Post: #51

(06-24-2013 05:04 AM)playa_with_a_passport Wrote:  I grew up in the Bronx/Brooklyn/Lower East Side during that era. It was just horrible, none of that bullying where people just called you names. Somebody did not like you for whatever reason, you needed to do something about it. Living in terror every day but couldn't show it because if you did you were toast. Scared shitless that somebody would run up on me and give me "a buck fifty." Cops beating the living shit out of you if you even looked at them wrong, the poverty, the literally govt cheese, female friends getting "legitimately raped", crack heads walking like zombies, bitches not giving head. I don't miss those times at all. Young bucks growing up today even in a shit hole like Brownsville, East NY, South Side Queens have no idea how good they have it.

Post: #52

I think what can be gathered from this video is while perhaps, the 80s was a more violent time period than now, entertainment, passion, and relationships weren't outsourced by digital abstractions. I think if the Internet didn't exist, we would still see people hanging out and mingling at a 7-11 late on a weekend night.

Instead our needs for socializiation are now met by smart phones, social media, and the Internet. That combined with the culture of fear and passivity the media has cultivated, leaves the human less likely to seek out common ground with a stranger, a dark, dangerous and uncertain concept in today's world of security, deterrence, and isolation.

Post: #53

(06-24-2013 05:04 AM)playa_with_a_passport Wrote:  

(06-24-2013 02:12 AM)speakeasy Wrote:  

(06-24-2013 01:36 AM)scotian Wrote:  1987: the height of the crack epidemic, AIDS scare and kids getting killed for their Air Jordans, the good old days!

True. Totally forgot about that point. NYC was a violent shithole in the 80s. LA practically a war zone as well. Shitloads of Vietnam vets homeless, Reaganomics, scandals, yet all anyone remembers is "Like a virgin" and Fast times at Ridgemont High.

I grew up in the Bronx/Brooklyn/Lower East Side during that era. It was just horrible, none of that bullying where people just called you names. Somebody did not like you for whatever reason, you needed to do something about it. Living in terror every day but couldn't show it because if you did you were toast. Scared shitless that somebody would run up on me and give me "a buck fifty." Cops beating the living shit out of you if you even looked at them wrong, the poverty, the literally govt cheese, female friends getting "legitimately raped", crack heads walking like zombies, bitches not giving head. I don't miss those times at all. Young bucks growing up today even in a shit hole like Brownsville, East NY, South Side Queens have no idea how good they have it.

It was really a dog eat dog world. Am I the only one who thinks things are actually getting better? I wish I would have been born 10-15 years later...

I could be wrong, but it seems like back then the misery was contained in the inner city ghettoes. For 98% of America everything was decent. Now the politicians have moved people from the ghettoes and spread them around, so everywhere else is a little shittier and the ghetto is a little nicer. They have also cracked down hard on the ghettoes. Think Section 8, community reinvestment act, stop and frisk, and countless other policy measures.

Post: #54

I graduated from high school in 87. Parts of the Bronx was like the wild west back then. NYC is safer now.

Post: #55

I remember back in 1987 that I had a buddy that used to work at the local water slides, and knew how its security system worked, so, late one night, a bunch of us snuck in to this water slide park, jumping over the fence, and slid down the slides even though we had no swimming clothes and there was no running water (we splashed the water ourselves to have enough water to slide down).

After doing that, we hung out together and one of the guys admitted he fucked a lady "cougar" friend who I had a crush on. Didn't bother me in the least; we were friends and pretty much anything was cool.

1987 was a really good year for me. My only regret is that I lost contact with everyone in that group over the years.

Post: #56

1987....

That was pre-Simpsons, pre-valuemeal fast food, and radio was locally owned and still interesting.....right?

Scratch the last one: Post Wham! George Michael was big then i think......

Post: #57

(06-23-2013 09:32 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

(06-23-2013 07:23 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Strange to think that if you filmed people in a shop today. In 25 years time it would feel like the above video.

This. Which is why I think people should focus on enjoying the present rather than romanticizing the past. Because people 25 years from now will be talking about how awesome the 2010s were. Just like people in that 1986 video were talking about how awesome the 60s were, and the people in the 50s were talking about how great the roaring 20s were, etc etc. Just enjoy what there is to enjoy in the world at present because one day you'll be nostalgic for it.

but more like post of the month. this is full of win