Talk:1980s

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Contents 1 Events of 1989 2 Sports figures 3 Early, mid, and late 1980s 4 geographic scope 5 Television criteria 6 Response to 80s spans 7 Video Games 8 John Lennon- Murder or assasination? 9 Cleanup 10 Music 11 south american drug politics 12 MacGyver? 13 The Decade That Taste Forgot 14 The Fall of the Soviet Union and the "Liberation" of Third World Countries from "Despotism" 15 Nostalgia 16 Vandalised 17 People 18 This article needs lots of work 19 time was liberal?

[edit] Events of 1989

UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher joined the Greens - this either needs a citation or re jjjjcrapich is what is implied. In fact, I wonder if it is just plain wrong.

How are events of 1989 described in English? I remember term "Autumn of Nations" in Polish TV, in 1989, widely used then, now nobody seems to remember that... And Talks of round table in Poland?

This is quite irony of history that effect of changes in Europe (fall of Berlin Wall), which was one of last of events in Autumn of Nation, became its symbol... szopen

Good question. As an Aussie, it's generally just referred to as "the fall of the Wall", or "The End of the Cold War", I suppose. Yes, I know that ignores the many other changes that took place across Eastern Europe. --Robert Merkel

I combined the "fall of communism" events into one item, since they are not only several events but also describe a single trend. Aleph4 14:42, 30 Nov 2003 (UTC)

[edit] Sports figures

Do Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan seriously count as sports figures? Surely their form of wrestling is entertainment rather than sport, no matter what its apologists say.

Also, as with the "Sports figures" sections from most of the other 20th century decades, there is a strong bias towards U.S. sports. I've tried to expand the range a bit by adding players from sports that are followed in the rest of the world, and am wondering whether all the baseball, basketball, ice hockey and American football players in the lists are really outstanding enough to earn a place there (although undoubtedly many of them are). In my opinion, only people who stood out as being the best in their field during that decade, or perhaps achieved lasting fame or notoriety for some reason should be in these lists. Any of you U.S. sports fans care to edit the lists, or argue against my POV? --Lancevortex 12:46, 1 May 2004 (UTC)

• I agree wholeheartedly. When I first read the article, I actually expected to see Hogan and Flair under Entertainers. I think they SHOULD be moved. As for the other professionals, (I don't want to take anything away from the wrestlers...they are in phenomenal condition) I think that the list should be revamped to list each sport along with two or three outstanding competitors. This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list of all players for all sports for all ten years...that would be...well...ugly. It's just meant to have highlights. You know...give you a feeling when you read it of "Oh, yeah! I remember watching him/her!". --Alcalde 18:16, 23 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Early, mid, and late 1980s

I am wondering what years are the early 1980s, what years are the mid-1980s, and what years are the late 1980s. Please give me an answer on my talk page. Heegoop 15:26, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I think about it in 3-4-3 stages. So...

1980 to 1982 - early '80s

1983 to 1986 - mid '80s

1987 to 1989 - late '80s

But that's just me. Mike H 01:22, Nov 24, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] geographic scope

Have added Geographic scope tag as limited to U.S. mostly currently Andrewferrier 81.130.179.202 17:56, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Why do you account for the inclusion of American Soldiers who were killed by a suicide bomber in Lebanon yet there is nothing about the Lebanese Casualties during the Israeli Invasion of Lebanon.

Your comment implies that there is a "you" who wrote or has editorial control over this article. There isn't. Due to the nature of the bulk of the English Wikipedia's contributors, many articles have a perspective that is biased towards the prevailing opinion in English-speaking countries. You can help alleviate this problem by editing the page yourself to remove this bias. Of course, if by so doing you introduce a different bias, then it's likely that someone else will edit your changes again. Happy editing! --Lancevortex 17:00, 2 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Television criteria

What is the criteria for television shows (and everything else really)? Is is enough to be popular in the 80s? For example, General Hospital started in the early 1960s, and it is not something that pops to my mind when I think of the 80s. Turnstep 18:54, Apr 6, 2005 (UTC)

General Hospital was the highest-rated soap opera of the 1980s, with ten million viewers tuning in each day. Mike H (Talking is hot) 23:57, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

• In my mind, it wasn't so much General Hospital as it was Luke/Laura, which was a cultural phenomena occuring in the 80s. --Alcalde 18:20, 23 November 2005 (UTC)

Well, the action storylines did take the place of more domestic melodrama, and that wasn't just a Luke/Laura thing (although they did popularize it). There was also Frisco and Felicia, and Duke and Anna. Mike H. That's hot 21:39, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

I see someone edited the number of Lebanese casualties in the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. This place is full of anti-arab racists ...and im sick of this!

