10 Things I like about the 1980s

This post is part of Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup   

and I'm grateful to V of Grit and Glamour for including me.

I got an email from a friend who asked if I'm continuing my series of 'Ten things I like..' As you may have noticed, I have been distracted with other things. But it’s time to continue.

Before the vintage purists among you flinch and wail "Oooo no. Eighties!", this is my take on this decade of madness. I'm proud to say I grew up in the '80s and I have many fond memories of them. The words 'tacky', 'bad music', 'bad hair', and 'bad clothes' are usually associated with the 1980s, and with perfect justification. But it was a decade of tumultuous change, and the world would be a big, boring place had we not had it.

So I hope you'll give me a chance.

Image from sburke.eu

1. Rubik's Cube
Hands up those who grew up in the '80s without handling one? I didn't think so.

Originally created by Ernő Rubik in the early '70s to teach his students in Budapest the concept of 3D objects, it was finally introduced in February 1980 at toy fairs in London, Paris, Nuremberg, and New York.

I never completed the puzzle, but always gave it a good go. One day I peeled off the stickers, interchanged them and convinced my older brothers that I've done it. I felt a little guilty, later.

This has got to be my favourite '80s icon. It's also the best-selling toy in the world according to some reports. The good news is, you can now watch online tutorials showing how to solve the puzzle. Yay!

Image from Omis.m

2. MTV
August 1, 1981 was a phenomenal day. MTV aired its first show and the era of musical videography began. The idea that you could watch your favourite artists sing for you all day long was mind-blowing. It also created a new media role – that of the VJ, who linked the videos with dialogue.
I particularly liked Thriller by Michael Jackson. To me it was kinda like a horror film, but one in which the characters were singing and dancing. Hey, nothing's cheesy when you're a child.
I come from a musical family. We used to have MTV playing in the front room and soaking up the bands' visual aesthetic and of course fashion trends, blissfully unaware of their powerful influence on young people.

Image from Lovesceneonline.com

3. Colour Blocking
It's been around since the 1930s. From Piet Mondrian's 'Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow', to YSL's 1960s 'Mondrian Day Dress'. In the 1980s it was present in many of the clothes we wore. But back then nobody pointed it out as a particular fashion trend. It was simply how bright clothes were put together.

Image from Liketotally80s.com

4. Madonna
The reigning Queen of Pop
Whatever your take on Madonna, nobody can deny her iconic status. She burst onto the pop music scene in the early ’80s, and pretty much shaped its future.

Before becoming a megastar she was an A student and was in a scholarship program. Did you know that? I didn't. Her voice might not be spectacular but she has a perfect pitch and can play the guitar and drums, apart from being flexible and all that. To me she’s a heroine for constantly embracing new knowledge and techniques, and surviving in the world of business. Talk about going with the flow.

Image from Profilebrand.com

5. Boombox
Simply known as radio cassette player, it was great for taking around your friend's place to hang out, listen to FM radio stations, make and play cassette tapes, and even record vocal inputs. Remember the band sessions you had in your parents' garage or spare room, trying to record your own music, i.e. playing covers?

The boombox, which also went by several names which simply couldn’t be used nowadays, appeared in the '70s but was popularised in the '80s. Breakdancing and hip-hop wouldn't be the same without it.

Image from My Retrospace

6. Jane Fonda Workout
Leotards, check. Leg warmers, check. VCR, check.
Jane Fonda and her aerobics videos pioneered the fitness craze for the baby boomers of the '80s. Nothing wrong with a bit of exercise, I say.

Image from Wikipedia

7. IBM PC
As a vintage collector, I've come across some later models and I can't contain the 'geek within'. I'd run my fingers on its monitor, CPU, floppy disk portal, down to its clunky keyboard. With a prominent industrial look, I am in awe as always, as without this first 'home/office computer', there won't be advancement in the Internet, worldwide web, gaming, software development, facebook, twitter, eBay, and, let’s face it, blogging.

