October 4, 2025 • 65 mins
Imagine a year where shoppers brawled over dolls, a pop icon moonwalked into history, and the very first mobile phone cost nearly $4,000. That was 1983. But beneath the shoulder pads that were still going strong, there were scandals that rocked Hollywood and technology that quietly started to change what our future would look like.
Sources:
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_in_the_United_States
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombings
- https://www.nasa.gov/history/sally-ride-first-american-woman-in-space
- https://www.chron.com/culture/article/atari-et-game-landfill-texas-new-mexico-21032868.php
- https://archaeology.org/issues/july-august-2014/digs-discoveries/new-mexico-atari-dump-site-excavation
- https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/landfill-smithsonian-collections-et-extra-terrestrial-atari-2600-game
- https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/403754
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial_(video_game)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_video_game_burial
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_crash_of_1983
- https://www.si.edu/spotlight/sally-ride
- https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/sally-ride-first-us-woman-space-and-more
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007
- https://www.nasa.gov/history/40-years-ago-sts-7-and-the-flight-of-sally-ride
- https://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1983
- https://www.geekwire.com/2014/atari-cartridges-dug
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DynaTAC
- https://www.mobilephonemuseum.com/phone-detail/dynatac-8000x
- https://andymcnally.medium.com/ataris-infamous-1983-video-game-burial-the-truth-behind-the-urban-legend-1d8a771e7d0b
- https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/1983-consumers-distributing-toy-catalogue-motu-gi-joe-star-wars/
- https://dinosaurdracula.com/blog/xmas-toys-1983/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1983
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_1983
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the pop Culture Diary. This is your go
to spot for trends, gossip, and throwbacks. I'm your host page,
and each week we're flipping through the pages of pop
culture history. We'll talk about everything from neon soaked eighties
nights to the wild early days of the two thousands
(00:23):
and beyond. You can expect the fashions, the music, the movies,
the biggest news headlines, the scandals, and basically everything that
had us talking, laughing, and obsessing. So grab some snacks,
get cozy and luxury wine the pages of time. Hey,
(00:49):
dear diary friends, our first stop the front page. Nineteen
eighty three was a year when the world could not
sit still. Cold War tension, space streams, invasions and heartbreak.
Let's flip open the new section of our diary and
see what made the headlines all right, buckle up. Nineteen
(01:16):
eighty three wasn't just living in the Cold War, it
was thriving in it. The year started with Ronald Reagan
announcing his Strategic Defense initiative, quickly nicknamed star Wars. The
idea a futuristic space laser missile shield to protect America
(01:37):
from Soviet nukes. The press loved it, Scientists weren't so sure,
and comedians everywhere thanked Reagan for the free material. Speaking
of Cold war tension, if you wanted to sleep easy
in nineteen eighty three, too bad. On September one, nineteen
(01:59):
eighty three, three Flight Double O seven, a Korean Airlines
BOWING seven forty seven, was flying from New York to
Anchorage to Seoul. It accidentally deviated from its flight path
and entered Soviet airspace near Sakolene Island, and the Soviets
shot down the Korean Airlines Flight Double O seven and
(02:24):
nearly triggered an actual nuclear crisis. The Soviets scrambled fighter jets,
and after some warnings that were allegedly not noticed by
KAL Double O seven's crew, they launched missiles. The plane
was destroyed and all two hundred sixty nine people aboard
(02:46):
were killed. The incident significantly escalated Cold War tensions. The
US government called it a deliberate act, the Soviet side
claimed navigational error, and a alledged it might have been
a spyplane. It became a media and diplomatic flashpoint over
(03:08):
in living rooms, movies like Wargames and the TV film
The Day after leaned hard into nuclear anxiety because nothing
says fun family movie night like imagining the apocalypse in Kansas.
Not everything was doom and gloom. Though Sally Ride was
(03:31):
part of the nineteen seventy eight Astronaut Group, the first
group NASA accepted that included women. Before that, astronaut qualifications
excluded women in certain roles. On June eighteenth, nineteen eighty three,
Sally Ride launched aboard Space Shuttle Challenger STS seven and
(03:54):
became the first American woman to fly in space. She
was a mission spacest helping deploy commercial communications satellites for
Canada and Indonesia and using the shuttle's robotic arm to
retrieve a satellite. Suddenly, astronaut wasn't just a boys club anymore,
(04:16):
and little girls everywhere finally had a hero and a
NASA jumpsuit. The year was an all inspirational either tragedy struck.
On October twenty third, nineteen eighty three, a massive suicide
truck bombing targeted US Marine barracks in Beirut Romlin El
(04:39):
Beta as a part of a multinational peacekeeping force in
Lebanon during its Civil War two hundred and forty one
US servicemen were killed in that blast, making it this
single deadliest day for US marines since World War II. Also,
(05:00):
a simultaneous attack on French barracks killed fifty eight soldiers.
These moments were very shocking one that showed just how
unstable the world stage really was, and if you thought
things were quiet closer to home, no, In October, the
(05:22):
US launched an invasion of Granada to restore order. Depending
on which country's newspaper you were reading, it was either
a bold act of heroism or a clumsy overreach. Meanwhile,
the celebrity meets politics pipeline was alive and well. Jane
(05:43):
Fonda kept making headlines for her activism, much to the
dismay of conservatives. Harry Bellefonte and other stars also stepped
into politics, proving once again that in the eighties, being
an entertainer didn't mean staying in your lane. Nineteen eighty
(06:04):
three was the kind of year where the world felt
like it was one bad decision away from disaster, but
at least America had lasers, astronauts, and Hollywood stars trying
to save the day. In nineteen eighty three, there were
new shows, bold characters, and battle royale time slots. The
(06:28):
tubes were alive, and so were viewers remotes. Picture this.
(06:54):
It's nineteen eighty three, and the glow of the TV
isn't just background noise anymore. TV shows were a clear
the calendar type of event. Families are sitting around the
TV set, tuning in to shows that will become household
names and saying goodbye to a few longtime favorites. Let's
(07:17):
start with the big goodbye. On February the twenty eighth,
nineteen eighty three, more than one hundred million people watched
the final episode of Mash That made it the most
watched TV broadcast in American history at that time. Think
about that half the country all glued to the same farewell.
(07:43):
When Hawkeye said goodbye, so did we. But thankfully television
wasn't just closing doors, It was throwing open new ones too.
NBC had this quirky little sitcom called Cheers with an
all star cast. Some of the stars included Ted Danson
(08:05):
as Sam Malone, Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, George Went
as Norm Peterson, Woody Harrelson as Woody boyd Rhea Pearlman
as Carla Tortelli, John Ratzenberger as Cliff Calvin, Kirsty Ally
as Rebecca Howe, B. B. Newarth as Lily Sterning, Kelsey
(08:29):
Grammer as Fraser Crane, and many others who would become
some of the biggest household names. Cheers actually premiered in
late eighty two, but in eighty three it started to
gain traction. The show was set in a Boston bar
where everybody knows your name, but it didn't explode right
(08:51):
away in the ratings department. In fact, it almost got canceled,
but critics loved it, and by the time the Emmys
rolled around, Cheers was walking away with four trophies. Sometimes
the underdog gets the last laugh, and then on the
(09:11):
other end of the spectrum, you had pure adrenaline fueled
chaos with the A Team, a band of renegade Vietnam vets,
blowing stuff up, helping the helpless, and making mister t
into a full blown pop culture icon. Today he's ninety
(09:32):
one years old and we're still catching ourselves saying I
pity the fool, which actually originated from his role in
Rocky three in nineteen eighty two, but it stuck around
and became one of the most famous lines of all
time that he would say in different roles and commercials
(09:52):
as well. But back to the show, The A team
was perfect if you wanted explosions, catch phrases, and a
van so recognizable it was practically a character itself. It
was a weekly must watch. As far as the actors
in this TV show, and apologies for any mispronunciation of names,
(10:17):
you had Dwight Schultz, George pepperd Dirk Benedict, Mister t
Melinda Cahalia, John Ashley, Marla Heasley, Tanya Baker, Robert Vaughan,
Hunt Stockwell, Eddie Vales, Tim Dunnaghan, Lance Lagault, Bill Dyer,
(10:38):
Jack Ging, Carl Franklin, Sergio Calderone, Jack Krushian, William Lucking
and many more. Television in nineteen eighty three was almost rebellious.
Gone were the days when a sitcom or drama would
coast on one note for formulas. Audiences were demanding more,
(11:04):
more grit, more flash, more bite. The networks, well, they
were scrambling to keep up. Take Night Rider. This was
not just another action show. David Hasselhoff may have been
the star on the Posters, but let's be honest, the
(11:24):
real celebrity was a black Pontiac trans am named Kit.
This wasn't just any car. Kit was bulletproof, could turbo
boost over any obstacle in its way, and had a
sassy AI voice provided by William Daniels. Do you remember
(11:44):
who that is? He is the William Daniels who would
later teach Corey Matthews' life lessons as Mister Feenie and
Boy Meets World. Okay, back tonight Rider. This show was
a may techno fantasy that cruised its way into prime time,
Mingling the sleek style of futuristic escapism and leather jacket cool.
(12:11):
It was proof that the nineteen eighties obsession with technology
wasn't just happening in Silicon Valley. It was hitting the
living room TV set. And then there was Saint Elsewhere.
If Nightrider was shiny and futuristic, Saint Elsewhere was its messy,
real world equalizer. Set in the fictional Saint Eligius Hospital
(12:37):
in Boston, it gave viewers a chance to see doctors
who were not miracle workers, but flawed, exhausted human beings
trying to do their best in a crumbling hospital. There
were no easy resolutions, no perfect heroes. The show was
just raw sometimes dismal, and often presented darkly funny medical
(13:03):
stories that felt uncomfortably close to real life. The cast
was stacked a young Denzel Washington before movie stardom, Howie
Mandel before the game show suits, David Morse ed Begley Junior,
and guess who else William Daniels. He was pulling double
(13:26):
duty that year with Night Rider and this show Saint
Elsewhere was gritty, experimental and not afraid to break the rules,
and little did people at home know it would eventually
end with one of the most shocking and still debated
finales in television history. Maybe the most telling show of
(13:50):
the moment was Family Ties. Imagine two ex hippie parents
raising a Reagan worshiping son in the middle of suburb
in Ohio. That's the premise on paper. Stephen and ELISEE. Keaton,
the peace and love liberals, should have been the main draw,
(14:11):
but the real scenestealer was their son, Alex P. Keaton,
played by Michael J. Fox. With his quick wit, sharp tongue,
and unapologetic love for money and Ronald Reagan. Alex became
the voice of a new generation, a generation that wasn't
interested in peace signs and protest songs. But in Wall
(14:35):
Street and Personal Success, the character was supposed to be secondary. Instead,
Michael J. Fox's charm launched him right into stardom, turning
Family Ties into must sy TV and Michael J. Fox
into an Emmy winning megastar. Back in the eighties, television
(14:57):
was where America could escape with talking cars, confront harsh
realities and hospitals, or laugh nervously as families argued about
politics over dinner. In nineteen eighty three, television was starting
to look a lot more like the real world. At times,
it would also look like a version of the world
(15:20):
we wished we lived in. If the small screen was
experimenting in nineteen eighty three, the big screen was doubling
down on size spectacle and sequels were booming. This was
the year when Hollywood realized it could turn movies into
(15:41):
franchises and franchises into money printing machines. Storytelling was still there, sure,
but box office influence and energy was about recognizable characters,
big special effects, and really the intensity of suspense or
curiosity that made people line up around the block and
(16:05):
even make new friends over shared interests. Going to the
movie theater in General was like its own kind of party.