[edit] Response to 80s spans

Early 80s is considered to be 1980-'82/'83, mid 80s '83 or '04 to '86, late 80s is '87 to '89.

[edit] Video Games

The 80's were probably the most important time in video game history. This was a time when home consoles were begining to be popular, it made a jump to 16 bit, the most popular games of today began here, and the video game crash happened too. I think they're should be a small section on it or at least a list of the prominent games. --198.147.225.136 22:31, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] John Lennon- Murder or assasination?

I thought the only murders that can be classed as assasination are those of leaders (politicians). Lennon although a cutural icon was not a leader, discuss. Medscin 16:53, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

Assassination is the "murder of a public figure by surprise attack," according to princeton's wordnet. JDoorjam Talk 15:15, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup

Maybe this article should be cleaned up to the standard of the 1970s article, with prose instead of lists. Mike H. That's hot 05:42, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

I kinda like it the way it is -- it's easy to read and easy to find things. MusicMaker5376 22:33, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Music

Why are there two music sections? MusicMaker5376 22:31, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

Someone ruined the page... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.193.172.74 (talk • contribs).

Yes, that would be you. It's been reverted. Turnstep 12:53, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

Actually it wasn't me. It was a friend of mine in my school. I'm of course very sorry about it, and I thank you for reverting it. I would have done it, but sadly enough I don't know how you do it.

In that case, thanks for letting us know. You can learn how to revert at this page. You might also want to consider creating an account, which generally makes editing Wikipedia easier. Turnstep 13:17, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

As much as i am a fan of Morrissey.. the last two entries come across more as Morrissey fanspeak than actual defining items of the 1980s. Seems the "This Charming Man" item could fit in with the gender in music item? AeternNull 2006-04-11

Why aren't the Misfits mentioned anywhere?! They were one of the leading punk rock bands during the 1980's!

[edit] south american drug politics

someone should include something about colombian drug cartels and the pablos escobar, he was the criminal who made the 80s.

[edit] MacGyver?

Why is there a picture of MacGyver? Surely Miami Vice defined more aspects of 80's society than MacGyver did. (Still kicks as though.) Jack Daw 23:58, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

Since MacGyver has more camp-value and thus makes the page looks more fun. It is also wider known outside US than Miami Vice. --128.214.205.6 13:15, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Decade That Taste Forgot

I was about to rv to "correct" this as I'd originally heard the phrase applied to the '70s, but having consulted the oracle of all knowledge a.k.a. Google, I see it's often applied to the '80s now. In fact it's even being applied to the '90s by some people, although the '90s didn't have enough substance to manage tastelessness in my opinion. Personally it still makes me think of the '70s in all their lurid technicolour prog-rock glory; the '80s are positively tasteful in comparison! Chris 12:57, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

People who think the 80s is a decade that taste forgot don't know what taste is. The 80s was the best decade in the last century, with the 90s being the worst. But if the 2000s featured quite some 80s retro maybe the 2010s will be 90s retro. The horror! Jack Daw 16:04, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree, though I'd argue that the first half of the 90s were excellent as well (e.g. grunge). 66.229.160.94 06:15, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

No arguing with you there! :D Jack Daw 18:12, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

I tend to agree that 80s was decade that taste forgot. At least it's so very true about early and mid eighties i.e. 1980 - 1986. Nothing whatsoever of any lasting significance happened in this period. It was only towards the end of the decade that the global revolutions of all sorts strated happening and it was the decade of 90's that made a hyperjump that changed the face of the world. Even the PC revolution started happening only in 1989 when Windows came on the scene, (Apple came up with their version only a little while before that). : sachin, 20 August 2006

Who cares about world events, I'm talking about Miami Vice, female CEOs with shoulder pads, pumps, the music etc etc etc :D Jack Daw 18:12, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

Definitely; all those pastel colors, synth-laden funky pop, and other experimental stuff. If anything, the 1970's were the worst, as the counterculture finally bottomed out and gave way to pure pleasure seeking. The 90's are a close second to most horrible. --Zeality 03:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

