Transcript Culture of the 80’s - Waverly

Exploring American History
Unit X – Modern America
Chapter 30– Searching for
Order
Section 3 – The Reagan
Presidency
7/17/2015
The Big Idea
President
Reagan
enacted conservative policies at home and
The
Reagan
Presidency
took a strong anti-Communist stance in the Cold War.
Main Ideas
• President Reagan based his policies on conservative ideas.
• Reagan took a tough stand against communism in his
foreign policy.
Iran Hostage crisis
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The overthrow of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi of Iran
by an Islamic revolutionary government earlier in the year
had led to a steady deterioration in Iran-U.S. relations. In
response to the exiled shah’s admission (Sept., 1979) to the
United States for medical treatment, a crowd of about 500
seized the embassy. Of the approximately 90 people inside
the embassy, 52 remained in captivity until the end of the
crisis.
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On Jan. 20, 1981, the day of President Reagan’s
inauguration, the United States released almost $8 billion
in Iranian assets and the 52 hostages were freed after 444
days in Iranian detention; the agreement gave Iran
immunity from lawsuits arising from the incident.
Nicaragua – 1980’s
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1st Boland Amendment 1982
 Can not use government funds to
overthrow the Sandanistas.
 Only send non-military aid- food,
clothing and medicine.
April 1984
 CIA and Contras plant mines in
Nicaraguan Harbors.
 CIA war manual given to Contrasblackmail and assassination.
2nd Boland Amendment- 1984
 bars CIA and other government
agencies from giving military aid to
the Contras.
1:10 min.
Nicaragua – 1980’s Marxist Sandanistas have taken control- tied to Cuba.
U.S. to stop the Communist influence pressured Nicaragua to become Democratic.
CIA armed rebels to oppose the Sandanistas- “The Contras” 4:24 min
.
Iran-Contra Affair- 1:23 min
.
Reducing Nuclear Arms- INF - 3:18 min.
1980’s Culture
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The 1980s became the Me! Me! Me!
generation of status seekers.
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During the 1980s, hostile takeovers,
leveraged buyouts, and mega-mergers
spawned a new breed of billionaire. Donald
Trump, Leona Helmsley, and Ivan Boesky
iconed the meteoric rise and fall of the rich
and famous.
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If you've got it, flaunt it ; You can have it all!
Binge buying and credit became a way of life
and 'Shop Til you Drop' were all
watchwords.
FACTS about this decade
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Population: 226,546,000
Unemployed in 1980:
National Debt: 1980 - $914,000,000,000
National Debt: 1986 $2,000,000,000,000
Average salary: $15,757
Life Expectancy: Male 69.9 Female 77.6
Minimum Wage: $3.10
BMW was $12,000; Mercedes 280 E
was $14,800
Attendance: Movies 20 million/week
Interesting events
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Toxic Shock Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, life-threatening bacterial
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infection that has been most often associated with the use of superabsorbent tampons and
occasionally with the use of contraceptive sponges.
In 1980, an outbreak of toxic shock syndrome occurred that mostly involved young women
who had been using a particular brand of superabsorbent tampons. The cause of the outbreak
seemed to be toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria
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Medicare-our country’s health insurance program for people age 65
or older. Certain people younger than age 65 can qualify for Medicare, too,
including those who have disabilities and those who have permanent kidney
failure. The program helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all
medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. Medicare is financed by a
portion of the payroll taxes paid by workers and their employers. It also is
financed in part by monthly premiums deducted from Social Security checks.
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“Just Say No!” Nancy Reagan’s active campaign against drug
and alcohol abuse.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial-The official name of
the Memorial is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It is sometimes referred to as
VVM or "the Wall". The figures are called "The Three Servicemen". This is
not a war Memorial but a Memorial to those who served in the war, both living
and dead.
Sandra Day O’Conner
Wayne Williams
Interesting people
Nancy Reagan
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Wayne Williams-
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Sandra Day O’Conner-
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Geraldine Ferraro-first woman vice-presidential candidate.
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Jesse Jackson-
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Rock Hudson- famous actor who died of AIDs
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Jim Bakker-televangelist who was sentenced to 45 years for selling bogus
From October 1979 to May 1981, Wayne Williams
killed twenty-seven young black boys in Atlanta. At trial Williams was found
guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
first woman supreme court justice.
first black presidential candidate.
Geraldine Ferraro
Jim Bakker
lifetime vacations.
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Nancy Reagan- President Reagan’s wife and first lady who started the
“Just Say No” to drugs program
Jesse Jackson
Education
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1980 study by UCLA and American Council on Education indicated
that college freshmen were more interested in status, power, and
money than at any time during the past 15 years. Business
Management was the most popular major.

American education came under fire during the 1980s. Liberals
cried out against budget cuts and rising student costs. School
districts offered teachers exams and exit exams became a part of
graduating for Education majors.
