Life After the 1980s

In the 1980s, the economy soared to new heights…

But our economy has never quite been the same ever since…

Stock Market Crash in 1987Recessions in the early 1990s and early

2000sSubprime Mortgage Crisis in 2008

Yuppies were taken off a pedestal; new icons emerged…

The glitz, glamour, spandex, neon, and big

hair died down…

And things seemed to get darker and grittier in the

‘90s…

Thanks to bands like Nirvana, Grunge was born…

From flannels to corduroy to overalls to peasant blouses to Doc Martins—dressing grungy and bohemian was

the new ‘90s style

In the 1980s many women had dressed in a more masculine way to

establish their place in a male-dominated world…

And Madonna brought to light the virgin/slut stereotype that

women were up against

In the 1990s Kathleen Hanna and other female musicians started the

Riot Grrrl Movement to shine awareness on gender prejudice,

violence, and exploitation

Riot Grrrl Art

The Cold War ended in the early ‘90s, but new wars emerged…

The government’s “War on Drugs” lost steam and the “War on Terrorism” began…

Ecological crises still occur…Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

1989 BP Oil Spill 2010

Nuclear disasters still occur…Chernobyl Disaster

1986Fukushima Disaster

2011

And the question remains: Are we more or less narcissistic

than Generation ME?

The 1980s obsession with wealth and status was exemplified in the television series Lifestyles of the

Rich and Famous

May you have champagne wishes and caviar dreams!

Today’s technological world opens up even more possibilities to boost our image and increase

our “status”

Despite the accusations that this current generation is even more self-

focused and narcissistic than Generation ME, the fact remains that new voices are emerging—voices that

do not revere soulless materialism, egregious excess, mindless celebrity

worship, selfish indulgence, and prejudiced elitism.

And what happens to us in the future?

It’s all on you…literally