(16:28):
Let's start with the obvious overwhelming force of Return of
the Jedi. By the time it hit theaters in May
of eighty three, people have been waiting three years to
see how George Lucas's Space saga would end. Would Luke
face down Darth Vader, would Hans Solo survive his carbonite
(16:49):
deep freeze? Would Princess Leah ever get to wear pants again?
The film gave what fans wanted, an epic finale with lightsabers,
space battles, and yes ewoks love them or hate them.
Those furry little rebel warriors helped the movie raak in
(17:10):
nearly half a billion dollars worldwide. The merchandising machine exploded two.
There were action figures, lunchboxes, bed sheets, you name it.
Return of the Jedi was not just a movie. It
was a huge, celebratory gathering of fans that proved sequels
(17:33):
could dominate just as much as originals. Speaking of sequels,
nineteen eighty three also brought us Superman three. Now, if
Return of the Jedi was the gold standard for sequels,
Superman three was Let's save an experimentation. Christopher Reeve was
(17:56):
still a beloved Man of Steel, but the style swayed
pretty hard into slapstick thanks to the addition of Richard
Pryor as a computer programmer sidekick. Those who watched were
a little bewildered. Was this a superhero legendary saga or
(18:16):
a comedy sketch. The result was a film that's remembered
more for its weirdness and Richard Pryor's charm than for
keeping Superman's momentum alive. Still, it was a sign of
Hollywood trying to juggle tone, performance and star power in
new ways. But the sequels didn't stop there. The thirteenth
(18:42):
James Bond film, Octopussy, arrived with Roger Moore still in
the tucks. Roger Moore was in his mid fifties by then,
and some critics were raising eyebrows at his age, but
the movie leaned into camp and globe trot extravaganza. You
(19:02):
had circuses, faberget eggs, and nuclear plots. It was something
that allowed you to escape the real world for a while.
And here's the kicker. Nineteen eighty three wasn't just the
year of one Bond movie. Sean Connery returned as Double
O seven and never say Never Again, a non official
(19:25):
bond flick produced outside the usual studio system, so for
a brief moment, audiences had dueling bonds, two tuxedos, two martinis,
Shaken not stirred. Okay, So beyond sequels, nineteen eighty three
gave us a few surprise hits that proved originality was
(19:48):
not dead. Flash Dance came out of nowhere with its
bold and ballsy Pittsburgh setting. If you haven't seen it,
it's a classic must see. Imagine steel mill workers by day,
Dancers by night vibe, and that iconic soundtrack with the
(20:08):
songs what a Feeling and Maniac practically influenced the whole
year in music videos. It made Jennifer Bills a star
even though her dancing was often done by doubles, and
turned legwarmers into a fashion statement. Comedy also ruled. In
(20:29):
nineteen eighty three, Chevy Chase secured his status as the
King of bumbling Dads with National Lampoon's Vacation. This movie
is a road trip disaster comedy that felt both painfully
relatable and outrageously ridiculous. Directed by Harold Ramis and written
(20:51):
by John Hughes, it was the start of a franchise
that would follow the Griswolds for decades. Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy,
who was already blowing up from Saturday Night Live, took
his star power to the next level with Trading Places.
Pairing him with Dan Ackroyd in a comedy about Wall
(21:13):
Street scheming and class swaps. Eddie Murphy proved he could
command the big screen just as easily as he had
Late night TV. He also came out with his comedy
stand up special Delirious that year. Drama was not forgotten either.
Terms of Endearment had audiences ugly crying in theaters with
(21:37):
its story of a mother and daughter trying to find
their way through love, loss, and heartbreak. It swept the Oscars,
winning Best Picture, Best Actress for Shirley Maclain, and Best
Director for James L. Brooks. The way Terms of Endearment
(21:57):
was so emotional balanced out the year of over the
top performances and special effects. So what was nineteen eighty
three at the movies? It was the perfect storm of
sequels that were basically full blown events, outlandish surprises, and
emotional heavy hitters. It showed that Hollywood could be big
(22:21):
and loud, but also touching and heartbreaking when it wanted to,
and more than anything, it proved that cinema in the
eighties was not just about entertainment. It was about creating
experiences that audiences couldn't get anywhere else. If nineteen eighty
(22:43):
one and nineteen eighty two laid the groundwork, nineteen eighty
three was the year music planted a flag with glitter
all over it and said this is the eighties. Deal
with it. Pop, rock, R and B and new wave
for all fighting for dominance, and instead of canceling each
(23:03):
other out, they fueled one another. Let's start with the
elephant in the room with the sequined glove. Michael Jackson
Thriller had technically dropped at the end of nineteen eighty two,
(23:27):
but nineteen eighty three was the year it swallowed the
world whole. The Thriller album gave us hit after hit
with songs like Billy Jean Beat It and of course
the title track with that fourteen minute mini horror movie
of a music video in TV played Thriller on repeat.
(23:49):
Michael Jackson performed the Moonwalk on Motown's twenty fifth anniversary special,
and suddenly every kid in America was trying to glide
backwards across their kitchen floor. Michael Jackson wasn't just the
biggest star of nineteen eighty three. He was really the
blueprint for what a pop star could be. Michael Jackson
(24:13):
wasn't the only one out there changing the game. Madonna
dropped her self titled debut album this year. While it
didn't explode quite as fast as Thriller, it planted the
seeds of her soon to be global takeover. With songs
like Holiday and Borderline, her mix of dance, pop and
(24:33):
provocative styles started making waves in clubs and on MTV.
Madonna wasn't just singing, She was creating her image and
how she wanted to portray not only herself but her art,
and people everywhere were definitely paying attention. On the rock side,
(24:55):
the police were riding high. With Every Breath You Take,
a song often mistaken for a love ballad, but actually
it's a stalker tune that's kind of hidden in a
misleading romantic number. It became the year's biggest hit single
and turned Sting into a sullen, pensive rock poet sex symbol. Meanwhile,
(25:19):
David Bowie reinvented himself yet again with What's dance between
the title track and China Girl. David Bowie went from
avant garde art rocker to mainstream MTV darling seemingly overnight,
thanks to collaborations with Niall Rogers and a young Stevie
(25:41):
ray Vaughn. Prince was also soaring high, teasing what would
become his Purple Rain era with the nineteen eighty three
release of his album nineteen ninety nine. The singles still
completely take over the radio and dance floors to this day.
His mix of funk, rock and sexuality was something MTV
(26:06):
couldn't ignore, no matter how much it tried to downplay
black artists early on. By the end of the year,
Prince wasn't just a rising star. He was a cultural force.
No exaggeration. He was the catalyst for change, and he
made an impact globally in many ways beyond his music.
(26:31):
Now let's talk about the gossip in the music industry.
Diana Ross made headlines not just for her music but
for her diva conduct. For example, she would storm out
of events, feud with Motown, and at one infamous Central
Park concert, she performed in a thunderstorm that left thousands
(26:56):
soaked before the show had to be called off only
seemed to prove her reputation was both unstoppable and unpredictable.
Then there was David Lee Roth of Van Halen. His
antics off the stage with groupies and hotel rooms were
the stuff of rock lore. The band's hit album nineteen
(27:19):
eighty four was just around the corner, but in nineteen
eighty three, their parties were already so notorious that hotels
allegedly banned them in advance. Elsewhere, Culture Club with Boy
George were shaking up gender norms on MTV with Karma
(27:39):
Chameleon and Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? Boy
George's androgynous look fascinated all the tabloids. Some celebrated it,
others mocked it, but no one ignored it. He was
bringing conversations about sexuality and identity into mainstream living rooms,
(28:02):
even if he didn't always get the credit for it.
And let's not forget the softer side. Lionel Richie crooning
all night long had everybody swaying, while Billy Joel's Uptown
Girl was an ode to Christy Brinkley, who he would
later marry. They were the embodiment of couples who seemed
(28:25):
to be a force to be reckoned with music in
eighty three wasn't just sound. It was a pure spectacle,
had a lot of personality, and sometimes it was really scandalous.
From Michael moonwalking into superstardom, to Madonna staking her claim
as pop's next provocateur, to Bowie Prince and Boy George,
(28:49):
all making the world reimagine what an artist could look
and sound like. The year was a kaleidoscope of rebirth.
The charts were booming, the gossip columns were buzzing, and
what used to be the norm was shifting one neon
beat at a time. Of the Billboard year end Hot
(29:12):
one hundred singles of nineteen eighty three, these are the
top ten, coming in at number one. Every Breath You
Take by the Police, the ultimate stalker ballad disguised as
a wedding song played at one thousand first dances by
people who never actually listened to the lyrics. Number two
(29:37):
Billy Jean by Michael Jackson, the song that turned sidewalks
into imaginary light up tiles. It also gave us the
single most iconic live TV moonwalk in history, coming in
at number three. Flash Dance What a Feeling by Irene kara,
(30:00):
part empowerment anthem, part aerobic workout jam. Nobody could hear
this and not want to leap into the air in
their leg warmers. Number four down Under by Minute Work,
a flute riff, vegemite sandwiches, and a chorus that made
Australia sound like a magical, slightly dangerous wonderland. Number five
(30:26):
Michael Jackson comes in again with Beat It. Eddie van
Halen's guitar solo melted faces, while Jackson reminded everyone that
sometimes the toughest thing you can do is run away.
Coming in at number six, Total Eclipse of the Heart
(30:46):
by Bonnie Tyler, melodramatic, over the top gothic romance vibes
basically a soap opera and song form cue the dramatic
wind Machine. Number seven man Eater by Daryl Hall and
John Oates, proof that the eighties could make paranoia about
(31:08):
women sound downright funky. Number eight Baby Come to Me
by Patti Austin and James Ingram, a silky duet that
got a second life thanks to general hospital soap operas
launching careers since forever. Number nine Maniac by Michael Simbello,
(31:34):
another flash dance anthem. If you weren't kicking invisible walls
in your living room when this played, were you even alive?
In nineteen eighty three, coming in at number ten. Sweet
Dreams Are Made of This by the Eurythmics. Annie Lennox's
voice plus synths equal ic perfection, also the soundtrack to
(32:00):
about a million slow motion montages in People's minds. Now,
let's get into the Billboard year end Top ten albums
of nineteen eighty three. Number one, Michael Jackson's Thriller not
just the album of the year, the album of the decade,
(32:21):
maybe of all time. Zombies, Sequined Gloves and pop Perfection,
coming in at number two. The Police with synchronicity Sting's
broodiness set to sharp experimental rock, proof that a breakup
album can also make millions. Number three. The Flashdance soundtrack
(32:47):
one movie, two top ten singles, and a legacy of
gem inspired fashion choices, coming in at number four. Minute
Works Business as usual. Australia officially exports more than kangaroos
and crocodile Dundee. Number five David Bowie's Let's Dance. Nil
(33:11):
Rogers gave Bowie the dance makeover that No one knew
they needed Suddenly. David Bowie was cool at the club.
Number six Styx's album kil Roy was here, the concept
album that brought us mister Roboto, equal parts futuristic, theatrical
(33:33):
and weirdly catchy. Number seven Brian Adams Cuts like a
Knife Canadian rock ballads never cut so deep. This was
just a warm up for his true global takeover later
in the decade, coming in at number eight. ZZ Top
(33:54):
with Eliminator Beards, Hot Rods and MT be Ready videos
proof that blues rock could still hang in a neon world.
Number nine Journey with Frontiers, more Arena anthems for Lighters
in the Air, moments, Don't Stop Believing was still echoing,
(34:19):
and number ten Lionel Ritchie with his self titled album Smooth,
Soulful and absolutely Everywhere. Lionel was setting up for Hello
to haunt us all in nineteen eighty four. Nineteen eighty
three felt a little like Hollywood had mixtaped the tabloids
(34:42):
and the front page and then hit repeat. Big personalities,
bigger headlines, and scandals that either sparked outrage or sold
out arenas. Here are the stories that people were whispering
about in cocktail lounges, at copy machines, and at the
dinner table. If there was a single celebrity story that
(35:10):
completely took over casual conversation in nineteen eighty three, it
was Michael Jackson. His Motown twenty five performance is where
he famously debuted the Moonwalk on TV. It instantly became
a phenomenon and turned him into a cross generational sensation,
(35:31):
sending fans scrambling to copy the move. The Thriller album
that he'd released in nineteen eighty two continued its unstoppable
run through nineteen eighty three, turning every Michael Jackson appearance
into must see TV and every small eccentricity into tabloid fodder.
(35:53):
People watched him the way they watch comments that are beautiful,
a little mystifying, and in possible to ignore. Princess Diana's
existence was already kind of a global soap opera by
nineteen eighty three. The newly minted Princess of Wales had
the world's attention for everything from fashion choices to childhood charities,
(36:18):
and the tabloids were relentless and harsh. Even when she
tried to keep parts of her life private. The press
found a way in palace. Staff later admitted that Princess
Diana did a lot of times want to know what
was being said about her in magazines, newspapers, and gossip rags.
(36:43):
The royal couple's tours, which included a high profile nineteen
eighty three tour, were major field days for the media.
Lady Die was welcomed by crowds, sometimes a magnet for
protest gossip and endless coverage that would intensify through the decade.
(37:05):
What I'm about to share with you reads like the
worst kind of industry horror story. We touched on it
a little in nineteen eighty two's episode If You missed It.
The deadly Twilight Zone movie accident on July twenty third,
nineteen eighty two, killed actor Vic Morrow and two child
(37:27):
actors during a pyrotechnic's heavy helicopter shoot. That tragedy still
echoed through nineteen eighty three as investigations, lawsuits, and stunned
industry chatter started to spread. The incident didn't just cast
a shadow on other stories by taking over the headlines.
(37:50):
It forced Hollywood to confront on set safety, child labor rules,
and who was responsible when trying to do something wild
to attract attention or for shock went too far for
gossip pages. It was grim because it was a different
kind of scandal, not one about a hot celebrity fleeing,
(38:14):
but one about the costs of chasing excitement. The tabloids
loved any famous coupling, and the brief, intense marriage of
Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon, who married in nineteen eighty
three and would divorce the next year, was exactly the
kind of romantic headline that sold papers. Their relationship was messy,
(38:40):
public and later described by both parties as ill timed.
It fed songs, interviews, and the kind of gossip that
turns into creative inspiration. Paul Simon later referred to this
period of his life as quote mistakes on top of mistakes.
(39:01):
It made for juicy copy because both were big names
and complicated people from very different worlds, one being a
rock slash pop star and the other a blockbuster film actress.
Some celebrity drama in nineteen eighty two to eighty three
blurred the lines between industry and showbiz. John Delorean's arrest
(39:27):
in an undercover steam tied to alleged cocaine trafficking was
less a Hollywood tabloid story and more a soap opera
about money, ambition, and tendencies for being wrong and screwing up.
But it played in the celebrity pages because John Dolorian
had the charm and the car, the DMC twelve that
(39:51):
looked like it should have been in a movie. The
case stayed in the headlines into the next year until
his later acquittal. Either way, it fed the era's appetite
for big personalities who failed miserably. A few celebrities of
nineteen eighty three were gossip magnets simply because they were everywhere.
(40:16):
As we know. Eddie Murphy exploded into movie stardom with
trading places, and suddenly the SNL star's offscreen life like dates, parties,
and rumored feuds became as interesting as his on screen swagger.
Joan Collins' Dynasty Glamour was still a weekly fashioned headline
(40:38):
and a tabloid favorite. Madonna's debut was the beginning of
her creating music and playing with her image. Her sexuality
and brashness made entertainment writers itch with curiosity and moralizers
extremely unhappy and offended, such a perfect cocktail for ongoing gossip.
(41:02):
These were not legal scandals so much as relentless public scrutiny.
How they dressed, who they dated, and what they said
became part of the story. If there's a connective tissue
to all of this, it's simple. Nineteen eighty three was
when the press and the public began to see that
(41:23):
celebrity was clickbait gold paparazzi culture was growing, Gossip magazines
were booming, and the idea that personal turmoil could be
monetized by photographers, papers, and TV was hardly controversial anymore.
That meant even small incidents could blow up into overnight controversy.
(41:48):
The era created an appetite. Readers wanted intimate detail, and
editorial pages were all too willing to supply it. Dynamic
framed how stars behaved. Sometimes they would perform for the press,
other times they'd prefer to hide from them. Nineteen eighty
(42:13):
three didn't whisper when it came to fashion. It shouted, strutted,
and sparkled. Clothing was not just fabric, it was identity,
rebellion and a billboard for culture. Between the Catwalk, MTV
and everyday closets, style became a global conversation. Sure, MTV
(42:52):
was changing music but it was also changing wardrobes. Suddenly,
millions of kids wanted to copy the style of the
music stars. Madonna's layered lace, fishnet gloves, crucifix jewelry, and
messy curls made her the high priestess of street style.
(43:12):
Cindy Laupers clash of neon tutus and dyed hair said
fashion could be fun, chaotic, and unapologetic. Michael Jackson's red
leather jacket from Thriller and his glittering single glove were
just costumes at first, but they became pop culture artifacts,
(43:34):
instantly imitated by teenagers and mauls everywhere in offices all over.
Style tilted toward the sharp edges of ambition. Women were
steadily stepping into corporate roles in higher numbers, and their
wardrobes reflected it. With yes, the broad shoulder pads, steel
(43:57):
double breasted jackets, and sent waists. The power suit became
a uniform of both defiance and professionalism. Meanwhile, men were
not left behind. Armani was making it known that sleek
masculinity with softer, unstructured suits carried just enough swagger to
(44:21):
move between the boardroom and the nightclub. Hollywood's glow made wardrobes.
Aspirational Dynasty in Dallas gave the world a taste of
money chic with sequins, big hair, and gowns that dripped
in status. On the other end, Flash Dance was redefining
(44:42):
casual wear, and suddenly leg warmers and off the shoulder
sweatshirts weren't jim clothes, they were fashion statements. It was
a year where you might wear a pinstriped suit Monday
through Friday, then rock a cut up sweatshirt to the
clo on Saturday. The sidewalks were just as stylish as
(45:05):
the catwalks. Breakdancers and hip hop crews in New York
were pioneering looks that would later dominate street wear. There
were Adidas track suits, cagle hats, oversized gold chains, and
pristine sneakers. Meanwhile, punks held on to their spikes, leather jackets,
(45:27):
and diy ethic, clashing with the bright color explosion of
New Wave kids who wore neon, geometric prints and asymmetrical cuts.
Subcultures were badges of inclusion. Hair in nineteen eighty three
had one rule, the higher the better. Hair spray was
(45:49):
practically a necessity. Women teased and sprayed their hair into
sky high styles, often paired with streaks of daring color.
Experimented too with mullets. Oh yeah, mullets were at their peak,
from rock stars to regular guys. Makeup leaned bold, Remember
(46:11):
the electric blue eyeshadow, heavy blush, and glossy lips, often
paired with earrings that could double as wind chimes. Subtlety
was dead. Fashion houses rode the wave. Gianni Versacei was
pushing bold colors, wild prints, and sexy cuts that felt
(46:33):
rebellious against conservative tailoring. Calvin Klein was the definition of
minimal logo driven cool, especially in denim and underwear campaigns.
Ralph Lauren was serving up aspirational Americana with polos and prep.
(46:53):
It gave a softer contrast to the louder styles taking
over the clubs and television. Designer labels were not hidden.
They were status symbols that were flashed proudly, likely somewhere
on your clothes for all to see. For the average person.
Nineteen eighty three, fashion mint options malls were popping and profitable.
(47:19):
Fast fashion cycles sped up and clothes became more accessible.
Teenagers were experimenting with layering and mixing Athletic wear with
second hand fines. Parents clung to some seventies leftovers think
brown polyester, while kids would tear it apart for punk
(47:41):
or new wave reinvention. The generational divide showed up in
closets as much as it did at the dinner table.
Fashion was definitely loud in nineteen eighty three, but toys
were possibly even louder. They were bright, sometimes annoying for parents,
(48:04):
and designed to keep kids glued to Saturday Morning cartoons.
Because the commercials were too enticing for kids to ignore,
Kids everywhere were like, Oh, I need that and I
want that too. At the same time, video games were
hitting their first identity crisis, leaving toy isles and arcades
(48:27):
in chaos. First up, the undisputed King of the Toy Box,
he Man and the Masters of the Universe. These weren't
just action figures, oh no, These were tiny steroid sculptures,
(48:51):
each one standing about five point five inches tall and
ripped to shreds. He Man, Tela and Man at Arms
were the good guys, but let's be real. Skeletor stole
the show. His crew of weirdos included Beastman Trapjaw, who
(49:12):
had a robo arm, and interchangeable jaws and Merman who
looked like somebody's science project gone horribly wrong. And then
there was Castle Grayskull. If you didn't have it, you
were definitely jealous of the kid who did it. Was
a fold out fortress with a dungeon weaponrack and a
(49:35):
jawbridge that clacked open like the gates of destiny. And
don't forget the cartoon Mattel basically hacked childhood by cranking
out sixty five episodes in one season, all just to
sell these toys. And admit it, you still remember the
chant I have the power probably screamed from the top
(49:59):
of your bunk, and your underwear pets everywhere were traumatized.
Next up, Gi Joe, a real American hero. Forget those
stiff old twelve inch dolls. By nineteen eighty three, the
Joe's had shrunk to a handy three point seventy five
inches and they could bend and weighs your own knees
(50:21):
never could. Duke Scarlet and the Silent Ninja Snake Eyes
battled Cobra Commander the Baroness and Destro, the shiny head
villain who looked like he'd lost a bet at a
Chrome Shop and the vehicles. These weren't just toys, they
were engineering marvels. The Mobat tank, the sky Striker jet,
(50:47):
basically hot wheels. If hot Wheels came armed to the
teeth and who can forget the PSAs quote knowing as
half the battle, Yeah right, The other half was begging
your mom for just one more figure at Kmart and
then Star Wars, Kenner was still riding high off Return
(51:11):
of the Jedi. If a character just blinked for three
seconds on the screen, it had a figure. On the shelves.
There was the Ewalk Village, which is a giant tree
house play set, Jaba's throne room with a working trap
door that usually fed figures straight to the family dog.
(51:33):
And the Speeder Bike, which exploded into pieces at the
push of a button. Oh come on, you know you
pushed it a thousand times. Today, mint condition ewalks are
worth thousands. Back then they were just one more thing
your parents stepped on in the carpet. Now, if action
(51:55):
figures were not your jam, maybe you were on the
softer side of things. Enter the Cabbage Patch Kids, designed
by Xavier Roberts. They didn't come in a box, You
adopted them complete with a certificate that basically turned playtime
into illegal proceeding. By Christmas of eighty three, parents were
(52:19):
straight up brawling in toy ales for these dolls. News
cameras called middle aged moms tackling strangers. Retail turned into
the Hunger Games. The price tag around twenty five to
thirty dollars retail, but scalpers were reselling them for three
(52:40):
times that. Welcome to the first ever toy apocalypse. Black
Friday Chaos has these yarn haired babies to think. If
you wanted something cuddlier, you had the care bears, pastel
plushies with tummy cymbals like bows, suns, rain clouds that
(53:03):
taught us the world's biggest problems could be solved with
a hug. Sweet right until you realized they doubled his
weapons and pillow fights. And then there was Strawberry Shortcake.
These dolls smelled on purpose. Strawberry smelled like strawberries, Lemon
(53:25):
meringue smelled like lemons. You get it. But here's the thing.
Making toys smell edible meant every kid tried licking one,
and don't lie, you did too. Now let's move on
to the great divide of childhood hot wheels versus matchbox
(53:46):
hot wheels were bright, wild and defied physics on their
orange tracks. They launched through loops, across ramps, and directly
into your dog's water bowl. Matchbox cars, on the other hand,
were realistic like your dad's station wagon and miniature form
families were seriously torn apart over this divide. Were you
(54:11):
a thrill seeker or a suburban realist. Meanwhile, in Japan,
something incredible was brewing. Pre Transformers. Toys from the Microman
and Diaclone lines were already turning into trucks, planes, and
yes guns. Has Bros spotted them, slapped new names on them,
(54:35):
and by nineteen eighty four, Optimus Prime and Megatron were
household names. Somewhere in Tokyo, a kid was snapping off
Megatron's arm while an American exec whispered, We're gonna be rich.
Now here's where things get interesting. The Atari twenty six
(54:56):
hundred was still king at the start of eighty three.
A joystick and a single red button. That's all you
needed for Pitfall or asteroids. But then came et the
infamous game rushed out in five weeks. It was so bad,
(55:17):
so broken, that millions of unsold copies literally ended up
in a New Mexico landfill, and with that, the video
game Crash of eighty three was born. Parents cheered, kids
were forced back outside to play, and for a brief moment,
bicycles outsold joysticks, very very brief, because meanwhile, in Japan,
(55:43):
Nintendo was quietly plotting a comeback. The Family Computer, better
known as the Famicom, launched in July of eighty three.
It was sleek, powerful, and came with Donkey Kong and
Mario Brothers. To years later, it hit the US as
the NES and completely rescued gaming as we know it.
(56:08):
And oh yeah, Sega tried to. The SG one thousand
launched the exact same day as the Famicom. The problem
was Nintendo just steamrolled them. Think of it like Pepsi
launching the same day Coke invented world domination. And for
(56:28):
families who didn't have a console or whose parents didn't
trust those violent video games, there were always board games.
Trivial Pursuit hit big in nineteen eighty three. It started
in Canada, spread like wildfire, and within a couple of years,
(56:49):
twenty million copies were sold. Families everywhere were testing who
had the most useless knowledge, and nothing caused a screaming
match faster than Dad insisting his technically correct answer counted.
And of course the classics were still there Monopoly Clue,
(57:10):
sorry Uno. By this point, these weren't just games. They
were endurance tests, and they usually ended with someone storming
off a flipped board or an unspoken family grudge that
lasted for years. So there you have it, the toy
and game isles of nineteen eighty three. Muscle bound heroes,
(57:34):
plush therapy bears, dolls that started riots, cars that divided families,
robots in disguise, video games that crashed and burned, and
board games that destroyed family unity. All right, let's see
what technology had in store for us in nineteen eighty three.
(58:01):
This was the year of brick phones, computers fighting for
space on your kitchen desk, the very first camcorder to
immortalize bad dance moves, and oh yeah, the Internet technically
started existing, though nobody cared. Let's take a tour. First, up,
(58:22):
the Motorola Dine Attack eight thousand X, the world's first
commercially available cell phone. Picture. This a giant plastic brick,
ten inches of antenna sticking out of the top, weighing
about two and a half pounds. The battery gave you
maybe thirty minutes of talk time before it weezed out,
(58:45):
and then it needed ten hours to recharge. The price
a very casual three thousand, nine hundred and ninety five dollars.
That's eleven thousand dollars today. But if you were a
wall streep eat shark and eighty three, you wanted to
be seen screaming into this thing on the beach. The
(59:07):
calls were not important. The flex was. It was a
status symbol, a neon sign that said I have money
and pour upper body strength from lugging this thing around. Now,
let's talk about the battle for your home desk space.
Apple launched the Lisa computer in nineteen eighty three, one
(59:30):
of the first with a graphical user interface. You could
actually point, click, and drag with a mouse instead of
memorizing arcane commands. Revolutionary the problem The Lisa cost ten
thousand dollars, so you know, not exactly flying off the shelves. Meanwhile,
(59:53):
Commodore sixty four was the computer your neighbor's kid had
with colorful graphics, and so it turned bedrooms into arcades
and classrooms into coding lessons. Affordable at about five hundred
ninety five dollars, it became the people's computer. Millions sold
(01:00:15):
mostly to kids who swore they were learning basic, but
we're definitely just playing pac Man. And then IBM dropped
its pc XT All business, all beige, all serious. If
the Commodore was fun, the IBM was spreadsheets, Apple was
(01:00:36):
dreaming about the future, IBM locked down the office, and Commodore.
Commodore just wanted you to have fun at home. Sony
gave us the beta movie BMC one hundred P, the
world's first consumer camcorder. Suddenly families could capture birthday parties,
(01:00:57):
Christmas mornings, or, let's be honest, dad's terrible karaoke attempts.
There was a catch, though, it only recorded in betamax,
a format that would lose the war to VHS, But
in nineteen eighty three it didn't matter. The camcorder meant
awkward home movies were officially born somewhere in a box
(01:01:22):
in someone's attic. A grainy nineteen eighty three recording still
exists of a breakdancing attempt that really should have stayed
forgotten by nineteen eighty three, the Sony Walkman. It was
a major shift in society. The WM ten model came out, tiny,
(01:01:42):
sleek and foldable. Teenagers everywhere suddenly had a way to
shut out their parents and the world. Joggers ran with
foam headphones bouncing on their heads, Students sulked to the police,
and every bus ride earned into a private concert. Parents
(01:02:03):
worried it was isolating, kids loved it because it was isolating.
And just like that, the soundtrack of the eighties became portable.
And finally, while you were busy adopting a cabbage patch kid,
something quietly revolutionary flickered on. On January first, nineteen eighty three,
(01:02:26):
the rpinnet aarp A n e T switched to a
new system called TCP slash ip. It's the backbone of
the modern Internet without it, no Instagram, no TikTok, no memes,
no cat videos, who noticed, nerds, scientists, a few government contractors.
(01:02:51):
That's about it. But this boring, invisible shift is the
reason you can now listen to podcasts about nineteen eighty
three while scrolling through your your phone. If you told
someone back then that this protocol change would one day
lead to their grandkids posting dance videos for strangers on
(01:03:11):
the Internet. They'd have laughed you right out of radio shack.
So that was tech in nineteen eighty three. From bricks
you could barely lift to Walkman's that changed how we
listen to the Internet, quietly being born in the background.
Some of it changed the world forever. Some of it
(01:03:33):
ended up in a landfill in New Mexico. Either way,
nineteen eighty three was a reminder that in tech you
never really know what's going to last and what's going
to be an embarrassing relic collecting dust in your attic.
