]''. First appeared in May, 1984, starting the trend of crossovers.
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
** ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage]]''. First appeared in May, 1984.
** ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage]]''. First appeared in May, 1984.
** ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures]]''. Series started in March, 1989.
** ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures]]''. Series started in March, 1989.
* ''[[Blue Devil]]''. First appeared in June, 1984.
* ''[[Blue Devil]]''. First appeared in June, 1984.
* ''[[The Ballad of Halo Jones]]''. Series started in July, 1984.
* ''[[The Ballad of Halo Jones]]''. Series started in July, 1984.
* [[Nightwing]], a new persona for Robin/Richard Grayson. First appeared in July, 1984.
* [[Nightwing]], a new persona for Robin/Richard Grayson. First appeared in July, 1984.
* ''[[Power Pack]]''. First appeared in August, 1984.
* ''[[Power Pack]]''. First appeared in August, 1984.
* ''[[The Transformers (Comic Book)|The Transformers]]''. Series started in September, 1984.
* ''[[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|The Transformers]]''. Series started in September, 1984.
* [[XIII]]. Series started in September, 1984.
* [[XIII]]. Series started in September, 1984.
* [[Steel]]/Henry "Hank" Heywood III. First appeared in October, 1984.
* [[Steel]]/Henry "Hank" Heywood III. First appeared in October, 1984.
* [[Spider-Woman]]/Julia Carpenter. First appeared in October-November, 1984.
* [[Spider-Woman]]/Julia Carpenter. First appeared in October–November, 1984.
* ''[[For the Man Who Has Everything]]''. Published in 1985.
* ''[[For the Man Who Has Everything]]''. Published in 1985.
* ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''. First appeared in April, 1985.
* ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''. First appeared in April, 1985.
* ''[[Fish Police (comics)|Fish Police]]''. First appeared in June 1985.
* ''[[Fish Police (comics)|Fish Police]]''. First appeared in June 1985.
* [[Hellblazer|John Constantine]]. First appeared in June, 1985.
* [[Hellblazer|John Constantine]]. First appeared in June, 1985.
* [[Silver Sable]]. First appeared in June, 1985.
* [[Silver Sable]]. First appeared in June, 1985.
* [[Secret Wars II]]. Storyline started in July, 1985.
* [[Secret Wars II]]. Storyline started in July, 1985.
* [[Squadron Supreme]]. Limited series started in September, 1985.
* [[Squadron Supreme]]. Limited series started in September, 1985.
* [[Hourman]]/Rick Tyler. First appeared in November, 1985.
* [[Hourman]]/Rick Tyler. First appeared in November, 1985.
* ''[[Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters]]''. First appeared in 1986.
* ''[[Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters]]''. First appeared in 1986.
* ''[[Maus]] I'' was published in 1986.
* ''[[Maus]] I'' was published in 1986.
* Nathan Summers. First appeared (as a newborn) in January, 1986. He would become better known as [[Cable]].
* Nathan Summers. First appeared (as a newborn) in January, 1986. He would become better known as [[Cable]].
* ''[[Booster Gold]]''. First appeared in February, 1986.
* ''[[Booster Gold]]''. First appeared in February, 1986.
* ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]''. First appeared in February, 1986.
* ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]''. First appeared in February, 1986.
* ''[[X-Factor]]''. First version. Debuted in February, 1986.
* ''[[X-Factor (comics)|X-Factor]]''. First version. Debuted in February, 1986.
* Kid Flash/Wallace "Wally" West assumed the mantle of [[The Flash]] in March, 1986.
* Kid Flash/Wallace "Wally" West assumed the mantle of [[The Flash]] in March, 1986.
* ''[[Watchmen (comics)|Watchmen]]'': First appeared in September, 1986. Remember that it's an alternate form of the world we know. Fashions, technology, drugs, and politics are different. Except in [[Watchmen (film)|the movie]].
* ''[[Watchmen (comics)|Watchmen]]'': First appeared in September, 1986. Remember that it's an alternate form of the world we know. Fashions, technology, drugs, and politics are different. Except in [[Watchmen (film)|the movie]].
* ''[[Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?]]''. Published in September, 1986.
* ''[[Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?]]''. Published in September, 1986.
* ''[[The Man of Steel]]''. Series started in October, 1986.
* ''[[The Man of Steel]]''. Series started in October, 1986.
* ''[[The New Universe]]''. Launched in October, 1986.
* ''[[The New Universe]]''. Launched in October, 1986.
* ''[[DP 7]]''. First appeared in November, 1986.
* ''[[DP 7]]''. First appeared in November, 1986.
* ''[[Ninja High School]]''. First appeared in 1987.
* ''[[Ninja High School]]''. First appeared in 1987.
* ''[[Sam & Max: Freelance Police|Sam and Max Freelance Police]]''. First appeared in 1987.
* ''[[Sam & Max: Freelance Police|Sam and Max Freelance Police]]''. First appeared in 1987.
* ''[[Suicide Squad]]''. The modern version of the team debuted in January, 1987.
* ''[[Suicide Squad]]''. The modern version of the team debuted in January, 1987.
* ''[[Batman: Year One]]''. Storyline started in February, 1987.
* ''[[Batman: Year One]]''. Storyline started in February, 1987.
* [[Captain Atom]]/Nathaniel Adam. First appeared in March, 1987.
* [[Captain Atom]]/Nathaniel Adam. First appeared in March, 1987.
* [[Death's Head|Deaths Head]]. The "freelance peacekeeping agent" version first appeared in May, 1987.
* [[Death's Head|Deaths Head]]. The "freelance peacekeeping agent" version first appeared in May, 1987.
* ''[[Justice League International]]''. First appeared in May, 1987.
* ''[[Justice League International]]''. First appeared in May, 1987.
* [[Zenith]]. First appeared in August, 1987.
* [[Zenith]]. First appeared in August, 1987.
* ''[[Doom Patrol]]''. Relaunched with new members in October, 1987.
* ''[[Doom Patrol]]''. Relaunched with new members in October, 1987.
* [[Checkmate]]. First appeared in March, 1988.
* [[Checkmate]]. First appeared in March, 1988.
* ''[[The Killing Joke]]''. First appeared in March, 1988.
* ''[[The Killing Joke]]''. First appeared in March, 1988.
* ''[[The Pitt]]''. First appeared in March, 1988.
* ''[[The Pitt]]''. First appeared in March, 1988.
* ''[[Excalibur (Comic Book)|Excalibur]]''. First appeared in April, 1988.
* ''[[Excalibur (Comic Book)|Excalibur]]''. First appeared in April, 1988.
* [[Supergirl]]/Matrix. First appeared in April, 1988.
* [[Supergirl]]/Matrix. First appeared in April, 1988.
* [[Disney Ducks Comic Universe]]
* [[Disney Ducks Comic Universe]]
** Duckworth. First adapted to the medium in October, 1988.
** Duckworth. First adapted to the medium in October, 1988.
** Launchpad McQuack. First adapted to the medium in October, 1988.
** Launchpad McQuack. First adapted to the medium in October, 1988.
** Mrs. Bentina Beakley. First adapted to the medium in November, 1988.
** Mrs. Bentina Beakley. First adapted to the medium in November, 1988.
** Webbigail "Webby" Vanderquack. First adapted to the medium in February, 1989.
** Webbigail "Webby" Vanderquack. First adapted to the medium in February, 1989.
** Doofus Drake. First adapted to the medium in October, 1989.
** Doofus Drake. First adapted to the medium in October, 1989.
* ''[[Inferno (Comic Book)|Inferno]]. Storyline started in October, 1988.
* ''[[Inferno (Comic Book)|Inferno]]''. Storyline started in October, 1988.
* [[Mickey Mouse Comic Universe]]
* [[Mickey Mouse Comic Universe]]
** Arizona Goof. First appeared in December, 1988.
** Arizona Goof. First appeared in December, 1988.
* [[Huntress]]/Helena Bertinelli. First appeared in April, 1989.
* [[Huntress]]/Helena Bertinelli. First appeared in April, 1989.
* [[Lucifer (comics)|Lucifer]]. First appeared in April, 1989.
* [[Lucifer (comics)|Lucifer]]. First appeared in April, 1989.
* [[Great Lakes Avengers]]. First appeared in July, 1989.
* [[Great Lakes Avengers]]. First appeared in July, 1989.
* [[Hawkman]]
* [[Hawkman]]
** The Post-Hawkworld version of Hawkman/Katar Hol. First appeared in August, 1989.
** The Post-Hawkworld version of Hawkman/Katar Hol. First appeared in August, 1989.
** The Post-Hawkworld version of Hawkwoman/Shayera Thal. First appeared in August, 1989.
** The Post-Hawkworld version of Hawkwoman/Shayera Thal. First appeared in August, 1989.
* ''[[Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]]''. Published in October, 1989.
* ''[[Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]]''. Published in October, 1989.
* [[New Warriors]]. First appeared in December, 1989. Received their own series in July, 1990.
* [[New Warriors]]. First appeared in December, 1989. Received their own series in July, 1990.




