I've often heard that, in terms of politics and the general mood of America, the 1980s was thought of as something of a throwback to pre-1964 America. It was probably associated with the rise of Reagan and the conservatives in general, all the heat by Tipper Gore and the PMRC over explicit music, the return of that "suburban '50s atmosphere" created by the teenagers themselves, rising insensitivity to racial and social issues, and teenage alienation.

Bumpity bump...

I've often heard that, in terms of politics and the general mood of America, the 1980s was thought of as something of a throwback to pre-1964 America. It was probably associated with the rise of Reagan and the conservatives in general, all the heat by Tipper Gore and the PMRC over explicit music, the return of that "suburban '50s atmosphere" created by the teenagers themselves, rising insensitivity to racial and social issues, and teenage alienation.


I think people tried to make it that way. Often, the typical teen movie of the times tended to portray the parents as "uncool" and generally out of touch with their kids (I'm not just talking about pop culture or tastes, but with their life in general). Think of the stuff they talked about in The Breakfast Club. Heck, in BTTF 1, George and Lorraine McFly in the original 1985 were made out to be geeky and kinda losers (George in particular, lol)

In some ways, I actually think the atmosphere was "more innocent" in the '80s than it was in the 1964-78 era or so. In that stuff like casual drug use tended to be looked down upon, and the pop culture (music especially) had a bright/breezy/flashy feel to it.

There also was '50s nostalgia in the '80s, particularly in the first half.

I think people tried to make it that way. Often, the typical teen movie of the times tended to portray the parents as "uncool" and generally out of touch with their kids (I'm not just talking about pop culture or tastes, but with their life in general). Think of the stuff they talked about in The Breakfast Club. Heck, in BTTF 1, George and Lorraine McFly in the original 1985 were made out to be geeky and kinda losers (George in particular, lol)

In some ways, I actually think the atmosphere was "more innocent" in the '80s than it was in the 1964-78 era or so. In that stuff like casual drug use tended to be looked down upon, and the pop culture (music especially) had a bright/breezy/flashy feel to it.

There also was '50s nostalgia in the '80s, particularly in the first half.


I think it's sort of ironic that most of the parents of brat packers were '50s and early '60s teenagers (the "Rebel Without a Cause" era) were that out of touch with their kids...I guess they never quite learned to be more "in touch." '50s nostalgia, in my mind, went from about 1974-1986...in terms of music, '60s nostalgia was heavy from 1982 on or so (Hall and Oates, Madonna, MJ, Boy George, and new wave in general are all heavily '60s influenced.)

I think it's sort of ironic that most of the parents of brat packers were '50s and early '60s teenagers (the "Rebel Without a Cause" era) were that out of touch with their kids...I guess they never quite learned to be more "in touch." '50s nostalgia, in my mind, went from about 1974-1986...in terms of music, '60s nostalgia was heavy from 1982 on or so (Hall and Oates, Madonna, MJ, Boy George, and new wave in general are all heavily '60s influenced.)


Do you think that "out of reality/out of touch parents" thing was an exaggeration in '80s movies, or was it based in reality to an extent. These are probably 1935-47 born folks for the most part. Looking back now, I can see it was probably not typical, but like I've said, my dad is a 1938er and liked a decent amount of '80s pop culture (probably a third or so), and didn't actively "hate" anything (I know he doesn't like heavy metal, but it's not a hatred or anything).

Yeah, I think 1982-87 was an overlap of '50s and '60s nostalgia. Alot of those songs actually sounded like new wave/updated mixtures of '50s rockability and '60s Motown or classic rock.

Do you think that "out of reality/out of touch parents" thing was an exaggeration in '80s movies, or was it based in reality to an extent. These are probably 1935-47 born folks for the most part. Looking back now, I can see it was probably not typical, but like I've said, my dad is a 1938er and liked a decent amount of '80s pop culture (probably a third or so), and didn't actively "hate" anything (I know he doesn't like heavy metal, but it's not a hatred or anything).