So that was nineteen eighty three a year where TV
(01:03:55):
got smarter, movies went bigger, celebrities kept the tabloids busy,
and toys and tech gave us brand new ways to
be entertained, from the living room to the arcade to
the very first bricks of the digital world. Nineteen eighty
three was proof that the future was already sneaking in
(01:04:16):
while everyone was distracted by a talking car and a
batch of adopted dolls. That's it for today's trip through
the pop culture diary. Thanks for tuning in and taking
a trip back in time for a hit of Nostalgia
with me. Don't forget to follow the podcast wherever you
(01:04:36):
get your shows, rate review, and keep an eye out
for the podcast on social media over on Instagram at
the pop Culture Diary Podcast, Twitter at pop cult Diary Pod,
Tumblr at the pop Culture Diary podcast, and the Facebook
(01:04:57):
page the pop Culture Diary for more pop culture fun,
extras and behind the scenes madness. Until next time, everyone,
take care of yourselves and I'll see you in the
next episode.
Welcome to the pop Culture Diary. This is your go
to spot for trends, gossip, and throwbacks. I'm your host page,
and each week we're flipping through the pages of pop
culture history. We'll talk about everything from neon soaked eighties
nights to the wild early days of the two thousands
(00:23):
and beyond. You can expect the fashions, the music, the movies,
the biggest news headlines, the scandals, and basically everything that
had us talking, laughing, and obsessing. So grab some snacks,
get cozy and luxury wine the pages of time. Hey,
(00:49):
dear diary friends, our first stop the front page. Nineteen
eighty three was a year when the world could not
sit still. Cold War tension, space streams, invasions and heartbreak.
Let's flip open the new section of our diary and
see what made the headlines all right, buckle up. Nineteen
(01:16):
eighty three wasn't just living in the Cold War, it
was thriving in it. The year started with Ronald Reagan
announcing his Strategic Defense initiative, quickly nicknamed star Wars. The
idea a futuristic space laser missile shield to protect America
(01:37):
from Soviet nukes. The press loved it, Scientists weren't so sure,
and comedians everywhere thanked Reagan for the free material. Speaking
of Cold war tension, if you wanted to sleep easy
in nineteen eighty three, too bad. On September one, nineteen
(01:59):
eighty three, three Flight Double O seven, a Korean Airlines
BOWING seven forty seven, was flying from New York to
Anchorage to Seoul. It accidentally deviated from its flight path
and entered Soviet airspace near Sakolene Island, and the Soviets
shot down the Korean Airlines Flight Double O seven and
(02:24):
nearly triggered an actual nuclear crisis. The Soviets scrambled fighter jets,
and after some warnings that were allegedly not noticed by
KAL Double O seven's crew, they launched missiles. The plane
was destroyed and all two hundred sixty nine people aboard
(02:46):
were killed. The incident significantly escalated Cold War tensions. The
US government called it a deliberate act, the Soviet side
claimed navigational error, and a alledged it might have been
a spyplane. It became a media and diplomatic flashpoint over
(03:08):
in living rooms, movies like Wargames and the TV film
The Day after leaned hard into nuclear anxiety because nothing
says fun family movie night like imagining the apocalypse in Kansas.
Not everything was doom and gloom. Though Sally Ride was
(03:31):
part of the nineteen seventy eight Astronaut Group, the first
group NASA accepted that included women. Before that, astronaut qualifications
excluded women in certain roles. On June eighteenth, nineteen eighty three,
Sally Ride launched aboard Space Shuttle Challenger STS seven and
(03:54):
became the first American woman to fly in space. She
was a mission spacest helping deploy commercial communications satellites for
Canada and Indonesia and using the shuttle's robotic arm to
retrieve a satellite. Suddenly, astronaut wasn't just a boys club anymore,
(04:16):
and little girls everywhere finally had a hero and a
NASA jumpsuit. The year was an all inspirational either tragedy struck.
On October twenty third, nineteen eighty three, a massive suicide
truck bombing targeted US Marine barracks in Beirut Romlin El
(04:39):
Beta as a part of a multinational peacekeeping force in
Lebanon during its Civil War two hundred and forty one
US servicemen were killed in that blast, making it this
single deadliest day for US marines since World War II. Also,
(05:00):
a simultaneous attack on French barracks killed fifty eight soldiers.
These moments were very shocking one that showed just how
unstable the world stage really was, and if you thought
things were quiet closer to home, no, In October, the
(05:22):
US launched an invasion of Granada to restore order. Depending
on which country's newspaper you were reading, it was either
a bold act of heroism or a clumsy overreach. Meanwhile,
the celebrity meets politics pipeline was alive and well. Jane
(05:43):
Fonda kept making headlines for her activism, much to the
dismay of conservatives. Harry Bellefonte and other stars also stepped
into politics, proving once again that in the eighties, being
an entertainer didn't mean staying in your lane. Nineteen eighty
(06:04):
three was the kind of year where the world felt
like it was one bad decision away from disaster, but
at least America had lasers, astronauts, and Hollywood stars trying
to save the day. In nineteen eighty three, there were
new shows, bold characters, and battle royale time slots. The
(06:28):
tubes were alive, and so were viewers remotes. Picture this.
(06:54):
It's nineteen eighty three, and the glow of the TV
isn't just background noise anymore. TV shows were a clear
the calendar type of event. Families are sitting around the
TV set, tuning in to shows that will become household
names and saying goodbye to a few longtime favorites. Let's
(07:17):
start with the big goodbye. On February the twenty eighth,
nineteen eighty three, more than one hundred million people watched
the final episode of Mash That made it the most
watched TV broadcast in American history at that time. Think
about that half the country all glued to the same farewell.
(07:43):
When Hawkeye said goodbye, so did we. But thankfully television
wasn't just closing doors, It was throwing open new ones too.
NBC had this quirky little sitcom called Cheers with an
all star cast. Some of the stars included Ted Danson
(08:05):
as Sam Malone, Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, George Went
as Norm Peterson, Woody Harrelson as Woody boyd Rhea Pearlman
as Carla Tortelli, John Ratzenberger as Cliff Calvin, Kirsty Ally
as Rebecca Howe, B. B. Newarth as Lily Sterning, Kelsey
(08:29):
Grammer as Fraser Crane, and many others who would become
some of the biggest household names. Cheers actually premiered in
late eighty two, but in eighty three it started to
gain traction. The show was set in a Boston bar
where everybody knows your name, but it didn't explode right
(08:51):
away in the ratings department. In fact, it almost got canceled,
but critics loved it, and by the time the Emmys
rolled around, Cheers was walking away with four trophies. Sometimes
the underdog gets the last laugh, and then on the
(09:11):
other end of the spectrum, you had pure adrenaline fueled
chaos with the A Team, a band of renegade Vietnam vets,
blowing stuff up, helping the helpless, and making mister t
into a full blown pop culture icon. Today he's ninety
(09:32):
one years old and we're still catching ourselves saying I
pity the fool, which actually originated from his role in
Rocky three in nineteen eighty two, but it stuck around
and became one of the most famous lines of all
time that he would say in different roles and commercials
(09:52):
as well. But back to the show, The A team
was perfect if you wanted explosions, catch phrases, and a
van so recognizable it was practically a character itself. It
was a weekly must watch. As far as the actors
in this TV show, and apologies for any mispronunciation of names,
(10:17):
you had Dwight Schultz, George pepperd Dirk Benedict, Mister t
Melinda Cahalia, John Ashley, Marla Heasley, Tanya Baker, Robert Vaughan,
Hunt Stockwell, Eddie Vales, Tim Dunnaghan, Lance Lagault, Bill Dyer,
(10:38):
Jack Ging, Carl Franklin, Sergio Calderone, Jack Krushian, William Lucking
and many more. Television in nineteen eighty three was almost rebellious.
Gone were the days when a sitcom or drama would
coast on one note for formulas. Audiences were demanding more,
(11:04):
more grit, more flash, more bite. The networks, well, they
were scrambling to keep up. Take Night Rider. This was
not just another action show. David Hasselhoff may have been
the star on the Posters, but let's be honest, the
(11:24):
real celebrity was a black Pontiac trans am named Kit.
This wasn't just any car. Kit was bulletproof, could turbo
boost over any obstacle in its way, and had a
sassy AI voice provided by William Daniels. Do you remember
(11:44):
who that is? He is the William Daniels who would
later teach Corey Matthews' life lessons as Mister Feenie and
Boy Meets World. Okay, back tonight Rider. This show was
a may techno fantasy that cruised its way into prime time,
Mingling the sleek style of futuristic escapism and leather jacket cool.
(12:11):
It was proof that the nineteen eighties obsession with technology
wasn't just happening in Silicon Valley. It was hitting the
living room TV set. And then there was Saint Elsewhere.
If Nightrider was shiny and futuristic, Saint Elsewhere was its messy,
real world equalizer. Set in the fictional Saint Eligius Hospital
(12:37):
in Boston, it gave viewers a chance to see doctors
who were not miracle workers, but flawed, exhausted human beings
trying to do their best in a crumbling hospital. There
were no easy resolutions, no perfect heroes. The show was
just raw sometimes dismal, and often presented darkly funny medical
(13:03):
stories that felt uncomfortably close to real life. The cast
was stacked a young Denzel Washington before movie stardom, Howie
Mandel before the game show suits, David Morse ed Begley Junior,
and guess who else William Daniels. He was pulling double
(13:26):
duty that year with Night Rider and this show Saint
Elsewhere was gritty, experimental and not afraid to break the rules,
and little did people at home know it would eventually
end with one of the most shocking and still debated
finales in television history. Maybe the most telling show of
(13:50):
the moment was Family Ties. Imagine two ex hippie parents
raising a Reagan worshiping son in the middle of suburb
in Ohio. That's the premise on paper. Stephen and ELISEE. Keaton,
the peace and love liberals, should have been the main draw,
(14:11):
but the real scenestealer was their son, Alex P. Keaton,
played by Michael J. Fox. With his quick wit, sharp tongue,
and unapologetic love for money and Ronald Reagan. Alex became
the voice of a new generation, a generation that wasn't
interested in peace signs and protest songs. But in Wall
(14:35):
Street and Personal Success, the character was supposed to be secondary. Instead,
Michael J. Fox's charm launched him right into stardom, turning
Family Ties into must sy TV and Michael J. Fox
into an Emmy winning megastar. Back in the eighties, television
(14:57):
was where America could escape with talking cars, confront harsh
realities and hospitals, or laugh nervously as families argued about
politics over dinner. In nineteen eighty three, television was starting
to look a lot more like the real world. At times,
it would also look like a version of the world
(15:20):
we wished we lived in. If the small screen was
experimenting in nineteen eighty three, the big screen was doubling
down on size spectacle and sequels were booming. This was
the year when Hollywood realized it could turn movies into
(15:41):
franchises and franchises into money printing machines. Storytelling was still there, sure,
but box office influence and energy was about recognizable characters,
big special effects, and really the intensity of suspense or
curiosity that made people line up around the block and
(16:05):
even make new friends over shared interests. Going to the
movie theater in General was like its own kind of party.
(16:28):
Let's start with the obvious overwhelming force of Return of
the Jedi. By the time it hit theaters in May
of eighty three, people have been waiting three years to
see how George Lucas's Space saga would end. Would Luke
face down Darth Vader, would Hans Solo survive his carbonite
(16:49):
deep freeze? Would Princess Leah ever get to wear pants again?
The film gave what fans wanted, an epic finale with lightsabers,
space battles, and yes ewoks love them or hate them.
Those furry little rebel warriors helped the movie raak in
(17:10):
nearly half a billion dollars worldwide. The merchandising machine exploded two.
There were action figures, lunchboxes, bed sheets, you name it.
Return of the Jedi was not just a movie. It
was a huge, celebratory gathering of fans that proved sequels
(17:33):
could dominate just as much as originals. Speaking of sequels,
nineteen eighty three also brought us Superman three. Now, if
Return of the Jedi was the gold standard for sequels,
Superman three was Let's save an experimentation. Christopher Reeve was
(17:56):
still a beloved Man of Steel, but the style swayed
pretty hard into slapstick thanks to the addition of Richard
Pryor as a computer programmer sidekick. Those who watched were
a little bewildered. Was this a superhero legendary saga or
(18:16):
a comedy sketch. The result was a film that's remembered
more for its weirdness and Richard Pryor's charm than for
keeping Superman's momentum alive. Still, it was a sign of
Hollywood trying to juggle tone, performance and star power in
new ways. But the sequels didn't stop there. The thirteenth
(18:42):
James Bond film, Octopussy, arrived with Roger Moore still in
the tucks. Roger Moore was in his mid fifties by then,
and some critics were raising eyebrows at his age, but
the movie leaned into camp and globe trot extravaganza. You
(19:02):
had circuses, faberget eggs, and nuclear plots. It was something
that allowed you to escape the real world for a while.
And here's the kicker. Nineteen eighty three wasn't just the
year of one Bond movie. Sean Connery returned as Double
O seven and never say Never Again, a non official
(19:25):
bond flick produced outside the usual studio system, so for
a brief moment, audiences had dueling bonds, two tuxedos, two martinis,
Shaken not stirred. Okay, So beyond sequels, nineteen eighty three
gave us a few surprise hits that proved originality was
(19:48):
not dead. Flash Dance came out of nowhere with its
bold and ballsy Pittsburgh setting. If you haven't seen it,
it's a classic must see. Imagine steel mill workers by day,
Dancers by night vibe, and that iconic soundtrack with the
(20:08):
songs what a Feeling and Maniac practically influenced the whole
year in music videos. It made Jennifer Bills a star
even though her dancing was often done by doubles, and
turned legwarmers into a fashion statement. Comedy also ruled. In
(20:29):
nineteen eighty three, Chevy Chase secured his status as the
King of bumbling Dads with National Lampoon's Vacation. This movie
is a road trip disaster comedy that felt both painfully
relatable and outrageously ridiculous. Directed by Harold Ramis and written
(20:51):
by John Hughes, it was the start of a franchise
that would follow the Griswolds for decades. Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy,
who was already blowing up from Saturday Night Live, took
his star power to the next level with Trading Places.
Pairing him with Dan Ackroyd in a comedy about Wall
(21:13):
Street scheming and class swaps. Eddie Murphy proved he could
command the big screen just as easily as he had
Late night TV. He also came out with his comedy
stand up special Delirious that year. Drama was not forgotten either.
Terms of Endearment had audiences ugly crying in theaters with
(21:37):
its story of a mother and daughter trying to find
their way through love, loss, and heartbreak. It swept the Oscars,
winning Best Picture, Best Actress for Shirley Maclain, and Best
Director for James L. Brooks. The way Terms of Endearment
(21:57):
was so emotional balanced out the year of over the
top performances and special effects. So what was nineteen eighty
three at the movies? It was the perfect storm of
sequels that were basically full blown events, outlandish surprises, and
emotional heavy hitters. It showed that Hollywood could be big
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and loud, but also touching and heartbreaking when it wanted to,
and more than anything, it proved that cinema in the
eighties was not just about entertainment. It was about creating
experiences that audiences couldn't get anywhere else. If nineteen eighty
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one and nineteen eighty two laid the groundwork, nineteen eighty
three was the year music planted a flag with glitter
all over it and said this is the eighties. Deal
with it. Pop, rock, R and B and new wave
for all fighting for dominance, and instead of canceling each
(23:03):
other out, they fueled one another. Let's start with the
elephant in the room with the sequined glove. Michael Jackson
Thriller had technically dropped at the end of nineteen eighty two,
(23:27):
but nineteen eighty three was the year it swallowed the
world whole. The Thriller album gave us hit after hit
with songs like Billy Jean Beat It and of course
the title track with that fourteen minute mini horror movie
of a music video in TV played Thriller on repeat.
(23:49):
Michael Jackson performed the Moonwalk on Motown's twenty fifth anniversary special,
and suddenly every kid in America was trying to glide
backwards across their kitchen floor. Michael Jackson wasn't just the
biggest star of nineteen eighty three. He was really the
blueprint for what a pop star could be. Michael Jackson
(24:13):
wasn't the only one out there changing the game. Madonna
dropped her self titled debut album this year. While it
didn't explode quite as fast as Thriller, it planted the
seeds of her soon to be global takeover. With songs
like Holiday and Borderline, her mix of dance, pop and
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provocative styles started making waves in clubs and on MTV.
Madonna wasn't just singing, She was creating her image and
how she wanted to portray not only herself but her art,
and people everywhere were definitely paying attention. On the rock side,
(24:55):
the police were riding high. With Every Breath You Take,
a song often mistaken for a love ballad, but actually
it's a stalker tune that's kind of hidden in a
misleading romantic number. It became the year's biggest hit single
and turned Sting into a sullen, pensive rock poet sex symbol. Meanwhile,
(25:19):
David Bowie reinvented himself yet again with What's dance between
the title track and China Girl. David Bowie went from
avant garde art rocker to mainstream MTV darling seemingly overnight,
thanks to collaborations with Niall Rogers and a young Stevie
(25:41):
ray Vaughn. Prince was also soaring high, teasing what would
become his Purple Rain era with the nineteen eighty three
release of his album nineteen ninety nine. The singles still
completely take over the radio and dance floors to this day.
His mix of funk, rock and sexuality was something MTV
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couldn't ignore, no matter how much it tried to downplay
black artists early on. By the end of the year,
Prince wasn't just a rising star. He was a cultural force.
No exaggeration. He was the catalyst for change, and he
made an impact globally in many ways beyond his music.
(26:31):
Now let's talk about the gossip in the music industry.
Diana Ross made headlines not just for her music but
for her diva conduct. For example, she would storm out
of events, feud with Motown, and at one infamous Central
Park concert, she performed in a thunderstorm that left thousands
(26:56):
soaked before the show had to be called off only
seemed to prove her reputation was both unstoppable and unpredictable.
Then there was David Lee Roth of Van Halen. His
antics off the stage with groupies and hotel rooms were
the stuff of rock lore. The band's hit album nineteen
(27:19):
eighty four was just around the corner, but in nineteen
eighty three, their parties were already so notorious that hotels
allegedly banned them in advance. Elsewhere, Culture Club with Boy
George were shaking up gender norms on MTV with Karma
(27:39):
Chameleon and Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? Boy
George's androgynous look fascinated all the tabloids. Some celebrated it,
others mocked it, but no one ignored it. He was
bringing conversations about sexuality and identity into mainstream living rooms,
(28:02):
even if he didn't always get the credit for it.
And let's not forget the softer side. Lionel Richie crooning
all night long had everybody swaying, while Billy Joel's Uptown
Girl was an ode to Christy Brinkley, who he would
later marry. They were the embodiment of couples who seemed
(28:25):
to be a force to be reckoned with music in
eighty three wasn't just sound. It was a pure spectacle,
had a lot of personality, and sometimes it was really scandalous.
From Michael moonwalking into superstardom, to Madonna staking her claim
as pop's next provocateur, to Bowie Prince and Boy George,
(28:49):
all making the world reimagine what an artist could look
and sound like. The year was a kaleidoscope of rebirth.
The charts were booming, the gossip columns were buzzing, and
what used to be the norm was shifting one neon
beat at a time. Of the Billboard year end Hot
(29:12):
one hundred singles of nineteen eighty three, these are the
top ten, coming in at number one. Every Breath You
Take by the Police, the ultimate stalker ballad disguised as
a wedding song played at one thousand first dances by
people who never actually listened to the lyrics. Number two
(29:37):
Billy Jean by Michael Jackson, the song that turned sidewalks
into imaginary light up tiles. It also gave us the
single most iconic live TV moonwalk in history, coming in
at number three. Flash Dance What a Feeling by Irene kara,
(30:00):
part empowerment anthem, part aerobic workout jam. Nobody could hear
this and not want to leap into the air in
their leg warmers. Number four down Under by Minute Work,
a flute riff, vegemite sandwiches, and a chorus that made
Australia sound like a magical, slightly dangerous wonderland. Number five
(30:26):
Michael Jackson comes in again with Beat It. Eddie van
Halen's guitar solo melted faces, while Jackson reminded everyone that
sometimes the toughest thing you can do is run away.
Coming in at number six, Total Eclipse of the Heart
(30:46):
by Bonnie Tyler, melodramatic, over the top gothic romance vibes
basically a soap opera and song form cue the dramatic
wind Machine. Number seven man Eater by Daryl Hall and
John Oates, proof that the eighties could make paranoia about
(31:08):
women sound downright funky. Number eight Baby Come to Me
by Patti Austin and James Ingram, a silky duet that
got a second life thanks to general hospital soap operas
launching careers since forever. Number nine Maniac by Michael Simbello,
(31:34):
another flash dance anthem. If you weren't kicking invisible walls
in your living room when this played, were you even alive?