== Comic Strips ==
== Comic Strips ==
* ''[[Bloom County]]''. First appeared in December, 1980.
* ''[[Bloom County]]''. First appeared in December, 1980.
* ''[[Bizarro]]''. Series started in January, 1985.
* ''[[Bizarro]]''. Series started in January, 1985.
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]''. First appeared in November, 1985.
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]''. First appeared in November, 1985.
* ''[[FoxTrot]]''. Series started in April, 1988
* ''[[FoxTrot]]''. Series started in April, 1988
* ''[[Dilbert]]''. First appeared in April, 1989.
* ''[[Dilbert]]''. First appeared in April, 1989.




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* ''[[Plasticine Crow]]''
* ''[[Plasticine Crow]]''
* ''[[Suur Toll]]''
* ''[[Suur Toll]]''
* ''[[Time Masters]]''
* ''[[Time Masters]]''
* ''[[Treasure of Swamp Castle]]''
* ''[[Treasure of Swamp Castle]]''
* ''[[The Vanished World of Gloves]]''
* ''[[The Vanished World of Gloves]]''
* ''[[Vuk the Little Fox]]''
* ''[[Vuk the Little Fox]]''
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== Film ==
== Film ==
==== For films released in this time period, see [[Films of the 1980s]] ====
(For films released in this time period, see [[Films of the 1980s]].)


