![]() ![]() The origins of Barack Obama’s supposed post-racial qualities? Some look to Bill Cosby and the “Huxtable Effect,” which taught white America to embrace African Americans - so long as they “transcend” their race. No matter where we look for the roots of today’s political debates, we find the tropes of ’80s popular culture. This lasting influence goes far beyond the impact of the Reagan Revolution the cultural vernacular of the ’80s has proved as enduring as the Gipper’s most famous speeches. But the similarities between today and the 1980s also reflect a country now run by those who came of age in that decade - people whose worldviews were molded by an era that began with a Chrysler bailout and ended with foreign students protesting dictatorship in a distant square. This collective deja vu moment is part coincidence, part commodified nostalgia and part impulse to rehash successful old political and entertainment brands. If you didn’t know better, you’d think we’d all just stepped out of a 1.21 gigawatt-powered DeLorean and right back into the 1980s.Īnd in some ways, we have. ![]() And Ronald Reagan tributes are everywhere. Conservatives are saber-rattling against Iran. Millionaires are enjoying budget-busting tax cuts. Moammar Gaddafi is the planet’s top bad guy. “Tron” and “Wall Street” have just left theaters. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |