Tag: 1980s

Then and Now: Queer Quips

From the hidden corners of underground bars to the vibrant online space of today, queer jokes have evolved alongside changing societal attitudes. Let’s reflect on the transformation of queer humor from an increased understanding of how jokes can harm to celebrating resilience, resistance, and queer joy. THEN: Gay! We’ve all seen the gif. You know…
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June 3, 2024
Pat Benatar is All Fired Up to Be Invincible

Can a bank teller become a rockstar? Can ideals survive realities of misogyny? Is love a battlefield and is hell for children? Pat Benatar’s life and music says yes. Shine Pat Benatar was raised in a home where female empowerment and equality was the norm. She was taught that women were equal and could accomplish…
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May 31, 2024
The Atari 2600 Was More Important Than Nostalgia

Is the Atari 2600 nostalgic joy? Did this game console change an industry? Did it affect our culture in ways we did not think about? Oh god yes! Finding My Heart Losing the Keyboard and Grabbing a Joystick I had to stop writing and play some pac-man and pitfall to find my soul for this…
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May 29, 2024
The Forgotten Feminine Power of Shoulder Pads

Were shoulder pads big in the 80’s? Are they coming back? Were they important to women in the workplace in the 80’s? Absolutely and I am all about it. Big in the 80’s but Not Created in the 80’s! When we think of big shoulder pads, images of the 80’s is what we think of,…
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May 20, 2024
Surviving the Upside Down: The Enduring Power of Nostalgia

Did the Duffer Brothers create one of the most powerful moments on the small screen? Does Max show us a path through the trauma? Was Stranger Things one of the inspirations of the Gen X Watch Project? Can nostalgia matter today and save us? Why do I start articles with questions? Yes. And because questions…
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May 15, 2024
Being Fearless and Wrong About Pretty in Pink

Was John Hughes wrong about Pretty in Pink? Am I wrong about Pretty in Pink? Could most of us be wrong about Pretty in Pink? Probably yes. Let me explain. But first, I want to take you in the chaos that is my mind! Do Wot You Do So after writing a TMI article about…
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May 13, 2024
The Breakfast Club Library Confessions and Beautiful Tribes

Does The Breakfast Club have insights we still need? Did belonging to a club or team help many of us find friends? Is it okay that these tribes were imperfect and the same as other tribes? Memorial for a Friend Last weekend I was at a memorial for a dear friend from high school who…
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May 8, 2024
Celebrating April’s Rad Growth With a Casey Kasem Style Countdown

Thank you to every reader, Patreon, and contributing columnist. I look at what has happened this last month and I am completely blown away! Any and all goals my team and I set were crushed! In a time where it is more difficult than ever for columnists and audiences to connect in the AI driven…
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May 1, 2024
My Purple Reign! A Tale From Tawnlandia!

No other era was influenced by Prince more than the 80s. Nine gold, platinum, or multiplatinum albums that included 1999 (1982), Purple Rain (1984), and Sign o’ the Times (1987). He masterminded albums by the Time, and Sheila E. and wrote hit songs for The Bangles, Madonna, Chaka Khan, Stevie Nicks, and more, shaping the…
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April 29, 2024
50 Articles and New Beginnings

Can death and awareness of limited mortality inspire something beautiful? Could a precious few friends help create a community and almost 10,000 articles read a month? Have there been some challenges to overcome along the way? If we are talking about Gen X Watch, yes. Sunday Showcase Shines A Mirror on Us (and you) This…
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April 28, 2024