* ''[[Adventureland]]'' (made in 2009, set in 1987)
* ''[[Adventureland]]'' (made in 2009, set in 1987)
* ''[[American Psycho]]'' (made in 2000, set in sort-of-1989, based on musical information from the protagonist)
* ''[[American Psycho]]'' (made in 2000, set in sort-of-1989, based on musical information from the protagonist)
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* ''[[Precious]]'' (made in 2009, set in 1987)
* ''[[Precious]]'' (made in 2009, set in 1987)
* ''[[Rock of Ages (theatre)|Rock of Ages]]'' (made in 2012, set in 1987)
* ''[[Rock of Ages (theatre)|Rock of Ages]]'' (made in 2012, set in 1987)
* ''[[Rockstar]]''
* ''[[Rockstar]]''
* ''[[Son of Rambow]]'' (made in 2008, set in 1982)
* ''[[Son of Rambow]]'' (made in 2008, set in 1982)
* ''[[Watchmen (film)|Watchmen]]'' (made in 2009, set in an alternate 1985)
* ''[[Watchmen (film)|Watchmen]]'' (made in 2009, set in an alternate 1985)
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== Literature ==
== Literature ==
* ''[[The Alchemist]]''
* ''[[The Alchemist]]''
* ''[[Algebra the Easy Way]]''
* ''[[Algebra the Easy Way]]''
* ''[[American Psycho]]'' (released in 1991, set around 1989)
* ''[[American Psycho]]'' (released in 1991, set around 1989)
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* ''[[The Color Purple]]''
* ''[[The Color Purple]]''
* ''[[A Confederacy of Dunces]]''
* ''[[A Confederacy of Dunces]]''
* The ''[[Discworld]]'' series started with ''[[Discworld/The Colour of Magic|The Colour of Magic]]''
* The ''[[Discworld]]'' series started with ''[[The Colour of Magic]]''
* ''[[Dragon's Egg|Dragons Egg]]''
* ''[[Dragon's Egg]]''
* ''[[Earth's Children|Earths Children]]''
* ''[[Earth's Children]]''
* ''[[Empire of the Sun]]''
* ''[[Empire of the Sun (novel)|Empire of the Sun]]''
* ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]''
* ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]''
* ''[[Garrett P.I.]]''. The series started in 1987.
* ''[[Garrett P.I.]]''. The series started in 1987.
* ''[[Gorky Park]]''
* ''[[Gorky Park]]''
* ''[[Hamish Macbeth (novel)|Hamish Macbeth]]''. The series started in 1985.
* ''[[Hamish Macbeth (novel)|Hamish Macbeth]]''. The series started in 1985.
* ''[[The Handmaids Tale]]''
* ''[[The Handmaid's Tale]]''
* ''[[Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World|Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World]]''
* ''[[Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World|Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World]]''
* ''[[Haunted (1995 film)|Haunted]]''
* ''[[Haunted (1995 film)|Haunted]]''
* ''[[Hilary Tamar]]''. The series started in 1981.
* ''[[Hilary Tamar]]''. The series started in 1981.
* ''[[The Hotel New Hampshire]]''
* ''[[The Hotel New Hampshire]]''
* ''[[The House of the Spirits]]''
* ''[[The House of the Spirits]]''
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** Continued in ''[[The Legend of Drizzt]]''
** Continued in ''[[The Legend of Drizzt]]''
* ''[[The Joy Luck Club]]''
* ''[[The Joy Luck Club]]''
* ''[[Kinsey Millhone]]''. The series started in 1982.
* ''[[Kinsey Millhone]]''. The series started in 1982.
* ''[[Less Than Zero]]''
* ''[[Less Than Zero]]''
* ''[[Letters Back to Ancient China]]''
* ''[[Letters Back to Ancient China]]''
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* ''[[Like Water for Chocolate]]''
* ''[[Like Water for Chocolate]]''
* ''[[Lone Wolf]]''
* ''[[Lone Wolf]]''
* ''[[Marcus Didius Falco]]''. The series started in 1989.
* ''[[Marcus Didius Falco]]''. The series started in 1989.
* ''[[Memoirs of an Invisible Man]]''
* ''[[Memoirs of an Invisible Man]]''
* ''[[Midnight's Children]]''
* ''[[Midnight's Children]]''
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* ''[[Not Quite Human (novel)|Not Quite Human]]''
* ''[[Not Quite Human (novel)|Not Quite Human]]''
* ''[[The Number of the Beast]]''
* ''[[The Number of the Beast]]''
* ''[[The Obernewtyn Chronicles]]''. The series started in 1987.
* ''[[The Obernewtyn Chronicles]]''. The series started in 1987.
* ''[[Perfume]]''
* ''[[Perfume]]''
* ''[[The Pillars of the Earth]]''
* ''[[The Pillars of the Earth]]''
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* ''[[The Red Night Trilogy]]''
* ''[[The Red Night Trilogy]]''
* ''[[Red Storm Rising]]''
* ''[[Red Storm Rising]]''
* ''[[Redwall]]''. Series started in 1986.
* ''[[Redwall]]''. Series started in 1986.
* ''[[The Remains of the Day]]''
* ''[[The Remains of the Day]]''
* ''[[Replay]]'' - spans 25 years. [[Groundhog Day Loop|Several times.]]
* ''[[Replay]]'' - spans 25 years. [[Groundhog Day Loop|Several times.]]
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== Live Action TV ==
== Live-Action TV ==
* ''[[The A-Team]]''
* ''[[The A-Team]]''
* ''[[Airwolf]]''
* ''[[Airwolf]]''
* ''[[ALF]]''
* ''[[ALF]]''
* ''[['Allo 'Allo!|Allo Allo]]''*
* ''[['Allo 'Allo!]]''*
* ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]'' (Made in 2008, set in 1981 to 1983)
* ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]'' (Made in 2008, set in 1981 to 1983)
* ''[[Auf Wiedersehen Pet]]''
* ''[[Auf Wiedersehen, Pet]]''
* ''[[Beauty and the Beast (TV series)|Beauty and The Beast]]''
* ''[[Beauty and the Beast (TV series)|Beauty and The Beast]]''
* ''[[Benson]]''
* ''[[Benson]]''
* ''[[The Bill]]''*
* ''[[The Bill]]''*
* ''[[Blackadder]]''
* ''[[Blackadder]]''
* ''[[Blake's Seven|Blakes Seven]]'' (Technically ran from 1978-1982, but had plenty of tropes landing here, including [[Deconstruction]]...and most of Servalan's costuming)
* ''[[Blake's 7]]'' (Technically ran from 1978-1982, but had plenty of tropes landing here, including [[Deconstruction]]... and most of Servalan's costuming)
* ''[[Blockbusters]]''
* ''[[Blockbusters]]''
* ''[[Body Language (TV series)|Body Language]]''
* ''[[Body Language (TV series)|Body Language]]''
* ''[[Cagney and Lacey]]''
* ''[[Cagney and Lacey]]''
* ''[[Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future]]''
* ''[[Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future]]''
* '[[Casualty]]''*
* ''[[Casualty]]''*
* ''[[Cheers]]''
* ''[[Cheers]]''
* '[[Chucklevision]]''*
* ''[[Chucklevision]]''*
* ''[[The Cosby Show]]''
* ''[[The Cosby Show]]''
* [[Countdown]]*
* [[Countdown]]
* ''[[Crazy Like a Fox]]''
* ''[[Crazy Like a Fox]]''
* ''[[Dallas]]''
* ''[[Dallas]]''
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* ''[[Night Court]]''*
* ''[[Night Court]]''*
* ''[[North and South US]]''*
* ''[[North and South US]]''*
* ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]''*
* ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]''*
* ''[[Out of This World]]''*
* ''[[Out of This World]]''*
* ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse|Pee Wees Playhouse]]''
* ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse|Pee Wees Playhouse]]''
* ''[[Pink Lady and Jeff]]''
* ''[[Pink Lady ...And Jeff]]''
* ''[[Poirot]]''*
* ''[[Poirot]]''*
* ''[[Police Squad!]]''
* ''[[Police Squad!]]''
* ''[[Punky Brewster]]''
* ''[[Punky Brewster]]''
* ''[[Red Dwarf]]''*
* ''[[Red Dwarf]]''*
* ''[[Sapphire and Steel]]''
* ''[[Sapphire and Steel]]''
* ''[[Saved by the Bell]]''*
* ''[[Saved by the Bell]]''*
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* ''[[Small Wonder]]''
* ''[[Small Wonder]]''
* ''[[Star Trek]]''
* ''[[Star Trek]]''
** ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]''*
** ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''*
* ''[[Super Sentai]]''*
* ''[[Super Sentai]]''*
** ''[[Battle Fever J]]''
** ''[[Battle Fever J]]''
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* ''[[This Morning]]''
* ''[[This Morning]]''
* ''[[Too Close for Comfort]]''*
* ''[[Too Close for Comfort]]''*
* ''[[Whos the Boss]]''*
* ''[[Who's The Boss?]]''*
* ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?|Whose Line Is It Anyway]]''* - The radio show and the British version started in the late Eighties.
* ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?|Whose Line Is It Anyway]]''* - The radio show and the British version started in the late Eighties.
* [[Wipeout 1988]]
* [[Wipeout 1988]]
* ''[[Yes Minister]]''
* ''[[Yes Minister]]''
* ''[[The Young Ones]]''
* ''[[The Young Ones]]''


