| 1988 |  |
Don’t Worry,
Be Happy. In 1988, everyone was whistling that tune. It’s no wonder it was the
year of dancing raisins and the debut of Prozac. 1988 was the feel good year of
the decade. Whether you saw Rainman and Die Hard at the box office, gathered
around your TV to catch Who’s the Boss and The Wonder Years, or played
Pictionary in your living room, you were looking for a good time.
George Michael was singing about sex, Guns and Roses were shaking up rock, and
parents just didn’t understand why their white suburban kids were tuning into
rap. It was the debut of “Yo MTV Raps,” and thanks to NWA, gangsta rap made it
Straight Outta Compton and into your living room. If you weren’t listening to
any of that, chances are your headphones were blasting a kinder, gentler
“modern” rock…the new sensations of ’88 were INXS, The Cure, Morrissey, Depeche
Mode and Erasure.
In fashion, happiness was being a hippie. Tie-dye and peace symbols were back
in, and so were the Grateful Dead, who made a comeback with their first top ten
hit Touch of Grey. Working women had their own wardrobe in ‘88: blazers with
shoulder pads, floppy bow ties, briefcases, and sneakers over the nylons, for
that last minute sprint to work. And don’t forget the working girl bible; Color
Me Beautiful, helping you coordinate the seasons with your skin tone.
The immigrant experience became comedy gold in 1988. Coming to America gave us
Eddie Murphy as an African prince looking for a wife in Queens. And Perfect
Strangers ruled the TV sitcom game…featuring Balki who moved in with Cousin
Larry and bastardized the English language.
It was fun to be scared in ’88! By Chucky, the red-haired doll that came to life
in the horror classic, Child’s Play. By redhead Rick Astley—who sung like a soul
crooner, and looked like Howdy Doody. By Mike Tyson, the heavyweight champion
with a celebrity wife and serious issues. But nothing was as frightening as the
revelation that Nancy Reagan was using an astrologer to advise President Reagan.
Face it, you were happier then. Welcome back to 1988!