The 1980’s was a decade in which the American population numbered approximately 226,546,000. On the average, a yearly salary was $15,757. Minimum wage was $3.10 an hour. If you were a man, your life expectancy was a bit less than 70 years. Women were expected to live longer, to age about 77-1/2. If you were a youngster, growing up in the 1980’s was “totally awesome”. It was full of outlandish trends you just had to have or do to keep up with your neighborhood friends. Read this fun article and learn, what I believe, are the top ten craziest fads of the 1980’s!
(In no particular order)
1. Garbage Pail Kids
Craziest” isn’t exactly the right word for this trading card. “Disgusting” and “gross” fit the bill better. Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. the same creators of the tasty Bazooka Bubble Gum and the popular sports cards created these freaks in 1985. The cards were developed to lampoon the Cabbage Patch Kids who were created three years earlier. Describing the GPK characters would be too difficult. I’ll let some of the characters’ names speak for themselves: “Battered Brad,” “Blasted Betty”, “Evil Eddie”, “Ray Decay” and “Up Chuck.”
2. Chia Pets
Another one of the top ten craziest fads of the 1980’s was Chia Pets. Buy a “Chia Pet” in the 1980’s and you could choose between a ram, bull, puppy, kitten and tree. Inside the box was a plain clay figurine and seeds. By covering the figurine with moist seeds and watering it, you could watch your Chia Pet “grow” fur. I assume the tree “grew leaves.” Kind of nutty, huh?
3. Jelly Shoes
The top ten craziest fads of the 1980’s wouldn’t be complete without Jelly Shoes. They had a strap and were either flat or they sported thick heels. These shoes got their name from the fact they were made from Jelly Rubber. You had to be careful with that rubber rubbing against your bare skin. You could easily get blisters. They weren’t necessarily comfortable, but they were in style and affordable, so many females wore them.
4. “Psyche!”
I sometimes still hear this slang term used today, but it was more prevalent- at least in this area- in the 1980’s. On April 1st, of course, it’s an old custom to play a trick on someone, or tell them a fabricated story. Then, when they fall for it, you yell “April’s Fool!” to let them know they’ve been had. Yelling “Psyche!” after tricking someone was the 1980’s version of “April’s Fool!”
5. Big Hair Held In Place With Cases of Hair Spray
Another one of the top ten craziest fads of the 1980’s is big hair. You know, the hair that celebrities like Farrah Fawcett, Dolly Parton and metal rock bands such as Guns N’ Roses and White Snake wore. The problem with this do was that it took a combination of lots of hair spray and mousse to achieve this look.
6. Sock Sweat Bands
Another one of my top ten craziest fads of the 1980’s is sock sweat bands. I can’t help it. It must be my logical side. Everytime I used to see these, I had to lament about the waste of a pair of socks. I was always sure the wearer didn’t wait until they had socks with holes in them. Probably just plucked a clean pair out of their dresser.
This top ten craziest fad of the 1980’s involved cutting the elastic tops off socks with stripes around the top. You then wore the striped elastic as wristbands. Why, you ask? To look cool, of course!
7. Skater Hair Cuts
I picked on big hair, so I felt I had to be fair and add lopsided hair to my list. Skater Hair Cuts were bad in the first place, when Posh Spice wore one.
Then Rosie O’Donnell decided to resurrect them, and the look wasn’t any better. Skater Hair Cuts are short on one side and long on the other.
8. Doc Marten Lace-Up Shoes
Also called “Army Boots” and “Granny Boots”, this foot gear was a fashion highlight of the 1980’s. So what kind of clothing went with these clunky shoes? Feminine dresses, of course!
Besides making your feet sweat profusely, Doc Marten Lace-Up Shoes were heavy. I always thought they were well suited for a hike in the woods. But, fashionable? Forget it!
9. Hacky Sacks
A top ten list of the craziest fads of the 1980’s isn’t complete without mention of the Hacky Sack. Wham-O mass produced these bean bags in the early 80’s. All you did was kick them, and try to keep them up in the air as long as possible. Believe-it-or-not, a National Hacky Sack Association was established because Hacky Sacks became such a popular pastime!
10. Parachute Pants
Along with break dancing in the 1980’s came Parachute Pants. Break dancers loved the baggy nylon trousers because they were roomy and comfortable to dance in. The slick nylon also helped reduce friction when they made body contact with the surface they were dancing on.
Parachute Pants were usually available in bright colors such as yellow, red and silver, etc. They were okay for break dancers to wear, but when guys and girls started wearing them on the streets, the look took a turn for the worst.
According to Wikipedia, fashion hotshot Joseph Anthony Marino III wants to bring back this type of pants out of the closet of obscurity. Fortunately, his idea isn’t catching on.