Yeah, I think 1982-87 was an overlap of '50s and '60s nostalgia. Alot of those songs actually sounded like new wave/updated mixtures of '50s rockability and '60s Motown or classic rock.


I think it was sort of a reality. Gen X was the "latchkey kid" generation...and most of these parents were teenagers in the '50s, when it was out of style to be at all in touch with your kids and parents were extremely detached. Back in the '70s, most parents seemed to neglect their kids alot, like leaving them alone for absurd amounts of time, and letting them be raised by MTV by the time they were '80s teenagers.

I think it was sort of a reality. Gen X was the "latchkey kid" generation...and most of these parents were teenagers in the '50s, when it was out of style to be at all in touch with your kids and parents were extremely detached. Back in the '70s, most parents seemed to neglect their kids alot, like leaving them alone for absurd amounts of time, and letting them be raised by MTV by the time they were '80s teenagers.


I wonder what the lives of the Breakfast Clubbers was like when they were 6 or 7 in 1975? I could really see it like that, especially Bender. I do think the '70s was the first "branching out" decade in terms of things like divorce being more commonplace/okay.

Yeah, the '50s probably had next to no one (aside from performers themselves, and maybe record execs and those "in the business") over 26 who was a fan of rock music, let alone 40-45 year old parents of teenagers. Even by the time the Beatles/British Invasion in 1964, that was quick changing (more young kids and parents were getting into it).

I wonder what the lives of the Breakfast Clubbers was like when they were 6 or 7 in 1975? I could really see it like that, especially Bender. I do think the '70s was the first "branching out" decade in terms of things like divorce being more commonplace/okay.

Yeah, the '50s probably had next to no one (aside from performers themselves, and maybe record execs and those "in the business") over 26 who was a fan of rock music, let alone 40-45 year old parents of teenagers. Even by the time the Beatles/British Invasion in 1964, that was quick changing (more young kids and parents were getting into it).


Also, there was less literature then on how to raise your kids, and the divorce rate was very high in the '70s. Alot of people of the "Silent Generation" got caught up in the revolutions led by the baby boomers and forgot their families...I've oftentimes heard that. The parents in Heathers and Sixteen Candles seemed SO distant, for example. The Gen Y parenting style (mostly parents born like, 1949-1964) seems to be more extreme attention with stuff like extracurriculars and material spoiling and little emotional attention.

Also, there was less literature then on how to raise your kids, and the divorce rate was very high in the '70s. Alot of people of the "Silent Generation" got caught up in the revolutions led by the baby boomers and forgot their families...I've oftentimes heard that. The parents in Heathers and Sixteen Candles seemed SO distant, for example. The Gen Y parenting style (mostly parents born like, 1949-1964) seems to be more extreme attention with stuff like extracurriculars and material spoiling and little emotional attention.

Yeah, the Silent Generation was "the establishment" still in the '70s (would you say, roughly 1929-43, especially the pre-1937ers as the core of the group). The whole business with "forgetting" Samantha's 16th b-day is a very good example of the "not completely there" parenting style of the '70s (I'll bet when she was little ten years earlier, the family was probably a mess in that regard too -- although in a way, I can see how they'd be stressed in the present day with Mike, lol).

Do you think the overall lack of information/guide to raising kids in the '70s made parents "do it themselves" more? That seems like the last era that corporal punishment and the like was viewed as sorta "okay" (although it was decreasing).

Yeah, the Silent Generation was "the establishment" still in the '70s (would you say, roughly 1929-43, especially the pre-1937ers as the core of the group). The whole business with "forgetting" Samantha's 16th b-day is a very good example of the "not completely there" parenting style of the '70s (I'll bet when she was little ten years earlier, the family was probably a mess in that regard too -- although in a way, I can see how they'd be stressed in the present day with Mike, lol).

Do you think the overall lack of information/guide to raising kids in the '70s made parents "do it themselves" more? That seems like the last era that corporal punishment and the like was viewed as sorta "okay" (although it was decreasing).


