Awesome 80's Prom

[davidc89]

I was asked to audition for an interactive prom(mainly because they want my car in it) and I got the role of a football player named "Beef." The Prom is set in 1989 and being that I was in 1989 for all of 11 months, I have a couple questions to help build my character.

What music would the jocks have listened to?

What stuff would I be in to?

What was it like to be in highschool in the 80's?

Things like that. I see stuff in movies, but I don't think that's how it really was. Google search didn't really help me and most adults I know, went to smaller schools without much diversity. Any help would be appreciated.

If you have any cool cheap ideas to make my car look somewhat like a Time Machine, as that's what the director wants, that would be cool too.

Thanks again.

[Michael]

Watch Fast Times at Ridgemont High...should answer most of your questions.

[davidc89]

Will do!

[Rich_NYS]

What stuff would I be in to?

MTV (there was music on it back then,) Jenny McCarthy, recreational drug use, and Hair Metal (if you were cool like me.)



What was it like to be in highschool in the 80's?



It was fun and there was a lot less whiners than you see these days, but there were more cliques -lol!





Watch Fast Times at Ridgemont High...should answer most of your questions.

+1

[Moneypenny]

I graduated in '89, so I feel I'm fairly qualified to answer this. Just some memories here...

A lot of the jocks in my school listened to 2 Live Crew, the first Beastie Boys album, Bob Marley, and "classic rock" of the era (Zep, Floyd, Hendrix, etc.)

I think your character would have been into a lot of the same things jocks of any era are into; professional sports, bedding cheerleaders, hassling those that weren't "cool". You would have a mullet. Izod shirts. Acid-washed jeans. Also, everyone would go to The Mall to hang out. And you'd be into either throwing or attending weekend parties; you would very likely have a hookup for alcohol.

My school actually had a student smoking lounge. That's more where I hung out, with that crowd. But there was almost none of the stigma against smoking that exists today.

No cell phones meant that people generally went places to see if anyone else was hanging out there. Call waiting and three-way calling was a thing. Only nerds used computers. The only way to see a movie not in the theater was to rent it on VHS or wait for the TV-release.

All said, I think I would rather be a teenager today than in the 80s; I did not particularly enjoy my high school experiences.

[Flicky]

Well, I guess I can tell you a few things about MN HS at that time. I can tell you that 1989 Minneapolis high school would scare the crap out of any kid today. It was also not 'PC' at all, and no cameras to worry about. Watch SNL episodes from the time to know what was fun for 17-18 year olds at the time.
I think Prom is normally in May. '89 was a transitional year for music with a pull from hair bands (Warrent, Poison, Bon Jovi) to rap for many. Metalica and GnR was still huge too. I guess this all depends on if you are in the city or 'burbs. In the North-East Twin Cities area there in 1989 the graduating class in Fridley had zero ethnicity. Blaine was the country back then. The government just started shipping Cambodians and Laotians into the schools, but they mostly landed in Columbia Heights and Brooklyn Park.
The political pressure to get "bad and violent music" banned from Tipper Gore...yeah the wife of that guy, VP at the time. This is what made 2-Live's "Nasty As They Want to Be" album sell like crazy. That set up ICE-T with their "Iceberg" (Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say). The TV was pushing a new style with The Cosby Show, Family Matters, Arsenio Hall, and the other "Nat-X'n". Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" was a popular movie with urban HS kids too.
Subway was the favorite fast food, it went crazy with franchises in MN at that time. Special Export was the favorite beer. It was the favorite because it had more alcohol in it. Cheep kids drank Keystone because it came in a 15-pack for the same price as 12.
Kids going in the military were freaking out over Clinton and the gun control with the favorite guns in the city (think Lake and Hennepin) being the Street-Sweeper and the Mac-10. Lots of kids had guns in school then, strangely no one really cared. Drugs were only for burn-outs then too. You might see weed show up at parties.
Also, the popular jock cars would be the I-ROC and Grand National. Never saw a kid with a D, not even in Edina. Totino-Grace did have 2 kids with Ferraris.

I think someone had a thread here called "$500 non-destructive time machine mods"...I can't ever find things...he took pictures and put them into the rear side glass.

