The 1980s (American Popular Culture Through History)
Couldn't load pickup availability
About this book
The eighties are seen by many as a time of excess and extremes. From Boy George to Madonna metal heads to valley girls and workout clothes to shoulder pads many pushed the boundaries of what was was conventional. After a decade of war disillusionment of the government advances in civil rights and disco Americans became status seekers and shopaholics and the Me generation was born. Twelve narrative chapters describe the decade of decedence and its impact on popular culture including: the AIDS epidemic preppies Miami Vice the Rubiks Cube E.T. hair bands the advent of the personal computer malls Ronald Reagan Pac-Man Cheers Stephen King Michael Jackson the shuttle Challenger explosion Bonfire of the Vanities music videos Roseanne the power suit Less Than Zero rap music and The Cosby Show among many others. Chapters on Everyday America and the World of Youth describe the important changes in American society from Ronald Reagans War on Drugs to latch-key kids to Black Monday. The following ten chapters explore the many aspects of popular culture-everything from advertising to fashion literature to music travel to the visual arts-that influenced Americans in the eighties. Supplemental resources include a timeline of important events an extensive bibliography for further reading and a subject index.