* [[The Seventies]] series ''[[UFO]]'' attempted to foretell this era...and [[Zeerust|failed entirely]].
* [[The Seventies]] series ''[[UFO]]'' attempted to foretell this era... and [[Zeerust|failed entirely]].


== Music ==
== Music ==
== Genres: ==
=== Genres ===
* [[MTV]] debuted and had a huge influence on the popularity of acts during this decade.
* [[MTV]] debuted and had a huge influence on the popularity of acts during this decade.
* [[Hair Metal]]
* [[Hair Metal]]
* [[Italo Disco]]
* [[Italo Disco]]
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* [[Hip Hop]]'s golden age starts late in this decade (circa 88).
* [[Hip Hop]]'s golden age starts late in this decade (circa 88).


== Musicians: ==
=== Musicians ===
* ABC
* ABC
* [[Paula Abdul]]
* [[Paula Abdul]]
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* [[Michael Jackson]]
* [[Michael Jackson]]
* [[Missing Persons]]
* [[Missing Persons]]
* Modern English
* Modern English
* [[Motley Crue]]
* [[Motley Crue]]
* [[New Kids on the Block]]
* [[New Kids on the Block]]
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* [[TNT]]
* [[TNT]]
* Tommy Tutone (867-5309)
* Tommy Tutone (867-5309)
* [[Tom Petty (Music)|Tom Petty]]
* [[Tom Petty]]
* Tracy Allman
* Tracy Allman
* [[Twisted Sister]]
* [[Twisted Sister]]
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== Professional Wrestling ==
== Professional Wrestling ==
* [[Jeff Jarrett]]. Debuted in 1986.
* [[Jeff Jarrett]]. Debuted in 1986.
* [[Raven (wrestling)|Raven]]. Debuted in 1988.
* [[Raven (wrestling)|Raven]]. Debuted in 1988.
* [[Sting (wrestling)|Sting]]. Debuted in 1985.
* [[Sting (wrestling)|Sting]]. Debuted in 1985.
* [[WCW]]. Established in 1988.
* [[WCW]]. Established in 1988.




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* [[Shadowrun]]
* [[Shadowrun]]
* [[Talisman]]
* [[Talisman]]
* [[Warhammer]]
* [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]
* [[Warhammer 40000]]
* [[Warhammer 40,000]]




== [[Video Games]] ==
== [[Video Games]] ==
* ''[[Nineteen Forty Two]]''
* ''[[1942]]''
* ''[[Adventure Island]]''
* ''[[Adventure Island]]''
* ''[[The Adventures of Bayou Billy]]''
* ''[[The Adventures of Bayou Billy]]''
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** ''Treasure Island Dizzy'' (August, 1987)
** ''Treasure Island Dizzy'' (August, 1987)
** ''Fantasy World Dizzy'' (1989)
** ''Fantasy World Dizzy'' (1989)
* ''[[Donkey Kong]]'' (the original arcade and NES games)*
* ''[[Donkey Kong]]'' (the original arcade and NES games)*
* ''[[Double Dragon]]'' (and its spiritual predecessor ''Renegade'', which begat ''[[River City Ransom]]'')
* ''[[Double Dragon]]'' (and its spiritual predecessor ''Renegade'', which begat ''[[River City Ransom]]'')
* ''[[Dragon Quest]]''
* ''[[Dragon Quest]]''
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* ''[[Fatal Frame]]'' (series started in 2001 but all the games take place in the '80s)
* ''[[Fatal Frame]]'' (series started in 2001 but all the games take place in the '80s)
* ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' (in Japan at least, western players had to wait until [[The Nineties]] to get the first installment)
* ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' (in Japan at least, western players had to wait until [[The Nineties]] to get the first installment)