I was a baby in the eighties and I'm currently reading Uncanny X-Men issues from the eighties (circa 86) and I've a question: what's up with all the belts? I mean what is that? All the female characters are wearing two or even three belts, just kinda hanging from their hips. I'd be real pleased if anyone had an answer, LOL 62.194.0.236 11:35, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

The whole thing with calling a specific decade tasteless is stupid and shortsighted. People always think that the current trends and fashions are so much better than what was, and a number of years after ANY decade people will call it tasteless. That's also because they compare the worst of that decade (or what people view as the worst, or often even a prevalent charicature of that!) with what they themselves choose to think of in the current decade, i.e. the trends THEY like, how THEY dress, what THEY listen to etc. The reality is that most things are tasteless, always. You know, 90% of everything is crap. Does any intelligent person seriously think that people have BETTER taste now than during the 1980s, or any other decade for that matter?? 193.91.181.142 00:57, 2 November 2006 (UTC) (Nick)

I have removed the 'decade that taste (or style) forgot' phrase. It is unnecesarily controversial, and so fails to set the broad picture for this page - which the 'Me/Greed decade' does, for UK/US at least. (I also note from a Google search on "decade that * forgot" that the 1970s received this epithet much more - as noted by Chris, above.) Earthlyreason 03:50, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] The Fall of the Soviet Union and the "Liberation" of Third World Countries from "Despotism"

This article talks about the fall of the Soviet Union as being "positive". This would be only be true according to a Capitalist or Pro-Capitalist and not according to a Communist. Leon Trotsky 14:15, 13 November 2006

Yeah, but communism sucks. Besides, all the communist countries in the world are blocked from viewing wikipedia, so I'm sure they won't mind. --Bri 11:16, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nostalgia

I loved the 80's...

[edit] Vandalised

Someone has vandalised this article, 'i hate you' was not an important part of the 1980s.--Candlewicke Consortiums Limited 00:29, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] People

What's the deal with the "People" section? I checked 4-5 names, and none of them neither died nor born in '80s. `'mikkanarxi 01:42, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] This article needs lots of work

This article sucks - I am thinking of making lots of bold changes as the 80s is one of my favorite decades. A good article is NOT full of lists like this one. Every section needs rewriting into sentences and paragraphs. Some of the section names and the organization of the ToC is questionable as well. More pictures also needed. — Wackymacs 20:34, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

OK, well I've already done quite a bit - reorganized the sections, renamed. Film, Video games and Fashion sections have been cleaned up. — Wackymacs 21:30, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] time was liberal?

NOT!! this article is POV. A few hairstyles and what not are not enough to say it was liberal. Was a conservative decade. YankeeRoman(70.187.232.85 00:54, 23 January 2007 (UTC)) You made the article POV. How was it a socially and culturally conservative decade? Was the 1920s a conservative decade? The 80s and the 20s are very similar: greedy prosperity in the upper middle class, new technology, dance music, widespread use of illegal substances controlled by organized crime (cocaine in the 80s, liquor in the 20s), and clothes and hairstyles that were thought to look ridiculous in after the decades. How can a decade be conservative if during the decade the following happen: a song about masturbation goes to the top 10 of the hot 100, a movie about exotic dancer has a huge impact on mainstream fashion, prince and madonna both make lots of music about sex, fast times a ridgemont high and porky's are hugely popular, in some states people could legally drink at age 18 in the early 80s, the president says his favorite movie is Back to the future (a 90 minute joke about incest) which was rated PG after there was PG-13 and some parents took their kids to see it, many popular R rated movies showed breasts, and PG movies like Big could say fuck. If the 80s are socially conservative what are the 90s and 2000s? The 2000s have had not only the most conservative president, but an evangelical christian which Reagan was not. Reagan was liberal on some issues especially compared to bush jr, Reagan put the first woman ever in the supreme court and is the only president ever to have been divorced in his life. So why do you consider the 80s socially conservative?

Be careful with that word 'liberal' - it means a whole lot of different things to different people. In politics in the UK, US, Australia there are Liberals who stand for different things, and that is even before you get on to the more general social aspects. Find a more specific word. Earthlyreason 03:59, 13 March 2007 (UTC)