I feel like it’s time to continue my ode to the greatest decade of all time—yes, I’m talking about the 80’s. If Part 1 was the appetizer, then consider this the second round of nachos before the real entrée hits. I didn’t even begin to cover cartoons, sports, or toys—and believe me, there’s so much to unpack there it could fill a Trapper Keeper.
Let’s start with the cartoons. Saturday mornings were sacred. You rolled out of bed in your pajamas, bowl of sugary cereal in hand, and tuned in to see what the animation gods had in store. He-Man, She-Ra, Thundercats, The Real Ghostbusters, Jem and the Holograms, Transformers, G.I. Joe—each one had its own universe, its own strange moral compass, and its own toy line just waiting to be added to your Christmas list. And don’t even get me started on how catchy those theme songs were. They don’t make intros like that anymore—nowadays it’s just some whispery indie tune and an ominous fade-in. No thanks. Give me a synth-heavy banger that screams “adventure is coming” every time.
Toys, though. The glorious plastic mountain of them. Before we had entire consoles in our pockets, we had action figures and dolls that were basically our entire personality. I don’t care what anyone says—nothing hits quite like the satisfying clunk of a View-Master or the moment you finally got your hands on that elusive Voltron lion. And yes, maybe we got the occasional cut on a sharp corner or the trauma of stepping on a Lego, but that was just part of growing up. It toughened you up. Built character. Taught you to wear socks indoors.
And then there was sports. Even if you weren’t athletic (me), there was something electric about 80s sports culture. Michael Jordan was becoming a household name, the Lakers and Celtics were locked in a rivalry that felt mythological, and the Olympics were... complicated, but iconic nonetheless. Watching those games on a bulky wood-paneled TV set while eating SpaghettiOs straight from the can? Peak American childhood. Don't debate me on this.
I’m not saying everything from the 80s was perfect—we had our share of cringe, velour, and unfortunate perms—but even the awkwardness is part of the charm. There’s a reason we keep going back to it in pop culture. Because whether it was a cartoon hero shouting a catchphrase, a toy commercial set to the most dramatic music imaginable, or a buzzer-beating shot on the court, the 80s had soul. It had style. And most of all, it had heart.
Until next time,
MTFBWYA– I LOVE THE 80's!
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