* ''[[Final Fight]]''
* ''[[Final Fight]]''
* ''[[Game and Watch]]''
* ''[[Game and Watch]]''
* ''[[Ghosts 'n Goblins (series)|Ghosts N Goblins]]''
* ''[[Ghosts 'n Goblins|Ghosts N Goblins]]''
* ''[[Golden Axe (series)|Golden Axe]]'' series
* ''[[Golden Axe (series)|Golden Axe]]'' series
** ''Golden Axe'' (1988)
** ''Golden Axe'' (1988)
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* ''[[Maniac Mansion]]''
* ''[[Maniac Mansion]]''
* ''[[Manic Miner]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Manic Miner]]'' (1983)
** ''[[Jet Set Willy]]'' (1984). Sequel to the above.
** ''[[Jet Set Willy]]'' (1984). Sequel to the above.
* ''[[Mappy]]''
* ''[[Mappy]]''
* ''[[Mechwarrior]]''
* ''[[Mechwarrior]]''
** ''MechWarrior'' (1989)
** ''MechWarrior'' (1989)
* ''[[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Man]]'' (the original NES game was released in 1987)
* ''[[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Man]]'' (the original NES game was released in 1987)
* ''[[Metal Gear 1987]]'' (the original game for the MSX2 and NES)
* ''[[Metal Gear (video game)|Metal Gear]]'' (the original game for the MSX2 and NES)
* ''[[Metroid]]'' (The very first Metroid game was released on the NES in 1986)
* ''[[Metroid]]'' (The very first Metroid game was released on the NES in 1986)
* ''[[Millipede (video game)|Millipede]]''
* ''[[Millipede (video game)|Millipede]]''
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* ''[[Qix]]''
* ''[[Qix]]''
* ''[[R-Type]]''
* ''[[R-Type]]''
* ''[[Rally X]]''
* ''[[Rally-X]]''
* ''[[Retro Game Challenge]]'' made in 2009 but takes place throughout the 1980s
* ''[[Retro Game Challenge]]'' made in 2009 but takes place throughout the 1980s
* ''[[Robot Odyssey]]''
* ''[[Robot Odyssey]]''
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** ''Shadow Dancer'' (1989)
** ''Shadow Dancer'' (1989)
** ''The Revenge of Shinobi'' (1989)
** ''The Revenge of Shinobi'' (1989)
* ''[[Sim City]]''
* ''[[SimCity]]''
* ''[[Street Fighter]]''
* ''[[Street Fighter]]''
** ''[[Street Fighter (video game)|Street Fighter]]'' (1987)
** ''[[Street Fighter (video game)|Street Fighter]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Super Chinese]]''. Series started in 1984.
* ''[[Super Chinese]]''. Series started in 1984.
* ''[[Super Mario Bros. (video game)|Super Mario Bros]]'' (and its arcade predecessor, ''Mario Bros.'')
* ''[[Super Mario Bros. (video game)|Super Mario Bros]]'' (and its arcade predecessor, ''Mario Bros.'')
* ''[[Super Mario Bros 2]]'' (and ''[[Doki Doki Panic]]'')
* ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' (and ''[[Doki Doki Panic]]'')
* ''[[Super Mario Bros 3]]'' (in Japan in 1988, anyway)
* ''[[Super Mario Bros 3]]'' (in Japan in 1988, anyway)
* [[Taipan]]
* [[Taipan!]]
* ''[[Taiyou no Shinden Asteka II]]''
* ''[[Taiyou no Shinden Asteka II]]''
* ''[[Takeshis Challenge]]''
* ''[[Takeshi's Challenge]]''
* ''[[Tapper]]''
* ''[[Tapper]]''
* ''[[Tecmo Bowl]]''
* ''[[Tecmo Bowl]]''
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (video game)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (video game)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Arcade Game]]''
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Arcade Game]]''
* ''[[Tempest]]''
* ''[[Tempest (video game)|Tempest]]''
* ''[[Terra Cresta]]''
* ''[[Terra Cresta]]''
* ''[[Tetris]]'' (the [[Elektronika-60]] original, as well as a variety of classic iterations)
* ''[[Tetris]]'' (the [[Elektronika-60]] original, as well as a variety of classic iterations)
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* ''[[ALF]]: The Animated Series''
* ''[[ALF]]: The Animated Series''
* ''[[Alias the Jester]]''
* ''[[Alias the Jester]]''
* ''[[Alvin and The Chipmunks]]''*
* ''[[Alvin and The Chipmunks]]''*
* ''[[An American Tail]]''
* ''[[An American Tail]]''
* ''[[Around the World with Willy Fog]]''
* ''[[Around the World with Willy Fog]]''
* ''[[Beetlejuice (animation)|Beetlejuice]]''*
* ''[[Beetlejuice (animation)|Beetlejuice]]''*
* ''[[Beverly Hills Teens]]''
* ''[[Beverly Hills Teens]]''
* ''[[Bionic Six]]''
* ''[[Bionic Six]]''
* ''[[Blackstar]]''
* ''[[Blackstar]]''
* ''[[Bravestarr]]''
* ''[[Bravestarr]]''
* ''[[CBS Storybreak]]''
* ''[[CBS Storybreak]]''
* ''[[Captain N: The Game Master|Captain N the Game Master]]''
* ''[[Captain N: The Game Master|Captain N the Game Master]]''
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* ''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (animation)|Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers]]''*
* ''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (animation)|Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers]]''*
* ''[[Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos|Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos]]''
* ''[[Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos|Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos]]''
* ''[[Code Monkeys]]''. Set in this decade.
* ''[[Code Monkeys]]''. Set in this decade.
* ''[[The Comic Strip]]'' (particularly its ''Tiger Sharks'' segment)
* ''[[The Comic Strip]]'' (particularly its ''Tiger Sharks'' segment)
* ''[[COPS]]''
* ''[[COPS (animation)|COPS]]''
* ''[[Danger Mouse]]''
* ''[[Danger Mouse]]''
* ''[[Defenders of the Earth]]''
* ''[[Defenders of the Earth]]''
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* ''[[Dinosaucers]]''
* ''[[Dinosaucers]]''
* ''[[Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds]]''
