The '80s: The Decade That Made Us

[unrepentant progress]

This looks interesting, but based on the show synopsis it sounds like NatGeo will be making a dive into bad history territory. This was the thing that irked me so much about David Sirota's book "Back to Our Future" too -- trying to pin everything in the contemporary world on the 1980s is irresponsible. Much of what we saw in the '80s from Reaganism to personal computing was brewing long before then.

"It's, like, totally tubular. The '80s: The Decade That Made Us isn't about nostalgia; it's about the history of our modern world that spawned political, technological, cultural, and social revolutions that began in the United States and went on to dominate the world. This cultural programming event is the defining biography of a generation. It's about a decade of people, decisions, and inventions that changed our future, told from the perspective of the unknowing history makers who lived these iconic moments. We worked out, worked harder, played harder and consumed more—because the 1980s was the decade when we went forward to the future. The first launch of the Space Shuttle triggered a technological explosion in global communications that gave birth to our modern love affair with smartphones; Madonna rolled around on stage in a wedding dress, sending shock waves through a celebrity-hungry world that can’t get enough of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry today. These and other incredible stories reveal surprising, unexpected details and twists and turns from a decade you only thought you knew. Narrated by an original member of the "Brat Pack," Rob Lowe, The '80s will put us back in touch with our inner Valley Girl by reliving the music, inspirational sports moments, and scenes from iconic movies and TV shows, as well as the very best (and worst) of hair and fashion."

[olddots]

1. Rupert owns Nat Geo

trying to find what he doesn't own is very difficult =the media is the message

[unrepentant progress]

2. Well, we'll see how much of a hagiography to power it is...

...but to say, "the first launch of the Space Shuttle triggered a technological explosion in global communications..." is to completely ignore how telecommunications had blossomed in the '60s and '70s. I mean, come on, Eisenhower was the first President to address the nation via satellite.

[1monster]

3. Well for starters, that sure looks like Larry Hagman's portrayal of J.R. Ewing

of DALLAS. And while DALLAS did last into the eighties, it's hayday was in the seventies...

[unrepentant progress]

4. Not really

1978-1991. That definitely makes it an '80s TV show, and the big "who shot JR?" story arc was 1980.

[newthinking]

5. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous never would have happened before the 80s

Sure, the wealthy right wing had been around fighting for a while, but in the 80s wealth propaganda took off amongst the middle class. Before the 80s most were content with a good and (hopefully) meaningful job. By the end of the 80s people talked about wanting to be "a millionare" a hell of a lot more than previously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyles_of_the_Rich_and_Famous

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Felicity Shagwell: I want to see what happens in the 70s and 80s.

Austin Powers: The 70s and the 80s? You're not missing anything, believe me. I've looked into it. There's a gas shortage and A Flock of Seagulls. That's about it.

[MarianJack]

7. Sometimes I'm very happy...

...that we don't have cable or satellite TV. For myself, the best thing I remember about the 80s is a really good grilled ham & cheese sandwich I had in 1987. I made it myself!

PEAE!