[Flicky]

Here are the pictures I talked about:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?12608-Instant-Time-Machine-Deacals-ATTACHED

[OverlandMan]

I was not in high school yet in 89 but I recall it being a transition time in terms of music and culture. What others have said already should get you what you need. I'd suggest watching "The '80s: The Decade That Made Us". It debuted a few years ago on National Geographic. I takes you through the entire decade, hitting on most of the important events, music, culture, fashion, entertainment, politics, and so on.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/the-80s-the-decade-that-made-us/

They replay it with some regularity or you can probably netflix, youtube, blah blah blah to watch it.

[Jonathan]

What was highschool like in the 80s?

In some ways, the same as now. Not the clothing or the accessories, but the stuff that's important to kids. Fitting in, finding out who you are, where you're going, having your whole life ahead of you and the whole world in front of you and optimistically dreaming about what you'll do with it all. You'll have a lot of your firsts... with friends, dating, drinking, cars, trips, sports, interests, music... and each of those you remember because of what the details were surrounding it. We all remember our favourites songs or movies or cars because they were there in the background when something important happened for you the first time. Rich hit the nail on the head with cliques. Lots of them, mostly by class, money, interests, appearances. Hey, same as now!!

What was it like?

Watch the John Hughes films. The guy's trilogy is considered to be The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Weird Science. The girl's trilogy is Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink and Somekind of Wonderful (also a good one for BTTF fans if you haven't realized who the actors were in that film).

Here's the Reader's Digest version of many of those films, in an Oscar's tribute done for John Hughes in 2010:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvmVYNr0lk0

Oh, and keep this in mind... lol

41458

[Rich_NYS]

MTV (there was music on it back then,) Jenny McCarthy, recreational drug use, and Hair Metal (if you were cool like me.)



It was fun and there was a lot less whiners than you see these days, but there were more cliques -lol!






+1


I just got a reality check; in '89 I was 4 years out of high school and finishing an enlistment in the US Army so I don't know WTH I'm talking about with my post -lol.

Moneypenny & Flicky got it right, and I do remember the late 80's was a transitional time for music.

I was in High School in the early 80's, not '89: there was a lot of recreational drug use but I was [too] anti-drug, the music was about having a good time, and there was a lot of awesome big hair....I loved it.

Now that I think of it, 1989 was the beginning of the end....

[davidc89]

Thanks a lot! I know the role is the stereotypical "big dumb jock," but I wasn't really sure what it was like to actually grow up then. I've seen some of the movies, I just wasn't real sure if that's what it "actually" was like. I appreciate all the help and it looks like I have some more videos to watch and music to listen to (even though I am a fan of hair bands anyways, that part will be easy).

[DMCVegas]

Here's another fantastic reference point as to what teenage social events in the 1980's were like. And don't worry, it's only a few minutes long.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDDnuhbDFeY

[bfloyd]

Big dumb jocks from 1989? Music wise we were introduced to the first "radio mainstream" white rapper - Vanilla Ice. Hair bands like Poison, White Snake, Motley Crue, Guns & Roses, Skid Row, just to name a few. Motley Crue's - Dr. Feelgood was released that year. R&B - Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" was played at every party, and every neon clad, hair teased girl knew every word.

Another cheesy classic teen movie from that time period was Patrick Dempsey's "Can't Buy Me Love" with Amanda Peterson (RIP).

[Rich_NYS]

I was asked to audition for an interactive prom(mainly because they want my car in it) and I got the role of a football player named "Beef."

seems like a lot of the jocks I remember have one-syllable names (and nicknames.) Here are some I recall: Fij, Bic, Sal, Tom, Ant, John, Dep (pronounced: "deep.")

[Moneypenny]

Thanks a lot! I know the role is the stereotypical "big dumb jock," but I wasn't really sure what it was like to actually grow up then. I've seen some of the movies, I just wasn't real sure if that's what it "actually" was like. I appreciate all the help and it looks like I have some more videos to watch and music to listen to (even though I am a fan of hair bands anyways, that part will be easy).

Don't forget to pop the collar of your Izod shirt.

One more movie that's a must-see for the era would be "Better Off Dead" starring John Cusack.

[davidc89]

Don't forget to pop the collar of your Izod shirt.

One more movie that's a must-see for the era would be "Better Off Dead" starring John Cusack.

I'm thinking about a Letterman Jacket. Is Izod the one with the little alligator?