* ''[[Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds]]''
* ''[[DuckTales]]''*
* ''[[DuckTales (1987)]]''*
* ''[[Fantastic Max]]''
* ''[[Fantastic Max]]''
* ''[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]''. The long-running series ended in this decade.
* ''[[Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids]]''. The long-running series ended in this decade.
* ''[[Filmation's Ghostbusters|Filmations Ghostbusters]]''
* ''[[Filmation's Ghostbusters|Filmations Ghostbusters]]''
* ''[[Fireman Sam]]''
* ''[[Fireman Sam]]''
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* ''[[Galaxy High]]''
* ''[[Galaxy High]]''
* ''[[Garfield Specials]]''
* ''[[Garfield Specials]]''
* ''[[Western Animation/Garbage Pail Kids|Garbage Pail Kids]]''
* ''[[Western Animation/Garbage Pail Kids|Garbage Pail Kids]]''
* ''[[G.I. Joe]]''
* ''[[G.I. Joe]]''
* ''[[Gilligan's Island|Gilligan's Planet]]''
* ''[[Gilligan's Island|Gilligan's Planet]]''
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* ''It's [[Punky Brewster]]''
* ''It's [[Punky Brewster]]''
* ''[[Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors]]''
* ''[[Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors]]''
* ''[[Jem]]''
* ''[[Jem]]''
* ''[[The Karate Kid]] The Animated Series''
* ''[[The Karate Kid]] The Animated Series''
* ''[[Kidd Video]]''
* ''[[Kidd Video]]''
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* ''[[Lazer Tag Academy]]''
* ''[[Lazer Tag Academy]]''
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda (animation)|The Legend of Zelda]]''
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda (animation)|The Legend of Zelda]]''
* ''[[The Little Rascals]]''. Based on the film series.
* ''[[The Little Rascals]]''. Based on the film series.
* ''[[The Littles]]''
* ''[[The Littles]]''
* ''[[MASK]]''
* ''[[M.A.S.K.]]''
* ''[[Mighty Orbots]]''
* ''[[Mighty Orbots]]''
* ''[[Mister T (animation)|Mister T]]''
* ''[[Mister T (animation)|Mister T]]''
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* [[The Muppets]]
* [[The Muppets]]
** ''[[Muppet Babies]]''*
** ''[[Muppet Babies]]''*
* ''[[My Little Pony]]'':
* ''[[My Little Pony]]'':
** [[My Little Pony TV Specials]],
** [[My Little Pony TV Specials]],
** [[My Little Pony: The Movie|My Little Pony the Movie]]
** [[My Little Pony: The Movie|My Little Pony the Movie]]
** [[My Little Pony and Friends]]
** [[My Little Pony and Friends]]
* ''[[The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh]]''*
* ''[[The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh]]''*
* ''[[Oliver and Company]]''
* ''[[Oliver and Company]]''
* ''[[Pac-Man (animation)|Pac-Man]]''. Based on the video game.
* ''[[Pac-Man (animation)|Pac-Man]]''. Based on the video game.
* ''[[Paw Paws|Paw Paw Bears]]''
* ''[[Paw Paws|Paw Paw Bears]]''
* ''[[Pole Position (animation)|Pole Position]]''
* ''[[Pole Position (animation)|Pole Position]]''
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* ''[[The Raccoons]]''
* ''[[The Raccoons]]''
* ''[[Rainbow Brite]]''
* ''[[Rainbow Brite]]''
* ''[[The Real Ghostbusters]]''*
* ''[[The Real Ghostbusters]]''*
* ''[[Robotech]]''
* ''[[Robotech]]''
* ''[[Rubik the Amazing Cube]]''
* ''[[Rubik the Amazing Cube]]''
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* ''[[Saturday Supercade]]''
* ''[[Saturday Supercade]]''
* ''[[Scooby-Doo (animation)|Scooby Doo]]''
* ''[[Scooby-Doo (animation)|Scooby Doo]]''
** ''[[The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo]]''
** ''[[The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo]]''
** ''[[A Pup Named Scooby Doo]]''*
** ''[[A Pup Named Scooby-Doo]]''*
* ''[[The Secret of NIMH]]''
* ''[[The Secret of NIMH]]''
* ''[[She-Ra: Princess of Power|She Ra Princess of Power]]''
* ''[[She-Ra: Princess of Power|She Ra Princess of Power]]''
* ''[[Silverhawks]]''
* ''[[Silverhawks]]''
* ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''*. The Simpsons shorts first appeared in April, 1987. The characters gained their own show in December, 1989.
* ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''*. The Simpsons shorts first appeared in April, 1987. The characters gained their own show in December, 1989.
** ''[[The Itchy and Scratchy Show]]''*. The eponymous characters first appeared in November, 1988.
** ''[[The Itchy and Scratchy Show]]''*. The eponymous characters first appeared in November, 1988.
* ''[[The Smurfs (animation)|The Smurfs]]''
* ''[[The Smurfs (animation)|The Smurfs]]''
** ''[[The Smurfs and the Magic Flute]]''
** ''[[The Smurfs and the Magic Flute]]''
Line 876: Line 876:
* ''[[Strawberry Shortcake]]''. Television specials.
* ''[[Strawberry Shortcake]]''. Television specials.
* ''[[Ruby-Spears Superman]]''
* ''[[Ruby-Spears Superman]]''
* ''[[Super Mario Bros. (animation)|The Super Mario Bros Super Show!]]''*
* ''[[Super Mario Bros. (animation)|The Super Mario Bros Super Show!]]''*
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
* ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]''
* ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]''
Line 884: Line 884:
** ''[[The Transformers (animation)|The Transformers]]''
** ''[[The Transformers (animation)|The Transformers]]''
* ''[[Turbo Teen]]''
* ''[[Turbo Teen]]''
* ''[[Visionaries]]: Knights of the Magical Light''
* ''[[Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light]]: Knights of the Magical Light''
* ''[[Voltron]]''
* ''[[Voltron]]''
* ''[[The World of David the Gnome]]''
* ''[[The World of David the Gnome]]''
Line 891: Line 891:


