"The '80s were neon, noisy, and nuts - a decade of MTV, mixtapes, and mall culture. But underneath all that Aqua Net hairspray and optimism was a whole lot of chaos, tragedy, and straight-up weirdness people rarely talk about anymore. So when Reddit user u/TONTTONCLUB asked, "What are some awful things from the '80s everyone seems to not talk about?" the answers turned into a time capsule of everything dark, absurd, and unforgettable about the decade that defined a generation:"
"2. "The Challenger explosion. I was in sixth grade. We were going to get to watch transmissions from a school teacher in space. Space missions had gotten to the point of seeming safe and routine. Then, in a split second, seven people died horrifically as we watched on our screens." 9. "Tipper Gore (Al's wife) got upset over the lyrics to 'Darling Nikki' by Prince, started the PMRC, tried to censor artists,"
The 1980s combined neon pop culture, MTV, and mall-centered trends with undercurrents of chaos, tragedy, and cultural conflict. High-profile disasters such as the Challenger explosion shattered the sense of routine around spaceflight and produced traumatic televised moments. Moral panic and censorship efforts, led by figures like Tipper Gore through the PMRC, targeted musicians’ lyrics, prompted warning stickers on records, and spurred legal battles over artistic expression. Those controversies reached mainstream platforms and courtrooms, affecting artists from Jello Biafra to 2 Live Crew. Collective memories and family anecdotes often recall both the era’s exuberance and its darker episodes.
Read at BuzzFeed
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