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Counterculture Of The 80's

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When people look at the 1980’s, the question often times asked is, “what was even going on”. Known for its characteristically bright neons, crazy hair dos, and high school coming of age films, this decade definitely made a mark on history. Oftentimes stereotyped with these aspects, the reality of the decade was revolt against the social, financial, and political turmoil of the 1960’s and 70’s. Predating this decade, the United States of America had seen many conflicts in all aspects of life and culture. Beginning in the 1960’s, a new age of counterculture was on the rise. These radicals believed in fighting the social machine that before, had made the cookie-cutter lifestyle a status-quo. With this came political activism and a new generation …show more content…

With the rise of television and in-home electronics, the video generation was born. Movies like Pretty in Pink, Back to the Future, Star Wars, and Dirty Dancing were gaining extreme fame and inspiring the youth culture to follow its messages and trends. In music, MTV lead the way with music videos that propelled stars like Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, and Phil Collins into the stardom many wished for. Out of this came the rise of Pop and Hip-Hop, two defining genres that changed the trends and styles of the …show more content…

Inspired by social icons in the news, most American followed suit in the crazy hair trends, soon making them the norm. Following the trend of consumerism, dressing for success also became big as citizens tried to mimic the wealth and beauty they had come to know in icons of the time. Genres of dressing also arose in the contrasting styles of “Preppy” and “Street Style”. The first favoring the typical white-suburban look, many wore pastel polos, sweaters, Keds shoes, and jean or khaki pants. Street style, however; followed the rise of Hip Hop and Pop, taking inspiration more from music stars in the form of sequin dresses, colorful athleisure pieces, wild prints, and outrageous colors. Fleeting trends during this time included jelly shoes, parachute pants, leg warmers and so much more. Although many look back and see these as silly, numbers of the 1980’s trends have reared their heads in modern culture in the form of ironic tee shirts, mom jeans, and bodysuits (DeLeon). Although many things seemed good in the 1980’s, there was also issues plaguing America. The drug epidemic had by then spun completely out of control. The use of narcotics like cocaine, claimed many lives and earned widespread coverage by media and news. Following this Nancy Reagan began the “War on Drugs”, a campaign to combat pre-existing drug usage and prevent future

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The United States is well known for being a melting pot of cultures, and because of this there are constantly changing trends. In the 1980s it was poofy hair and disco clothes, in the early 2000s it was long hair for guys, and in recent years it has been for guys to have short, styled hair. There is always something trendy in the United States, and in the early to mid 20th century, it was the color pink and the (pink) flamingo. Jennifer Price details this in her essay ”The Plastic Pink Flamingo”. Through her use of satirical devices, Aristotelian appeals, and persuasive techniques she shows how the country is constantly going through fazes.

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The advent of MTV and the widespread adoption of music videos revolutionized the music industry, propelling it to unprecedented heights. This newfound visual medium gave rise to iconic figures such as Michael Jackson and Madonna, who became larger-than-life cultural phenomena, shaping not just music but also fashion, style, and popular culture at large. However, the impact of the 1980s extended beyond these megastars. The emergence of hip-hop and rap music as mainstream genres brought about a seismic change in the musical landscape. These genres provided a powerful platform for marginalized communities, allowing them to express their unique experiences, perspectives, and struggles, thus fostering a greater sense of representation and empowerment.

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In 1970, President Richard Nixon, in response to the drug use coupled with the hippie counterculture of the late 1960s, signed the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) which enacted a method of classifying drugs by categorizing them into five schedules, schedule one considered to be the most dangerous. Shortly following this act, in June of 1971, Nixon declared “The War On Drugs”, famously naming drugs and drug abuse “Public enemy number one”. (History.com, 2016). Following Nixon’s presidency, many presidents and administrations, including Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, have continued the support for The War on Drugs, but where are the results? It seems today that the abuse of drugs is worse than ever before.

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With these parties came the free-spirited women (Flappers). These women threw tradition to the wind and bobbed their hair, wore lots of makeup, and dressed in knee-length, fringed skirts. They were people who behaved trashy but didn’t bat an eye over what people thought of their choice of attire. The Perfect Flapper (1924) starring Colleen Moore, Associated First National Pictures issued a press book with ties to twelve separate fashion and beauty products (Kte 'pi). Which also meant that the more popularized people, such as celebrities, would have to wear the flapper style because their advertising sponsors used their fame for advertising.

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