I was thinking about…

Why Being a Teen in the ‘80s Ruled

By Andy Lee

Exhale As power chord crunch from “You Shook Me All Night Long” set backyard air guitar solos alive, let’s time capsule back to the free-play wonder years between Atari and AOL when Gen X came alive under Reagan’s neon glow.

Under the “America, F*** Yeah!” ethos, patriotism and prosperity lifted national spirits from 1970s malaise. Like Springsteen wailing about glory days, optimism bounced in our Chucks – skating half pipes or scribbling mixtape love letters in Social Studies. Our Star Wars dreams felt within reach despite military buildup and Wall Street creed tarnishing idyllic notions. But clear Pepsi never tasted sweeter!

Tube socks and checkerboard Vans let us costume test rad futures that said “Corporate America? Maybe!” Fingerless gloves and rattails embodied spiky nonconformity over ambition for corner offices. At times we choked on Aqua Net fumes worth it to maybe almost touch Molly Ringwald’s pink fashion sense. But damn we felt ten feet tall baiting teachers to try stomping defiance out of us.

Euphoria arrived weekly from record store trips, absorbing edgy icons flipping norms with nose rings and crotch grabs the establishment labeled as crass. While critics dismissed “Disorderlies” as lowbrow, the mere notion of rebel rap breaking barriers said it all. Society still had cracks for misfits to disrupt empire-in-waiting dreams Reagan sketched for obedient young capitalists biding time til cubicles claimed us. But after dark? Damn straight we blasted Beastie Boys chanting “Fight for Your Right” til neighbors threatened cops!

Maybe other Gen X teens now downplay big hair days while Gen Z mocks mullets and Miami Vice. But between vinyl hisses, ain’t we still bleeding from existential cuts trying to conform? Getting weird kept us breathing – like Judd Nelson punching air hearing “Don’t You Forget About Me” when real connection stirred souls, not swipes. Say what you will about hair mistakes, but adolescing pre-AOL held magic. Let Flock of Seagulls run – we flew farthest when freedom let freak flags fly highest!

Inhale Alright Siri – play “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”! This aging teen dream still believes in the power of CHEESE!!! 🧀✊