Anyone else noticed that the media love to bash the 80's as being simply a decade of "greed"? I think we should fight back a little with some well thought out arguments (after not all of us were stockbrokers at the time) and if anything, the greed problem has got worse, not better since... any thoughts or suggestions?
Posted by licencetodrive (Member # 917) on :
We could ask them if we prefer the long lines for gas in the 70's. That should make our point :) (By the way, I have yet to hear anyone call the 90's a "decade of greed")
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Well, I've got this sneaking suspicion that, rather than the "greed" that people seem to be fond of labelling the 80's as typifying (were any of us stock brokers at the time?), that whatever mentatlity of greed the 80's may have started got far worse in the 90's. Think about it... the "brand label obsession" (personal greed), the vice-like grip of global marketing that everyone has succumbed to (corporate greed) and the reduction of individuality that I think was present in any decade but global marketing seems to have eliminated since the 80's.
Girls all conforming to a social sterotype. Guys wearing brand name goods like trophies. Hillfiger etc labels covering the entire chest of guys' sweatshirts. The 90's might not have ever been called "the decade of greed" like the 80's is but IMHO it probably deserves the title more than the 80's do...
What does everyone think?
Posted by Mohan (Member # 381) on :
Well the '80s are looked at as a greedy decade because the attitude of "whoever dies with the most toys wins" was more popular back then than now.
You are right though about people still being obsessed with brand name clothes and designer wear. Hell, a lot of that yuppie '80s lingo is still prevelant among teenagers and 20 somethings in the '90s and now in the '00s.
Examples:
"Whatever" (girls still say this)
"Like Whatever" (they still say this too)
"OhMyGosh!!" (girls still say this)
"OhMyGod!!" (girls still say this as well)
"Chill out!" (ok, this may not be yuppie, spoiled brat lingo, but I was shocked that kids still say this today. I was saying this when I was 9, 10, 11 years old back in the '80s. Teens and children still say this. Weird.
And ofcourse, "the mall" is still just as popular in the '90s and now in the '00s as it was in the '80s. This is still very much a yuppie culture.
The '80s get most of the flak, because that is when it all started.
Posted by Pyromantic (Member # 7658) on :
naww..the 80's sucked...I agree!!> Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
greed has been around long before any of us were born. it hasnt evolved, it hasnt dissappeared and it certainly wasnt worse than any other decade. there is no way im going into it on here because its simply too much to talk about but here are just a few examples of greed.
world war 1 world war 2 cold war vietnam gulf war frankly any other war. greed for food/money/power..its written about from the very first book in the bible. Greed is NOT something new or increased in the 80s...anyone who thinks it was a decade of greed imo is really looking for an argument they are really going to lose. Hitler killed more people than wall street did. I want i want i want...the 80s was no different from any other decade, peoples behaviour didnt suddenly change, our dna is the same has been the same since day dot.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Night of the Living Thread!
It breathes again!
Posted by TKO (Member # 1471) on :
Speaking of "80's bashing"... Did anyone else watch The Grumpy Guide to the 80’s on BBC2 yesterday?
I didn’t know what to expect of it but gave it a try since it came on right after a terrific TOPTP2- 80’s special. But man did I regret it. That was the worst kind of 80’s-bashing I’ve ever experienced. I already had to turn it off after 5 minutes. These people really had NOTHING positive to say about the decade we cherish so much. It was horrible.
And why they showed it after a one hour music special that only 80’s lovers would appreciate, is beyond me.
Here’s what the BBC website had to say: The 80s, a decade that style forgot, along with any form of taste or decency. From Thatcher's Britain to the New Romantics and the ubiquitous filofax there's much about this decade to be grumpy about. Ronnie Ancona used to get an adverse physical reaction to seeing a mullet. Shappi Khorsandi does a spookily good impression of those horrendous Cabbage Patch Dolls. And then there was the terrible music; Al Murray can't understand how anyone would have allowed Duran Duran to stagger on, bellowing like a wounded buffalo for the whole decade and, according to Mark Radcliffe the Human League just looked stupid. With other contributions from Alistair Mcgowan, Mark Steel and Neil Morrissey, The Grumpy Guide to the 1980’s takes a look back at one of history's most embarrassing decades and gets really grumpy about it.
Tss…
[ 11. May 2010, 05:44: Message edited by: TKO ]
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Yes. It was typically annoying. At least 'grumpy' is the usual format. It might be worth pointing out; they play the clips they are going to show on TV to the 'pundits' before getting their comments. Many of them can only comment on what they've seen, which kind of kills the whole 'reminiscing' thing.
However; did you watch the Top of the Pops 80's special? The voice-over mocked almost every song. That really annoyed me!
Posted by TKO (Member # 1471) on :
quote:Originally posted by logan5: However; did you watch the Top of the Pops 80's special? The voice-over mocked almost every song. That really annoyed me!
Dang yes, that was annoying. They even managed to turn that special into a mockery - Whitney's haircut, Paul Young's silk suits and what not.
But.. I still enjoyed watching all those old TOTP-clips again.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
THINK about it. BBC put a show on about the 80s - need we say anymore - ill say it againr- the bbc put a show on about the 80s. Not the 90s not any other decade - why - coz there is just so much to say about it...good or bad ...no matter...they put a show on about my/our decade. I agree we got bashed and it was done in bad taste but we all know that OUR decade just rocks. No one can ever convince me to think negativly about our decade, never. So i just laugh at the ridiculous things people say about it.
This is our time guys, dont you see, its all over the moment we ride up TROYS bucket!
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:This is our time guys, dont you see, its all over the moment we ride up TROYS bucket!
Yeah! SCREW TROY!!!!
This is all part of an 80's season on the Beeb. They're also doing a Culture Club biopic. Should be interesting.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
quote:Yeah! SCREW TROY!!!!
This is all part of an 80's season on the Beeb. They're also doing a Culture Club biopic. Should be interesting.
LOL screw troy hahaha i really didnt like him. culture club biopic - when where?? Is there more 80s stuff coming on Logan?
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
at least we didnt embarrass our selves with all the reality concept shows cue big brother..although paul young was on one of them. Still... david beckhams haircuts havnt done wonders for the 00ties and im sure not going to admit the fashion, hairstyles, originality (cue ALL the remakes of 80s songs and movies we see now)was something to be ashammed of. Did you know that in the last 10 yrs there have been more remade movies than actual new releases...hahahah yeah the 80s sucked did they??? Then stop remaking and murdering our movies and our songs and get a haircut and get a real job, critics!
it was an era of.... microwave video camera rap break dancin (dont people win talent shows even now doing this) robotics boy bands (cue NKOTB) the internet bmx video video games cell phone coffee makers nike took off action heros m jackson madonna skate boarding martial arts world records were broken all over the place aerobics - women today so it more than any other activity MTV ...oh forget it, ill be here all night. At least we wont go down as a money grabbing culture with no originality, violence, the media trying to instill fear into the world instead or creativity, love for freedom and each other. Look at bumper stickers now which degrade, attack or threaten compared to our (make love not war or dont worry, be happy, or smile)This decade can be picked apart like any other but i think youll find many more people died in decades before and after. I was free, uninhibited, safe and loved this time. Im done!!
[ 12. May 2010, 09:59: Message edited by: oneyedwilly ]
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
I like that list.
quote:LOL screw troy hahaha i really didnt like him. culture club biopic - when where?? Is there more 80s stuff coming on Logan?
Keep an eye on the IPlayer. I think the Beeb has a bunch of shows planned that they'll put on every now and then. Culture Club's biopic is coming on in the next week or two.
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