The 80's: A Look Back at the Tumultuous Decade 1980-1989
Encyclopedia
The 80s: A Look Back at the Tumultuous Decade 1980-1989 is a humor book published in 1979.
It was edited by Tony Hendra
, Christopher Cerf
and Peter Elbling, with art direction by Michael Gross
. Contributors to the book included Henry Beard
, Valerie Curtin
, Amy Ephron
, Jeff Greenfield
, Abbie Hoffman
, Sean Kelly
, B. Kliban
, Paul Krassner
, David Lander
, Stan Lee
, Stan Mack
, Bruce McCall
, Rick Meyerowitz
, Maurice Peterson
, George Plimpton
and Harry Shearer
.
The premise of the book was that it was a satirical review of American events in the 1980s. Having been written in 1979, the events were of course fictional and most of the satire was actually directed towards the late 1970s. Some of the events from the book included:
The book was a best-seller and a sequel, The 90s: A Look Back, was published with a similar premise in 1989. The second book did not have the same success as the first.
It was edited by Tony Hendra
Tony Hendra
Tony Hendra is an English satirist and writer who has worked mostly in the United States. Educated at St Albans School and Cambridge University, he was a member of the Cambridge University Footlights revue in 1962, alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Tim Brooke-Taylor.-Career:In 1964 Hendra...
, Christopher Cerf
Christopher Cerf
Christopher Cerf is a U.S. author, composer-lyricist, voice actor, and record and television producer. He is known for his musical contributions to Sesame Street, for co-creating and co-producing the award-winning PBS literacy education television program Between the Lions, and for his humorous...
and Peter Elbling, with art direction by Michael Gross
Michael Gross
Michael Gross may refer to:*Michael Gross , Israeli painter, sculptor and conceptual artist*Michael L. Gross , American professor of chemistry, medicine, and immunology*Michael Gross , American actor...
. Contributors to the book included Henry Beard
Henry Beard
Henry N. Beard is an American humorist, one of the founders of the magazine National Lampoon and the author of several best-selling books.-Biography:...
, Valerie Curtin
Valerie Curtin
-Biography:Curtin was born in New York City, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin...
, Amy Ephron
Amy Ephron
Amy Laura Ephron is an American novelist, screenwriter, journalist, and film producer.-Life and career:Ephron was born in Beverly Hills, CA to parents Henry and Phoebe Ephron, both East Coast born and raised screenwriters. She is the sister of Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron and Hallie Ephron...
, Jeff Greenfield
Jeff Greenfield
Jeff Greenfield is an American television journalist and author.-Biography:He was born in New York City to parents Benjamin and Helen. He grew up in Manhattan and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1960. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in...
, Abbie Hoffman
Abbie Hoffman
Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ....
, Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly may refer to:* Sean Kelly , Professor of philosophy at Harvard University* Sean Kelly , Irish professional road bicycle racer...
, B. Kliban
B. Kliban
-External links:* * *...
, Paul Krassner
Paul Krassner
Paul Krassner is an author, journalist, stand-up comedian, and the founder, editor and a frequent contributor to the freethought magazine The Realist, first published in 1958...
, David Lander
David Lander
David L. Lander is an American actor, comedian, composer, musician, and baseball scout. David is also the Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.- Biography :...
, Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, Stan Mack
Stan Mack
Stan Mack is an American cartoonist best known for his series, "Stan Mack's Real Life Funnies", which ran in The Village Voice for over 20 years. His Adweek comic strip, "Stan Mack’s Outtakes," covered the New York media scene...
, Bruce McCall
Bruce McCall
Bruce McCall is a Canadian author and illustrator, best known for his frequent contributions to The New Yorker.Born and raised in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, he was fascinated by comic books and showed an early aptitude for drawing fantastical flying machines, blimps, bulbous-nosed muscle cars and...
, Rick Meyerowitz
Rick Meyerowitz
Rick Meyerowitz is an American artist. He started drawing during his childhood and attended art school at Boston University...
, Maurice Peterson
Maurice Peterson
Sir Maurice Drummond Peterson GCMG was a British diplomatist.Peterson entered the foreign service in 1913 and served from 1921 to 1922 as private secretary to Arthur Balfour during the Washington Naval Conference...
, George Plimpton
George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton was an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review.-Early life:...
and Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
.
The premise of the book was that it was a satirical review of American events in the 1980s. Having been written in 1979, the events were of course fictional and most of the satire was actually directed towards the late 1970s. Some of the events from the book included:
- Ted KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
's election to the Presidency in 1980, followed ten days thereafter by his resignation due to a botched surgical operation by Surgeon General Allan Bakke. - The 1981 Disney CorporationThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
purchase of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which was remodeled into a theme park, the United Magic Kingdom. - The United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
declaration of 1983 as the International Year of the Simultaneous Orgasm. - The illegalization of meat in 1983, leading to an underground "meathead" culture.
- The collapse of NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1983 and CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1984, leaving ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
as America's sole television network. - The collapse of the New York Stock ExchangeNew York Stock ExchangeThe New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
in 1984. - Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
being named as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffChairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffThe Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
and leader of an all-black Army in 1985. - Economic upheaval caused by a global oil glut in 1986.
- The declaration of broccoli to be an endangered vegetable in 1988.
- The 1988 World's FairWorld's FairWorld's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
held in Tirana, Albania. - An Arabic invasion of Europe in 1989.
The book was a best-seller and a sequel, The 90s: A Look Back, was published with a similar premise in 1989. The second book did not have the same success as the first.