In nineteen eighty three, coming in at number ten. Sweet
Dreams Are Made of This by the Eurythmics. Annie Lennox's
voice plus synths equal ic perfection, also the soundtrack to
(32:00):
about a million slow motion montages in People's minds. Now,
let's get into the Billboard year end Top ten albums
of nineteen eighty three. Number one, Michael Jackson's Thriller not
just the album of the year, the album of the decade,
(32:21):
maybe of all time. Zombies, Sequined Gloves and pop Perfection,
coming in at number two. The Police with synchronicity Sting's
broodiness set to sharp experimental rock, proof that a breakup
album can also make millions. Number three. The Flashdance soundtrack
(32:47):
one movie, two top ten singles, and a legacy of
gem inspired fashion choices, coming in at number four. Minute
Works Business as usual. Australia officially exports more than kangaroos
and crocodile Dundee. Number five David Bowie's Let's Dance. Nil
(33:11):
Rogers gave Bowie the dance makeover that No one knew
they needed Suddenly. David Bowie was cool at the club.
Number six Styx's album kil Roy was here, the concept
album that brought us mister Roboto, equal parts futuristic, theatrical
(33:33):
and weirdly catchy. Number seven Brian Adams Cuts like a
Knife Canadian rock ballads never cut so deep. This was
just a warm up for his true global takeover later
in the decade, coming in at number eight. ZZ Top
(33:54):
with Eliminator Beards, Hot Rods and MT be Ready videos
proof that blues rock could still hang in a neon world.
Number nine Journey with Frontiers, more Arena anthems for Lighters
in the Air, moments, Don't Stop Believing was still echoing,
(34:19):
and number ten Lionel Ritchie with his self titled album Smooth,
Soulful and absolutely Everywhere. Lionel was setting up for Hello
to haunt us all in nineteen eighty four. Nineteen eighty
three felt a little like Hollywood had mixtaped the tabloids
(34:42):
and the front page and then hit repeat. Big personalities,
bigger headlines, and scandals that either sparked outrage or sold
out arenas. Here are the stories that people were whispering
about in cocktail lounges, at copy machines, and at the
dinner table. If there was a single celebrity story that
(35:10):
completely took over casual conversation in nineteen eighty three, it
was Michael Jackson. His Motown twenty five performance is where
he famously debuted the Moonwalk on TV. It instantly became
a phenomenon and turned him into a cross generational sensation,
(35:31):
sending fans scrambling to copy the move. The Thriller album
that he'd released in nineteen eighty two continued its unstoppable
run through nineteen eighty three, turning every Michael Jackson appearance
into must see TV and every small eccentricity into tabloid fodder.
(35:53):
People watched him the way they watch comments that are beautiful,
a little mystifying, and in possible to ignore. Princess Diana's
existence was already kind of a global soap opera by
nineteen eighty three. The newly minted Princess of Wales had
the world's attention for everything from fashion choices to childhood charities,
(36:18):
and the tabloids were relentless and harsh. Even when she
tried to keep parts of her life private. The press
found a way in palace. Staff later admitted that Princess
Diana did a lot of times want to know what
was being said about her in magazines, newspapers, and gossip rags.
(36:43):
The royal couple's tours, which included a high profile nineteen
eighty three tour, were major field days for the media.
Lady Die was welcomed by crowds, sometimes a magnet for
protest gossip and endless coverage that would intensify through the decade.
(37:05):
What I'm about to share with you reads like the
worst kind of industry horror story. We touched on it
a little in nineteen eighty two's episode If You missed It.
The deadly Twilight Zone movie accident on July twenty third,
nineteen eighty two, killed actor Vic Morrow and two child
(37:27):
actors during a pyrotechnic's heavy helicopter shoot. That tragedy still
echoed through nineteen eighty three as investigations, lawsuits, and stunned
industry chatter started to spread. The incident didn't just cast
a shadow on other stories by taking over the headlines.
(37:50):
It forced Hollywood to confront on set safety, child labor rules,
and who was responsible when trying to do something wild
to attract attention or for shock went too far for
gossip pages. It was grim because it was a different
kind of scandal, not one about a hot celebrity fleeing,
(38:14):
but one about the costs of chasing excitement. The tabloids
loved any famous coupling, and the brief, intense marriage of
Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon, who married in nineteen eighty
three and would divorce the next year, was exactly the
kind of romantic headline that sold papers. Their relationship was messy,
(38:40):
public and later described by both parties as ill timed.
It fed songs, interviews, and the kind of gossip that
turns into creative inspiration. Paul Simon later referred to this
period of his life as quote mistakes on top of mistakes.
(39:01):
It made for juicy copy because both were big names
and complicated people from very different worlds, one being a
rock slash pop star and the other a blockbuster film actress.
Some celebrity drama in nineteen eighty two to eighty three
blurred the lines between industry and showbiz. John Delorean's arrest
(39:27):
in an undercover steam tied to alleged cocaine trafficking was
less a Hollywood tabloid story and more a soap opera
about money, ambition, and tendencies for being wrong and screwing up.
But it played in the celebrity pages because John Dolorian
had the charm and the car, the DMC twelve that
(39:51):
looked like it should have been in a movie. The
case stayed in the headlines into the next year until
his later acquittal. Either way, it fed the era's appetite
for big personalities who failed miserably. A few celebrities of
nineteen eighty three were gossip magnets simply because they were everywhere.
(40:16):
As we know. Eddie Murphy exploded into movie stardom with
trading places, and suddenly the SNL star's offscreen life like dates, parties,
and rumored feuds became as interesting as his on screen swagger.
Joan Collins' Dynasty Glamour was still a weekly fashioned headline
(40:38):
and a tabloid favorite. Madonna's debut was the beginning of
her creating music and playing with her image. Her sexuality
and brashness made entertainment writers itch with curiosity and moralizers
extremely unhappy and offended, such a perfect cocktail for ongoing gossip.
(41:02):
These were not legal scandals so much as relentless public scrutiny.
How they dressed, who they dated, and what they said
became part of the story. If there's a connective tissue
to all of this, it's simple. Nineteen eighty three was
when the press and the public began to see that
(41:23):
celebrity was clickbait gold paparazzi culture was growing, Gossip magazines
were booming, and the idea that personal turmoil could be
monetized by photographers, papers, and TV was hardly controversial anymore.
That meant even small incidents could blow up into overnight controversy.
(41:48):
The era created an appetite. Readers wanted intimate detail, and
editorial pages were all too willing to supply it. Dynamic
framed how stars behaved. Sometimes they would perform for the press,
other times they'd prefer to hide from them. Nineteen eighty
(42:13):
three didn't whisper when it came to fashion. It shouted, strutted,
and sparkled. Clothing was not just fabric, it was identity,
rebellion and a billboard for culture. Between the Catwalk, MTV
and everyday closets, style became a global conversation. Sure, MTV
(42:52):
was changing music but it was also changing wardrobes. Suddenly,
millions of kids wanted to copy the style of the
music stars. Madonna's layered lace, fishnet gloves, crucifix jewelry, and
messy curls made her the high priestess of street style.
(43:12):
Cindy Laupers clash of neon tutus and dyed hair said
fashion could be fun, chaotic, and unapologetic. Michael Jackson's red
leather jacket from Thriller and his glittering single glove were
just costumes at first, but they became pop culture artifacts,
(43:34):
instantly imitated by teenagers and mauls everywhere in offices all over.
Style tilted toward the sharp edges of ambition. Women were
steadily stepping into corporate roles in higher numbers, and their
wardrobes reflected it. With yes, the broad shoulder pads, steel
(43:57):
double breasted jackets, and sent waists. The power suit became
a uniform of both defiance and professionalism. Meanwhile, men were
not left behind. Armani was making it known that sleek
masculinity with softer, unstructured suits carried just enough swagger to
(44:21):
move between the boardroom and the nightclub. Hollywood's glow made wardrobes.
Aspirational Dynasty in Dallas gave the world a taste of
money chic with sequins, big hair, and gowns that dripped
in status. On the other end, Flash Dance was redefining
(44:42):
casual wear, and suddenly leg warmers and off the shoulder
sweatshirts weren't jim clothes, they were fashion statements. It was
a year where you might wear a pinstriped suit Monday
through Friday, then rock a cut up sweatshirt to the
clo on Saturday. The sidewalks were just as stylish as
(45:05):
the catwalks. Breakdancers and hip hop crews in New York
were pioneering looks that would later dominate street wear. There
were Adidas track suits, cagle hats, oversized gold chains, and
pristine sneakers. Meanwhile, punks held on to their spikes, leather jackets,
(45:27):
and diy ethic, clashing with the bright color explosion of
New Wave kids who wore neon, geometric prints and asymmetrical cuts.
Subcultures were badges of inclusion. Hair in nineteen eighty three
had one rule, the higher the better. Hair spray was
(45:49):
practically a necessity. Women teased and sprayed their hair into
sky high styles, often paired with streaks of daring color.
Experimented too with mullets. Oh yeah, mullets were at their peak,
from rock stars to regular guys. Makeup leaned bold, Remember
(46:11):
the electric blue eyeshadow, heavy blush, and glossy lips, often
paired with earrings that could double as wind chimes. Subtlety
was dead. Fashion houses rode the wave. Gianni Versacei was
pushing bold colors, wild prints, and sexy cuts that felt
(46:33):
rebellious against conservative tailoring. Calvin Klein was the definition of
minimal logo driven cool, especially in denim and underwear campaigns.
Ralph Lauren was serving up aspirational Americana with polos and prep.
(46:53):
It gave a softer contrast to the louder styles taking
over the clubs and television. Designer labels were not hidden.
They were status symbols that were flashed proudly, likely somewhere
on your clothes for all to see. For the average person.
Nineteen eighty three, fashion mint options malls were popping and profitable.
(47:19):
Fast fashion cycles sped up and clothes became more accessible.
Teenagers were experimenting with layering and mixing Athletic wear with
second hand fines. Parents clung to some seventies leftovers think
brown polyester, while kids would tear it apart for punk
(47:41):
or new wave reinvention. The generational divide showed up in
closets as much as it did at the dinner table.
Fashion was definitely loud in nineteen eighty three, but toys
were possibly even louder. They were bright, sometimes annoying for parents,
(48:04):
and designed to keep kids glued to Saturday Morning cartoons.
Because the commercials were too enticing for kids to ignore,
Kids everywhere were like, Oh, I need that and I
want that too. At the same time, video games were
hitting their first identity crisis, leaving toy isles and arcades
(48:27):
in chaos. First up, the undisputed King of the Toy Box,
he Man and the Masters of the Universe. These weren't
just action figures, oh no, These were tiny steroid sculptures,
(48:51):
each one standing about five point five inches tall and
ripped to shreds. He Man, Tela and Man at Arms
were the good guys, but let's be real. Skeletor stole
the show. His crew of weirdos included Beastman Trapjaw, who
(49:12):
had a robo arm, and interchangeable jaws and Merman who
looked like somebody's science project gone horribly wrong. And then
there was Castle Grayskull. If you didn't have it, you
were definitely jealous of the kid who did it. Was
a fold out fortress with a dungeon weaponrack and a
(49:35):
jawbridge that clacked open like the gates of destiny. And
don't forget the cartoon Mattel basically hacked childhood by cranking
out sixty five episodes in one season, all just to
sell these toys. And admit it, you still remember the
chant I have the power probably screamed from the top
(49:59):
of your bunk, and your underwear pets everywhere were traumatized.
Next up, Gi Joe, a real American hero. Forget those
stiff old twelve inch dolls. By nineteen eighty three, the
Joe's had shrunk to a handy three point seventy five
inches and they could bend and weighs your own knees
(50:21):
never could. Duke Scarlet and the Silent Ninja Snake Eyes
battled Cobra Commander the Baroness and Destro, the shiny head
villain who looked like he'd lost a bet at a
Chrome Shop and the vehicles. These weren't just toys, they
were engineering marvels. The Mobat tank, the sky Striker jet,
(50:47):
basically hot wheels. If hot Wheels came armed to the
teeth and who can forget the PSAs quote knowing as
half the battle, Yeah right, The other half was begging
your mom for just one more figure at Kmart and
then Star Wars, Kenner was still riding high off Return
(51:11):
of the Jedi. If a character just blinked for three
seconds on the screen, it had a figure. On the shelves.
There was the Ewalk Village, which is a giant tree
house play set, Jaba's throne room with a working trap
door that usually fed figures straight to the family dog.
(51:33):
And the Speeder Bike, which exploded into pieces at the
push of a button. Oh come on, you know you
pushed it a thousand times. Today, mint condition ewalks are
worth thousands. Back then they were just one more thing
your parents stepped on in the carpet. Now, if action
(51:55):
figures were not your jam, maybe you were on the
softer side of things. Enter the Cabbage Patch Kids, designed
by Xavier Roberts. They didn't come in a box, You
adopted them complete with a certificate that basically turned playtime
into illegal proceeding. By Christmas of eighty three, parents were
(52:19):
straight up brawling in toy ales for these dolls. News
cameras called middle aged moms tackling strangers. Retail turned into
the Hunger Games. The price tag around twenty five to
thirty dollars retail, but scalpers were reselling them for three
(52:40):
times that. Welcome to the first ever toy apocalypse. Black
Friday Chaos has these yarn haired babies to think. If
you wanted something cuddlier, you had the care bears, pastel
plushies with tummy cymbals like bows, suns, rain clouds that
(53:03):
taught us the world's biggest problems could be solved with
a hug. Sweet right until you realized they doubled his
weapons and pillow fights. And then there was Strawberry Shortcake.
These dolls smelled on purpose. Strawberry smelled like strawberries, Lemon
(53:25):
meringue smelled like lemons. You get it. But here's the thing.
Making toys smell edible meant every kid tried licking one,
and don't lie, you did too. Now let's move on
to the great divide of childhood hot wheels versus matchbox
(53:46):
hot wheels were bright, wild and defied physics on their
orange tracks. They launched through loops, across ramps, and directly
into your dog's water bowl. Matchbox cars, on the other hand,
were realistic like your dad's station wagon and miniature form
families were seriously torn apart over this divide. Were you
(54:11):
a thrill seeker or a suburban realist. Meanwhile, in Japan,
something incredible was brewing. Pre Transformers. Toys from the Microman
and Diaclone lines were already turning into trucks, planes, and
yes guns. Has Bros spotted them, slapped new names on them,
(54:35):
and by nineteen eighty four, Optimus Prime and Megatron were
household names. Somewhere in Tokyo, a kid was snapping off
Megatron's arm while an American exec whispered, We're gonna be rich.
Now here's where things get interesting. The Atari twenty six
(54:56):
hundred was still king at the start of eighty three.
A joystick and a single red button. That's all you
needed for Pitfall or asteroids. But then came et the
infamous game rushed out in five weeks. It was so bad,
(55:17):
so broken, that millions of unsold copies literally ended up
in a New Mexico landfill, and with that, the video
game Crash of eighty three was born. Parents cheered, kids
were forced back outside to play, and for a brief moment,
bicycles outsold joysticks, very very brief, because meanwhile, in Japan,
(55:43):
Nintendo was quietly plotting a comeback. The Family Computer, better
known as the Famicom, launched in July of eighty three.
It was sleek, powerful, and came with Donkey Kong and
Mario Brothers. To years later, it hit the US as
the NES and completely rescued gaming as we know it.
(56:08):
And oh yeah, Sega tried to. The SG one thousand
launched the exact same day as the Famicom. The problem
was Nintendo just steamrolled them. Think of it like Pepsi
launching the same day Coke invented world domination. And for
(56:28):
families who didn't have a console or whose parents didn't
trust those violent video games, there were always board games.
Trivial Pursuit hit big in nineteen eighty three. It started
in Canada, spread like wildfire, and within a couple of years,
(56:49):
twenty million copies were sold. Families everywhere were testing who
had the most useless knowledge, and nothing caused a screaming
match faster than Dad insisting his technically correct answer counted.
And of course the classics were still there Monopoly Clue,
(57:10):
sorry Uno. By this point, these weren't just games. They
were endurance tests, and they usually ended with someone storming
off a flipped board or an unspoken family grudge that
lasted for years. So there you have it, the toy
and game isles of nineteen eighty three. Muscle bound heroes,
(57:34):
plush therapy bears, dolls that started riots, cars that divided families,
robots in disguise, video games that crashed and burned, and
board games that destroyed family unity. All right, let's see
what technology had in store for us in nineteen eighty three.
(58:01):
This was the year of brick phones, computers fighting for
space on your kitchen desk, the very first camcorder to
immortalize bad dance moves, and oh yeah, the Internet technically
started existing, though nobody cared. Let's take a tour. First, up,
(58:22):
the Motorola Dine Attack eight thousand X, the world's first
commercially available cell phone. Picture. This a giant plastic brick,
ten inches of antenna sticking out of the top, weighing
about two and a half pounds. The battery gave you
maybe thirty minutes of talk time before it weezed out,
(58:45):
and then it needed ten hours to recharge. The price
a very casual three thousand, nine hundred and ninety five dollars.
That's eleven thousand dollars today. But if you were a
wall streep eat shark and eighty three, you wanted to
be seen screaming into this thing on the beach. The
(59:07):
calls were not important. The flex was. It was a
status symbol, a neon sign that said I have money
and pour upper body strength from lugging this thing around. Now,
let's talk about the battle for your home desk space.
Apple launched the Lisa computer in nineteen eighty three, one
(59:30):
of the first with a graphical user interface. You could
actually point, click, and drag with a mouse instead of
memorizing arcane commands. Revolutionary the problem The Lisa cost ten
thousand dollars, so you know, not exactly flying off the shelves. Meanwhile,
(59:53):
Commodore sixty four was the computer your neighbor's kid had
with colorful graphics, and so it turned bedrooms into arcades
and classrooms into coding lessons. Affordable at about five hundred
ninety five dollars, it became the people's computer. Millions sold
(01:00:15):
mostly to kids who swore they were learning basic, but
we're definitely just playing pac Man. And then IBM dropped
its pc XT All business, all beige, all serious. If
the Commodore was fun, the IBM was spreadsheets, Apple was
(01:00:36):
dreaming about the future, IBM locked down the office, and Commodore.
Commodore just wanted you to have fun at home. Sony
gave us the beta movie BMC one hundred P, the
world's first consumer camcorder. Suddenly families could capture birthday parties,
(01:00:57):
Christmas mornings, or, let's be honest, dad's terrible karaoke attempts.
There was a catch, though, it only recorded in betamax,
a format that would lose the war to VHS, But
in nineteen eighty three it didn't matter. The camcorder meant
awkward home movies were officially born somewhere in a box
(01:01:22):
in someone's attic. A grainy nineteen eighty three recording still
exists of a breakdancing attempt that really should have stayed
forgotten by nineteen eighty three, the Sony Walkman. It was
a major shift in society. The WM ten model came out, tiny,
(01:01:42):
sleek and foldable. Teenagers everywhere suddenly had a way to
shut out their parents and the world. Joggers ran with
foam headphones bouncing on their heads, Students sulked to the police,
and every bus ride earned into a private concert. Parents
(01:02:03):
worried it was isolating, kids loved it because it was isolating.
And just like that, the soundtrack of the eighties became portable.
And finally, while you were busy adopting a cabbage patch kid,
something quietly revolutionary flickered on. On January first, nineteen eighty three,
(01:02:26):
the rpinnet aarp A n e T switched to a
new system called TCP slash ip. It's the backbone of
the modern Internet without it, no Instagram, no TikTok, no memes,
no cat videos, who noticed, nerds, scientists, a few government contractors.
(01:02:51):
That's about it. But this boring, invisible shift is the
reason you can now listen to podcasts about nineteen eighty
three while scrolling through your your phone. If you told
someone back then that this protocol change would one day
lead to their grandkids posting dance videos for strangers on
(01:03:11):
the Internet. They'd have laughed you right out of radio shack.
So that was tech in nineteen eighty three. From bricks
you could barely lift to Walkman's that changed how we
listen to the Internet, quietly being born in the background.
Some of it changed the world forever. Some of it
(01:03:33):
ended up in a landfill in New Mexico. Either way,
nineteen eighty three was a reminder that in tech you
never really know what's going to last and what's going
to be an embarrassing relic collecting dust in your attic.
So that was nineteen eighty three a year where TV
(01:03:55):
got smarter, movies went bigger, celebrities kept the tabloids busy,
and toys and tech gave us brand new ways to
be entertained, from the living room to the arcade to
the very first bricks of the digital world. Nineteen eighty
three was proof that the future was already sneaking in
(01:04:16):
while everyone was distracted by a talking car and a
batch of adopted dolls. That's it for today's trip through
the pop culture diary. Thanks for tuning in and taking
a trip back in time for a hit of Nostalgia
with me. Don't forget to follow the podcast wherever you
(01:04:36):
get your shows, rate review, and keep an eye out
for the podcast on social media over on Instagram at
the pop Culture Diary Podcast, Twitter at pop cult Diary Pod,
Tumblr at the pop Culture Diary podcast, and the Facebook
(01:04:57):
page the pop Culture Diary for more pop culture fun,
extras and behind the scenes madness. Until next time, everyone,
take care of yourselves and I'll see you in the
next episode.
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