The 1980s are often slammed by culture snobs as a decade of big shoulder pads, cheesy movies and cheap furniture. And it’s true — the '80s made some bad choices. But some of the most popular elements of today's culture have their roots in the '80s, and it's time for us to pay our proper respects. Here are some of the most lasting cultural elements from music, film, television, theater, fitness and fashion from the '80s:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lauds Michael Jackson as a musical, dance and celebrity icon at the level of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and The Beatles. But we didn’t really need them to tell us that. Jackson’s album “Thriller” revolutionized the music business with a shocking seven hits and, of course, his famous moonwalk dance move. And, more importantly, Jackson was one of the first musicians to break racial stereotypes by connecting with audiences around the world regardless of their race, according to director Quincy Jones.
Introduced in 1984, Sony's Betacam technology made today’s reality TV possible. Starting in 1987, the U.S. saw a new wave of reality shows, such as “Unsolved Mysteries,” “America's Most Wanted,” “Rescue 911” and “Cops.” Combining these reality shows with a game or talent show concept paved the way for “Survivor” (2000) and “American Idol” (2002). The reality-TV style enables viewers to see into someone else’s life and thoughts through a realist — albeit staged — setting and confessional storytelling. In these seemingly trivial ways, viewers can confirm that they are not alone in life.
The '80s revived and redefined Broadway for the modern era with several influential hit shows, including two of the longest-running musicals in history: “Cats” and “Les Misérables.” In 1981, Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Cats” premiered in West End, enchanting audiences with opulent effects, whimsical poetry by T.S. Elliot and hit show tunes. A few short years later, the “Les Misérables” musical opened at the Barbican Theatre. A sweeping adaptation of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Miz was a huge success and has been made into a movie many times over. It is celebrated as a major artistic inspiration for young actors and singers around the world.
The classic hair-styling staple, mousse, was introduced to the world by L’Oreal in the early 1980s. Today, hair mousse is offered by virtually every major beauty product line and is sold as a style staple in drug stores, right next to hairspray. Today, mousse is used by runway hair stylists to create texture, volume, hold and natural curls.
Jane Fonda brought the world of home fitness to women across the U.S. with her “Workout” exercise videos in 1982. She sold 17 million copies, which is more than any other home exercise video. Fonda’s success was due largely to the fact that her videos allowed people to exercise from the comfort of their own homes at a level suited to their own personal needs. This '80s trend continues today in the form of yoga, Pilates and Zumba DVDs and YouTube videos.