== Other ==
== Other ==
* ''[[Dinosaurs Attack]]'', a collectible card series by Topps laden with [[Ludicrous Gibs]].
* ''[[Dinosaurs Attack!]]'', a collectible card series by Topps laden with [[Ludicrous Gibs]].
* [[Disney Theme Parks|Disneyland]]'s Tomorrowland, specifically an [[Zeerust|ideal futuristic 1986]], until the revamp in 1996.
* [[Disney Theme Parks|Disneyland]]'s Tomorrowland, specifically an [[Zeerust|ideal futuristic 1986]], until the revamp in 1996.
⚫
* The art of ''[[Patrick Nagel]]''.

⚫
* The art of ''[[Patrick Nagel]]''.
* ''[[Sunday in The Park With George]]'' was first staged in the 1980s, and Act II of the show is set in the Eighties.
* ''[[Sunday in The Park With George]]'' was first staged in the 1980s, and Act II of the show is set in the Eighties.



----
----
{{quote| '''Random Kid:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}pele5vptVgc "'Cause now we know!"]<br />
{{quote|'''Random Kid:''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}pele5vptVgc "'Cause now we know!"]
'''Random Joe:''' "[[And Knowing Is Half the Battle|And knowing is half the battle!]]"<br />
'''Random Joe:''' "[[And Knowing Is Half the Battle|And knowing is half the battle!]]"
'''Chorus:''' "[[G.I. Joe|G.I. JOOOOOOEEEEEEE!]]" }}
'''Chorus:''' "[[G.I. Joe|G.I. JOOOOOOEEEEEEE!]]" }}


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Hollywood History]]
[[Category:Hollywood History]]
[[Category:The Twentieth Century]]
[[Category:The Twentieth Century]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:The Eighties]]
[[Category:Pages with working Wikipedia tabs]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eighties, The}}

Latest revision as of 10:48, 28 June 2024


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    /wiki/The Eightieswork
    'Twas a good decade for pop culture.

    "Legend has it that man once washed his jeans in pure acid!"

    —Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report

    The Eighties: a time where you go-go when you want to walk like an Egyptian, hear doves cry or feel the Punky power.

    All the men were preppies who wore pastel suits with narrow ties, drove sports cars that Lee Iacocca personally stood behind and traded stocks on Wall Street - after all, as Oscar Wilde said, nothing says success like excess. (Unless they happened to be teenagers, in which case they were Totally Radical or studied karate and learnt the meaning of "Wax On, Wax Off".) Everyone had huge hairdos, enough make-up to sink a ship and power suits with shoulderpads big enough to knock the giant mirrored sunglasses off anyone who walked within a three foot radius of them. And those without them had flat-tops and wore gym clothes and break-danced on top of cardboard. Generation Y started being born, one day to become, despite their best efforts, the young adults of The Turn of the Millennium.

    Computing technology first became a true cultural force in this decade, starting a trend that would keep on snowballing to this very day. The Eighties was the decade of cell phones literally sized and shaped like bricks, jokes about being unable to program VCRs, the death of Betamax, and the beginnings of personal computers and gaming consoles beginning to proliferate inside homes, perhaps one of the trends from this decade with the largest of cultural implications. Cable television also took off big time, with MTV, TBS, HBO, and CNN becoming household acronyms.

    In the US, it was also the first wave of the Japanese Invasion, the inklings of which started in '78 with the dub of Battle of the Planets, continuing on with Star Blazers ('79), Voltron ('84), getting even more hardcore with Robotech in '85, and hitting its apex by cranking the quality Up to Eleven with the nationwide release of Akira ('88).

    On the homefront, the 1980s produced a rash of pop-cultural icons that today are looked upon, at worst, with Affectionate Parody, and at best, as the national ideal. The conservative political culture of the era meant two rather contradictory things for the production of pop-culture; on the one hand, the surge of private enterprise together with new media technologies allowed corporations such as Hasbro an unprecedented ability to build massive franchises around their products, typically with a TV show and accompanying toys, but on the other Moral Guardian complaints would challenge the ethics of making a show that was "essentially one large commercial." The result was the rather spoof-worthy And Knowing Is Half the Battle segment common to many mass franchise shows, shoving an Anvilicious moral into the action. Fortunately, these were conveniently located after the actual plot, so kids could just turn it off at that point and run down to buy the toys. Besides, the segments make great joke fodder.

    Politically, the first part of the decade, Cold War tensions continued to escalate. Some accuse this of being an intentional move by the West to render the economically inept Soviet Union infeasible by drawing its resources away from things like infrastructure and feeding its people, which market economies could accomplish easily. While this is, essentially, what ended up happening (though more complicated than that in real life; in Eastern Europe the decade's real deathblow to communism was considered to have been all the new media technology), the fact that the other possible outcome of such a strategy was global thermonuclear annihilation had a profound impact on Western media tropes. Most obviously, dystopian Speculative Fiction, particularly set After the End Twenty Minutes Into the Future, enjoyed a surge.

