1980's
Not!
The use of the word 'NOT!' was spoken in exclamation. For example:
Bob: Hey Mike, do you like my new Vans shoes?
Mike: Yes, they are totally rad!.
Bob: Really??
Mike: Not!
Jem and the Holograms
A popular 80's cartoon about a music group that fought off bad guys, evil, and their rival rock band. They used their musical talent to create music and win over the hearts of people.
Penny Loafers
A shoe which was usually made of leather and had no laces or buckles. Loafers were made to easily slide off and on.
Tone Loc
He was the rapper with the very deep, gravelly, hoarse voice . His hit songs included Wild Thing and Funky Cold Medina. When Tone Loc was mainstream, many tried to imitate his voice by singing his tracks.
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Denim Jackets
Dark blue, light blue, gray, acid, etc. Those denim jackets were the thing to wear in the 80's. Some jackets even had that fluffy white cotton material in the inside to keep you warm in the winter.
Horror Movies
Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, Friday the 13th, these types of films were so popular that many sequels followed. On top of that, there were tons of children that dressed as Freddy Krueger or Jason for Halloween.
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Nintendo
If you were a kid growing up in the 80's then you remember playing Mario Bros, Tecmo Bowl, Metroid, Castlevania or other popular nintendo classics at home or with your friends. Most nintendo users played their video game consoles so much that in order to get the games to start they had to blow into the cartridge and adjust the spring in the console slot.
Garbage Pail Kids
Garbage Pail Kids were like Cabbage Patch Kids only much more gross and the cards came with a stick of gum.... they even had their own movie.
Care Bears
Colorful, adorable, furry friends with a caring mission. These cute bears taught us how to care. Every bear came with a bright colored tummy picture that told who they were and what their special area of caring was.
Hyper-Color Shirts
These were shirts that changed color with temperature change.
Strawberry Shortcake
A popular 80's cartoon character. Every little girl that grew up in the 80's not only owned the doll, but also had either a Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox or blanket or even clothing with this character imprented on it.
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Rainbow Brite
If you were a young girl growing up in the 80's then you know all about this craze. Almost every little girl had a rainbow brite doll and watched the cartoon that went along with it.
He-Man
If you were a young boy growing up in the 80's then you know all about this craze. Mattel's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was everywhere. Not only was it a popular cartoon but it was also on lunch boxes, t-shirts, school folders and many other places.
PSYCHE!!
This word was used very often during the 80's. It was used as another way to tell someone you were just kidding or pulling their leg about something. For example:
Larry: Hey Bob, who did you buy that ice cream for?
Bob: I bought it for you.
Larry: Really??
Bob: PSYCHE!! ...I bought it for me!
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Goatee Beards
Goatee beards really joined the mainstream, and no longer just for bikers, wrestlers, and *****.
Big Hair with lots of Hairspray
Not only were the women sporting their hair like this, so were the 80's rock stars. Big hair was definantly in and so was Aqua Net hairspray to keep the hair up all day.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
A hit cartoon about a bunch of hip turtles who loved eating pizza and could also fight well. People bought lots of related dolls, stickers, lunchboxes, etc.
Where's the Beef
A slogan from a Wendy’s commercial for showing that other restaurants didn’t quite use as much meat on their
hamburgers. Starred an old lady named Clara Peller, who kept asking that question.
Miami Vice Fashion
popularized by Don Johnson on the hit tv show.
Tetherball
A tetherball is similar to a volleyball and is tied to a ten-foot, vertical pole by a slender rope. Two players, who each get half of the area surrounding the pole, try to hit the tetherball ball repeatedly in one direction so that the rope wraps completely around the pole.
Lace fingerless gloves
ala Madonna.
Vans Tennis Shoes
The shoes of choice for skateboarders everywhere. Pull on tennis shoes - no laces.
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Trivial Pursuit
Want to seem as cleaver as Cliff Claven? Memorize a card set and then play a set or two against your friends. Both of them. We were all playing Trivial Pursuit in the early-Awesome80s.
Hacky-Sack
Coordinated enough to kick a beanbag but too wimpy to be a jock? Hacky-Sack was your sport.
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'Baby on Board' Signs
Remember when we were supposed to avoid hitting the cars with the 'Baby on Board' signs on them? It's open season on them now.
Koosh Balls
During the 1988 Christmas season, the Koosh ball was the hottest toy on the shelves. The Koosh ball was a rubber ball filled with a jelly-like plasma and its outside consisted of hundreds of rubber spikes making it look like a soft and flexible porcupine that did not hurt to hold or squeeze. When someone squeezed the object, the plasma caused it to squirm around in his hand while the spikes provided something to grip in one's hand.
Smurfs
Blue elflike creatures, dwelling happily in the forest. Creatures with names like Jokey, Greedy, and Brainy Smurf. The went through adventures, sought advice from Papa Smurf and found themselves captivated by the perky Smurfette, the only female in the clan. During Smurf Mania, they out sold Star Wars, Garfield, Snoopy, Annie and Mickey Mouse.
Cabbage Patch Dolls
Cabbage Patch Dolls were the doll craze of the 80s, and one of THE fads of the decade. Take this stroll down memory lane with the Cabbage Patch Kids and see what they've been up to lately.
Friendship Bracelets
Friendship bracelets came in bright colors, vibrant woven patterns, beautiful glass beadwork and NFL football team names and colors.
Break Dancing
Remember the parachute pants and cardboard boxes that dancers would gyrate themselves on? Break dancing seems so different from all other kinds of dancing that the first question people ask when they see it is: 'Where did these kids learn to dance like that?' In 1969, when James Brown was getting down with his big hit 'Get on the Good Foot' the Hustle was the big dance style of the day. When he preformed his hit, he did the kind of dance you'd expect James Brown to do. High Energy. This eventually, evolved into break dancing.