[Moneypenny]

Is Izod the one with the little alligator?

Yup!

[Jonathan]

Yup!

Little alligator = Lacoste, non?

[davidc89]

Little alligator = Lacoste, non?

It was Izod Lacoste before they were split.

[Michael]

In grade school you needed TWO things to have a chance of being normal. A "Member's Only" jacket (sleeves pushed up) and a pair of Nikes. Today Nikes come in unlimited colors and designs, but back in the day, you got a white pair of sneaks with either a red or blue swoosh.

A pair of folding "Ferarri" <spelled correctly sunglasses didn't hurt either.

Be sure those jeans are tight, grow out your hair and a gold chain around your neck should seal the deal.

[Alan]

In grade school you needed TWO things to have a chance of being normal. A "Member's Only" jacket (sleeves pushed up) and a pair of Nikes. Today Nikes come in unlimited colors and designs, but back in the day, you got a white pair of sneaks with either a red or blue swoosh.

A pair of folding "Ferarri" <spelled correctly sunglasses didn't hurt either.

Be sure those jeans are tight, grow out your hair and a gold chain around your neck should seal the deal.

This. Definitely a Member's Only jacket.

I'd argue that competing for first place for footwear would have been Reebocks (something like this).
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160413/84d10c57a858f9819da94d2c9ece41e3.jpg

[davidc89]

In grade school you needed TWO things to have a chance of being normal. A "Member's Only" jacket (sleeves pushed up) and a pair of Nikes. Today Nikes come in unlimited colors and designs, but back in the day, you got a white pair of sneaks with either a red or blue swoosh.

A pair of folding "Ferarri" <spelled correctly sunglasses didn't hurt either.

Be sure those jeans are tight, grow out your hair and a gold chain around your neck should seal the deal.

Like button fly Levi's?

[Alan]

Like button fly Levi's?

Button fly, yes.

Levi's, no. You'd have worn Guess or Girbaud... at least in the mid 80s. I'm don't recall if that was still the case by 89.

[Michael]

Button fly, yes.

Levi's, no. You'd have worn Guess or Girbaud... at least in the mid 80s. I'm don't recall if that was still the case by 89.

Guys..Levis

Gals..Jordache

[Rich_NYS]

Guys..Levis

Gals..Jordache


Jordass jeans....wow, flashback!

[OverlandMan]

Button fly, yes.

Levi's, no. You'd have worn Guess or Girbaud... at least in the mid 80s. I'm don't recall if that was still the case by 89.

I recall Guess and Girbauds being more early 90s. In the late 80s it was Z Cavariccis with a Vuarnet France T-shirt. Ocean Pacific was big too.

[SamHill]

Started HS in 88. Jocks definitely wore Oakley sunglasses and stone washed jeans. Gotta have a Mullet. At least in my area, Surf shop T shirts abounded. If it was cold, a Mexicali Baja Joe pullover. Those things were indestructable, I still have mine. The "Grits" wore jean jackets covered in patches.

Oh, and Bugle Boy jeans. Who can forget that commercial?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSCuBANoaLc

[DL4567]

Oh, and Bugle Boy jeans. Who can forget that commercial?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSCuBANoaLc

Awesome, I had never seen that. Those pesky supermodels, always driving in the western US with their exotic cars!!

Cindy Crawford in her Diablo, of course Christie Brinkley in the 308, and now this.

[davidc89]

Awesome, Thanks! I got some really good ideas! For those that may be interested, I came to a conclusion. I have to be semi formal, as it is a prom, so I decided to get a tuxedo jacket with the sleeves ripped off. A blue shirt that says "sports" on it, followed by button fly Levi's and white Nike's with a red swoosh. I also decided to iron on "my" name and football number onto the back of the tuxedo jacket, to make it a little more ridiculous. Oh yeah, Ray Ban's and a real mullet.

[Michael]

Awesome, Thanks! I got some really good ideas! For those that may be interested, I came to a conclusion. I have to be semi formal, as it is a prom, so I decided to get a tuxedo jacket with the sleeves ripped off. A blue shirt that says "sports" on it, followed by button fly Levi's and white Nike's with a red swoosh. I also decided to iron on "my" name and football number onto the back of the tuxedo jacket, to make it a little more ridiculous. Oh yeah, Ray Ban's and a real mullet.

Nailed it!