    The second part of the decade, however, couldn't be more different. Gorbachev, spry for a CPSU leader at age 54 (this was the only time in the Cold War that the Soviet leader was substantially younger than the American), shook up the by-then sclerotic Soviet leadership upon taking power in 1985. Gorbachev restructured the economy (perestroika) for "accelerated" development (uskoreniye), encouraged openness (glasnost), made tentative moves towards democracy (demokratizatsiya), and went Karting with Reagan. For a hot second in 1988-89, it seemed like the USSR had reached a final rapprochement with the West. And then came The Great Politics Mess-Up.

    Throughout this era, there came new problems like the spread of AIDS which created a public health panic that dealt first a body blow to the gay community as homophobes treating them as modern lepers (even though that community took the danger seriously far sooner than others). However, the epidemic paradoxically later proved a partial blessing in disguise for gay rights as stricken people like Rock Hudson were shoved out of the closet, forcing the public to realize that LGBTI people were all around them, much like themselves.

    The Eighties also had the highest murder rate in U.S. history, almost twice what it is today. Roughly covers the period from the inauguration of Ronald Reagan on January 20, 1981 to the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991, so almost 11 years.

    Thanks to a common twenty- or thirty-year lag, it's still The Eighties in much of Fictionland. Although The Seventies and The Nineties are gradually returning.

    See Also: The Forties, The Fifties, The Sixties, The Seventies, The Nineties, Turn of the Millennium and The New Tens.

    Popular tropes from this time period include:
    • The Aggressive Drug Dealer: Crack cocaine and heroin caught on big during this decade, along with their pushers.
    • And Knowing Is Half the Battle (G.I. Joe et al)
    • Animated Adaptation (of practically everything, including films, TV shows, comic books, video games, action figures, dolls, plush toys, music videos, real-life celebrities)
    • Anime, called Japanimation at the time, became huge in the US in the '80s.
    • Canada Does Not Exist: A wave of low-budget cop and action-adventure dramas start being produced in Canada, but primarily for U.S. consumption. This leads to the weird phenomenon of shows which take place in a "nowhereland" that is neither fully America nor completely Canada.
    • Cold War and Red Scare: A big feature of this period, particularly in the early 1980s with the European Missiles Crisis, the Nicaraguan civil war and Libya. Especially Libya. The Cold War plots here can be divided squarely between before and after 8 December 1987, the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the U.S. and USSR. It's generally straight Red Scare before that. After, it's Renegade Russian or Make the Bear Angry Again.
    • Corrupt Corporate Executive: Thanks to the movie Wall Street, an enduring image of this time. Part of the economic climate of the time were Ronald Reagan's reforms and the Black Monday crash of 1987.
    • Cyberpunk (kicked off by Blade Runner and Neuromancer)
    • Darker and Edgier:Even though this was a fun decade for many people this decade had many negative sides to it. This was the decade when the crack cocaine drug was created and many people became addicted to this life threatening drug. The drug destroyed the lives of many people. Also during this decade,the sexually-transmitted disease AIDS became more noticeable. The first two cases of patients dying from AIDS had taken place in 1959. But there are only a hand full of known cases dating to the 1960s and 1970s. But the seemingly rare disease became an epidemic in the 1980s. At least 121 AIDS-related deaths took place between 1980 and 1981. By the end of the 1980s, the disease had spread worldwide and there were over a million of known patients.
    • Eighties Hair: If you were in a (popular) metal band or were a female country singer you wore it one way and only one way, BIG!
    • Football Hooligans: For the UK at least. It became such a problem that Margaret Thatcher put together a cabinet just to tackle them. Measures put in place then led to Hillsborough. These days the problem has been virtually eradicated, although the trope appears quite often in foreign films set in the UK where Football is involved.
    • Fur and Loathing (when it started)
    • I Was Quite a Fashion Victim (applying to works looking at this decade in hindsight), a survivor of the so-called "decade fashion disaster" might confess to this.
    • Japan Takes Over the World (A staple of the decade, particularly in Cyberpunk works. Often seems a little silly now.)
    • Merchandise-Driven (Virtually every original cartoon made in the eighties seems to be this way.)
    • Montage Ends the VHS: It's when a commercial VHS tape has trailers, intros or just a compilation montage promoting a line of VHS's come up at the end after a movie or episode it contains is over.
    • Mini-Dress of Power: and by power, they mean "powerdressing"
    • Narm Charm: Oh yes.
    • Pac-Man Fever
    • Pretty in Mink (works that weren't afraid to show fur tended to show even more than they would in The Seventies)
    • Double Standard Rape (Female on Male) (a common way of introducing romance subplots in '80s movies)
    • Rich Bitch (Dynasty, Falcon Crest et al)
    • Shoulders of Doom (the huge shoulder pads, bigger than the ones forty years ago)
    • Sweater Girl (with or without shoulder pads)
    • Valley Girl (like, totally!)
    Works that are set/were made in this time period include:

    (Note: many were also a part of the Nineties; usually those made in the later part of the decade, and are marked with a '*').

    Anime


    Asian Animation


    Comic Books


    Comic Strips


    Eastern European Animation


    Film

    (For films released in this time period, see Films of the 1980s.)


    Han-guk Manhwa Aenimeisyeon


    Literature


    Live-Action TV

    Music

    Genres

    Musicians


    Professional Wrestling


    Tabletop Games


    Video Games


    Western Animation


    Other

    Random Kid: "'Cause now we know!"
    Random Joe: "And knowing is half the battle!"
    Chorus: "G.I. JOOOOOOEEEEEEE!"

    Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Eighties?oldid=2063310"