Image from Collider.com

8. '80s TV
Primetime soaps became ever more popular and detective series such as Magnum PI, Miami Vice, 21 Jump Street, and action adventure series like The A-Team shaped the imaginations of my friends and I.
Whatever tickled your fancy, you were bound to be following a series.

Image from Flashingblade.net

9. Pacman
C'mon. You've got to like this little yellow, open-mouthed button trying to gobble up dots, whilst avoiding the jelly ghosts named Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde. When Google used it as an interactive doodle to commemorate its 30th anniversary last year, I tried playing it for hours and still could never win.

Pacman became the marker in the history of arcade gaming. Its success is due to brand awareness. The creation of Pacman merchandise helped a lot. For me, I guess it's because it was played by both boys and girls. Also, everybody likes the concept of a maze, getting rewarded a lot of points, gaining life back, and being able to run away as fast as you can from the enemy. What great fun!

Image from Quotednews

10. Bloodless Revolution of 1986
With all the political unrest in the news lately, I am reminded of my first-hand experience of the first-ever peaceful revolution in human history - the 1986 Philippine revolution that saw the end of Ferdinand Marcos' regime and the creation of democracy. I wish the current troubled countries could pull off what my fellow countrymen did.

In February 1986, two to three million people came out to call for Marcos' resignation and install the people's elected president, Corazon Aquino, who was also the country's first female president. (Time magazine awarded her the title 'Icon of Democracy').

It's been said that this event inspired the Fall of Berlin Wall in 1989. Something like this isn't easily done and perhaps we were lucky as a nation. But there's nothing stopping anyone to emulate this little miracle.

So, there you are my friends.
I hope this justifies my fondness for the '80s.

What was it like growing up in the '80s for you? Do you subscribe to the notion that the '80s was the worst decade ever? Or are you loving the cheese, bright colours and seismic changes?

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Source:
Wikipedia.com
Eightiesclubtripod.com
              

Soleful Monday

Happy Monday, everyone!

In my attempt to start the day right, I thought getting glammed up is the best way to prepare oneself in thinking up some great ideas for this week's blog.

My bright, red shoes were winking at me, so how could I resist?

And then it hit me. Why not talk about shoes? We currently live with our shoe designer friend, Rachel, in Italy's shoe-making capital, Civitanova Marche. Sorted!

I've always been fascinated with Rachel and her natural creativity. She once came to visit our house in Britain two years ago, then having sat on our vintage leather sofa, started doodling. She was on holiday by the way. Apparently the buttons on the sofa were inspiring her. She left brandishing sketches of what would become part of her winter collection. That in my book, is talent. I suppose that's why she was asked to design the shoes included in an Oscars goodie bag in 2003.

Now, why might an outdoor,  'wash-and-wear' girl like me be interested in shoes?

When I was 13 I had the opportunity to visit the old residential palace of Imelda Marcos in Manila, two years after they were evicted by the Filipino people during the first Bloodless Revolution of the twentieth century. The tour in the palace was part of our history class, and all I could remember was my friend telling me to shut my mouth, as apparently I was nearly dribbling, in constant awe at Imelda's notorious shoe collection, at the sight of Salvatore Ferragamos, and the multitude of massive vats of perfume. I thought: 'so that's where the government money went!'.

This morning, I took a photo of this two year-old shoe. It's a revival of the typical killer heels of the mid '80s. The heel is so high it's half-way impossible to walk on.
In a decade where women were taking on powerful, successful roles in the workplace, these heels were perfect for projecting an image of 'metropolitan chic meets dominatrix', according to a book called Vintage Shoes, by Caroline Cox.

Rachel says that the recent global economic downturn is similar to the economic recession in the '80s. Shoe psychology is echoing that period, and the worse things become financially the higher heels become. I personally think this statement makes sense.

Nevertheless, shoes will always be a vital part of living, and will continue to be objects of art and functionality.

If you're ever in need of a boost, put your favourite garment on and pair it with your favourite shoes. Chances are, if they are colourful they'll make you feel better. Trust me, it works wonders for me, every time.

Oh, and don't forget your handbag.

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