The 1980s have long been dismissed as a decade whose popular-culture hallmarks included big hair, Duran Duran, Wrestlemania and MTV. But three decades later, it is riding a nostalgia boom.
One of the catalysts is ABC’s popular new comedy series “The Goldbergs.”
The program is giving a bygone era a buzz, much like “Happy Days” did for the 1950s, “The Wonder Years” did for the 1960s and “That ’70s Show” did for . . . you know.
The bottom line is that Hollywood and Madison Avenue are making a shrewd bet that Main Street USA can feel nostalgic about a decade that was pretty darned cool after all.
“Thanks to this TV show, these are the good old days all over again, because it evokes warm feelings of nostalgia,” noted Brad Adgate, senior vice president of Horizon Media.
Then there is Lady Gaga, who virtually markets herself as an honors graduate of Madonna University.
And “Da Bearsss” cast is making a comeback in TV commercials. Even though the “Saturday Night Live” sketch didn’t debut until 1991, it has the feel of the ’80s, when the Chicago Bears were the most charismatic team in the NFL.