Everything 80s

In 1980, an upstart shoe company approached a hot-shot new basketball player about a possible endorsement deal. The problem was, they didn't have any money and could only offer him stock options.

That company was Nike, and that player was Magic Johnson. Had he taken the deal, it would have been worth billions today. This is a look back on this remarkable story and a look at the early days of Nike and that beginning of celebrity shoe endorsements.

Show Notes: Magic Johnson and Nike

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Holiday Gift Guide: 1980s-Based Gifts

Commercials were a big deal in the 1980s. With only three networks, advertisers had a better chance of reaching more people and making a big splash that would even make Don Draper proud. And the decade gave us commercials that were not only entertaining but became part of the pop culture landscape. A good catchphrase or slogan could catch on like wildfire and would become part of our vocabulary overnight. 

In this episode, I count down the ten best commercials of the decade, taking into account entertainment value, marketing, and pop culture relevance. This episode will taste great AND be less filling. (crap, I gave one of them away...)

Show Notes: The 10 Best 80s Commercials

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When it comes to pop culture: 1982 was a doozy. In this look back, I recap the movies, TV shows, music, sports, video games, and technology that define this year.

1982 gave us some of the biggest movies of all time, arguably the biggest album in history, a groundbreaking technological advancement, and the debut of several gigantic TV shows.

Show Notes: 1982

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There have been a lot of terrible marketing promotions over the years, but does the American Airlines AAirpass from 1981 take the cake?

The AAirpass was a membership plan that gave its users unlimited, first-class flights, anywhere in the world—for life. To say that people took advantage of this is an understatement, and the program was soon costing American millions of dollars a year.

This is a look back on a promotion created by a company that had its backs against the wall. This interesting story also looks at how much air travel has changed since the 1980s.

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In 1981, strange black arcade cabinets started showing up in a Portland Oregon arcade. Then there were reports of kids getting sick while playing games at this arcade. And what about the reports of Men in Black hanging around the same arcades?

Thus begins one of the all-time great urban legends. Was the Polybius arcade game created by the U.S. Government for mind control and to recruit kids as soldiers? This is a look back into the myth that will never die and why there's some actual "truth" to some of the theories.

Show Notes: The Polybius Arcade Game

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Welcome to the Halloween episode! in this special, we look at a few topics that came out of the 1970s but became more prominent in the 80s.

The first has to do with the issue of poisoned Halloween candy. We were always on the lookout for razor blades in our candy, but did this ever even happen? Was it just a myth, and how did it become such a fear for us in the 80s? We'll also check out some classic 80s Halloween commercials, then look at a television Halloween special that rivals the Star Wars Holiday Special with how awful it was...

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We're doing a rewind to an earlier episode—and one of my favorite things from the 80s: The Choose Your Own Adventure Books. This is a look back on the evolution of a beloved childhood series, their phenomenal growth, and about their creator who started them as a bedtime story for his daughters. 

Show Notes: Choose Your Own Adventure

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What a time to be alive. The 80s ushered in a brave new world of video games and consoles. The technology was advancing rapidly, and we as kids were reaping the rewards. But which system was the best? Today, I count down what I believe are the 5 best game consoles of the decade, along with a look at a few forgotten ones you may have never even heard of. We also look at the state of the video game industry, and I count down the 10 best-selling video games of the 1980s.

Show notes: Best 80s Video Game Consoles

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It's the question that has stumped philosophers and scientists for years: How do George and Lorraine McFly not realize that their son is the same Marty from 1955?

In this essay—I mean episode—I look at several key points that show how it's impossible for them not to realize that their son is the same Calvin Klein/Marty from the past.

We look at some of the obvious points (THEY NAMED THEIR SON MARTY!) but also issues involving George's book, clothing, first loves, and a specific moment that includes the entire town. I also discuss the fan theory of why Biff is still working for the McFly family 30 years later.

Show Notes: Back to the Future Plot Hole

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1980 was the year that began the decade, but 1981 really brought us right into it. This is a year that had some notable pop-culture moments that changed the world forever.

In this episode, we look back at the movies, music, TV shows, sports, and other big events that shaped this year. And 1981 can be defined by one gigantic, global event. This is also the year that a lot of big TV shows debuted, one of the biggest movies ever was released, and some big advancements started to happen in technology.

Show Notes: 1981

Support the Show: patreon.com/80s