I think that the whole era of "do it yourself" parenting ended in some ways in the 1920s, and in other ways in the 1950s with Dr. Spock's guide, which disapproved of corporal punishment and such. The 1970s was the last decade that was sort of "do it yourself", though...in many ways, people born before 1929 were the "real" establishment, in terms of government, the WWII generation, until the early '90s. There was never a Silent Generation president, for example. Corporal punishment is really still viewed as okay, particularly in rural and poorer areas...part of the abandonment of it was due to wider literacy and affluence beginning in the 1950s.  The Silent Generation was never totally the establishment, IMO, in many ways...the boomers started taking over pretty young in the '80s with Reagan's election (people around my parents age, 1955, were the core of the youngish yuppie boomers taking power back then) and were totally establishment by the '90s.

I think that the whole era of "do it yourself" parenting ended in some ways in the 1920s, and in other ways in the 1950s with Dr. Spock's guide, which disapproved of corporal punishment and such. The 1970s was the last decade that was sort of "do it yourself", though...in many ways, people born before 1929 were the "real" establishment, in terms of government, the WWII generation, until the early '90s. There was never a Silent Generation president, for example. Corporal punishment is really still viewed as okay, particularly in rural and poorer areas...part of the abandonment of it was due to wider literacy and affluence beginning in the 1950s.  The Silent Generation was never totally the establishment, IMO, in many ways...the boomers started taking over pretty young in the '80s with Reagan's election (people around my parents age, 1955, were the core of the youngish yuppie boomers taking power back then) and were totally establishment by the '90s.

That's true, the Silent Gen was sort of "passed over". Do you think they're sort of just a bridge between the WWII generation and the Boomers? Most of them could loosely fall into one or the other - it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say my dad is just one of the "mature" Boomers, being 12 in 1950 and 32 in 1970 (and still influenced by pop culture then). Whereas an early 1932er, for instance, could just be a late WWII era person (being already 13 when the war ended).

It's definitely people around my mom's age (and your parents too) that were the "yuppies" and the establishment of the 1991+ time. Not the complete establishment, but still.

As far as corporal punishment through the years, I agree. It was kind of a 19th century thing in a way. While I disapprove of it for the most part in any form, at home maybe an exception could be if a kid does something really wrong, or runs into the street when they're 4, etc. However, I think it's really scary to think schools once did it. That "overall" form of it seemed to be in the decline even by the '50s.

That's true, the Silent Gen was sort of "passed over". Do you think they're sort of just a bridge between the WWII generation and the Boomers? Most of them could loosely fall into one or the other - it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say my dad is just one of the "mature" Boomers, being 12 in 1950 and 32 in 1970 (and still influenced by pop culture then). Whereas an early 1932er, for instance, could just be a late WWII era person (being already 13 when the war ended).

It's definitely people around my mom's age (and your parents too) that were the "yuppies" and the establishment of the 1991+ time. Not the complete establishment, but still.

As far as corporal punishment through the years, I agree. It was kind of a 19th century thing in a way. While I disapprove of it for the most part in any form, at home maybe an exception could be if a kid does something really wrong, or runs into the street when they're 4, etc. However, I think it's really scary to think schools once did it. That "overall" form of it seemed to be in the decline even by the '50s.


Yeah, the Silent Generation are sort of a bridge, though in some ways they're very much so a "thinker" generation. The boomers were never "thinkers", they were more the "doers" of the cultural revolution of the '60s and '70s...most of the basics of it were thought up by the Silent Generation, and '60s icons like Lennon were part of the Silent Generation. It's easy to argue that they sort of followed the WWII Generation, but in a more disillusioned/doubtful way with alot of people who were sort of optimistic and unconventional despite being mostly "establishment" and highly '50s influenced (though not the ones originating it) at first, and then became very into the '60s/'70s mindset once the pioneers of their generation and the Boomers popularized it. They were very sheep-y, though in some ways they were the 2nd "Gen X" (the first was the "Lost Generation" born in the 1890s who saw the destruction of World War I in their youth and were highly disillusioned by it.)

The boomers became establishment quite quickly, taking over the roles of their parents. And then the Gen Xers will probably never become totally establishment, though they might have some presidential power in the 2010s to 2030s.