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Conservatives like E.D.Hirsch, Jr. and William Bennett advocated a
return to the classics for college students and back to the basic skills
for public school students. An attempt was made to improve the
teacher quality by raising salaries slightly. Efforts to censor books
tripled in the eighties. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , The
Grapes of Wrath, and Catcher in the Rye were among books banned
in New York State. Roget's Thesaurus banned sexist categories:
mankind becamehumankind; countryman became country dweller.
Columbia University, the last all male Ivy League school, began
accepting women in 1983. President Reagan endorsed a
constitutional amendment to permit school prayer. It was defeated.
Medical Advances
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Research money allowed for studies and new
treatments for heart, cancer, and other diseases.
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Major advances in genetics research led to the
1988 funding of the Human Genome Project.
This project will locate the estimated 80,000
genes contained in human DNA.
Sports
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Team sports for kids were really popular
beginning in the seventies and going through
the present. Eighties' mothers ran carpool
after work, kids had after school and week
end cheerleading, baseball, football, soccer,
gym, dance, jazz, you name it!
Fashions
80's Flops
Ra ra and bubble skirts ; Fluorescent socks and t-shirts: Drop
waisted dresses : Lace gloves : Fergie bows - in the hair
White leather fringed cowboy boots - Not unless you're Dolly
Parton and you're boot scooting!
80's Fabulous
Tie sleeve and Batwing tops - Drop earrings - Micro minis Big gold earrings - Multiple belts - Coloured tights - and This
time round, pair coloured or camel toned fishnet tights with a
knee length skirt, knee high leather boots and a turtleneck for
a subtly funky effect. Leg warmers.
7/17/2015
Fads
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Big Hair
Skater hair and flat tops and Punk
Painter hats and pierced ears.
Michael Jackson Thriller coat
OP, Izod, Argyle- Hawaiian and Rugby Shirts.
Parachute pants.
Converse Hightops
Pegged jeans
Jelly shoes
Zubaz and spandex
Valley Girl
Michael Jackson glove and Miami Vice look
Swatch watches
Rubiks cube
Pacman, Nintendo, and Gameboy
Smurf, ET, and Cabbage Patch Dolls
Sneakers
Music
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Cable TV and MTV
Slam dancing and break dancing
Vogueing (posing)
Pop, rock, new wave, punk, country, and
especially rap or hip hop
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Milli Vanilli, M. C. Hammer , Vanilla Ice,
and L.L. Cool J.
Movies
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Nerds- Revenge of the Nerds, Lucas, Stand by Me,
and Peggy Sue Got Married. TV joined the nerd ranks
with ABC's hit series Head of the Class
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In 1981, VCR sales rose 72% in 12 months.
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By 1989, 60 percent of American households with
televisions received cable service.
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Huge or memorable movies of the decade included
On Golden Pond, Tootsie, Arthur, Stephen
Spielberg Movies like E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL, The Big Chill, Flashdance,
Beverly Hills Cop, Out of Africa, Back to the
Future, Cocoon, The Breakfast Club,Platoon,Star
Trek, Good Morning Vietnam, Fatal Attraction,
Rain Man, and Driving Miss Daisy.
Television
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Anti-family sitcoms like Roseanne and
Married...with Children;
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Tabloid tv with Geraldo, Phil, Sally, and
Oprah
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Stand up comics included Gary Shandling,
Jane Curtin, George Carlin, Jackie Mason,
Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, and Tracy
Ullman;
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Info-tainment includedNightline with Ted
Koppel, CNN Cable News,and 20/20 with
Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters. 60
Minutes which had first aired in 1968 was
bigger than ever.
Foods
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Food of the 80s included the popular fast
food places like Taco Bell and
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McDonald's McDLT and McRib. Kids loved
Sweetarts, Skittles, Nerds, Runts, Hubba
Bubba Chewing Gum, and Five Alive.
Soviets Invade Afghanistan
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The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a 10-year war
fought between the Soviet Red Army, Afghan, and foreign
fighters in Afghanistan. The 'shooting' war is generally
held to have started December 24, 1979. Soviet troops
ultimately withdrew from the area between May 15, 1988
and February 2, 1989. The Soviet Union officially
announced that all of its troops had left Afghanistan on
February 15.
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The CIA invested US$2.1 billion over a 10-year period to
create an anti-Soviet resistance.
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USSR- 15,000 Killed,53,000 Wounded
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Afghanistan- 90,000 Killed, 90,000 Wounded, Roughly 1.3
Million Civilian deaths.
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One of these benefactors of the war was Osama bin Laden
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Resistance fighters, called mujahidin, saw the Christian
or atheist Soviets controlling Afghanistan as a defilement
of Islam as well as of their traditional culture.
Proclaiming a "jihad"(holy war), they gained the support
of the Islamic world. The US gave them weapons and
money. The mujahidin employed guerrilla tactics against
the Soviets.
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U.S stops grain sales to USSR and boycotts Moscow
John Lennon shot and killed
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John Lennon was shot and killed
in New York. The gunman, Mark
Chapman, apparently shouted 'I
am the Catcher in the Rye' just
before dropping to the ground
and firing the weapon.