With the possible exception of the 70s, there is no decade that’s been on the receiving end of more scorn and abuse than the 80s. If I see one more soda commercial making fun of the infamous Flock of Seagulls haircut, I swear I’m gonna retch! It seems that no-one appreciates the fact that A Flock of Seagulls sold millions of records and scored dozens of awards, including a Grammy. The way these guys get batted around, you’d think they were ABBA or the Bee-Gees or something. Oh, wait- I see the irony in that…

My self-appointed task in this life is to educate people about the 80s, to foster an appreciation for the decade that seems to have been destined to spend the rest of the century as the butt of jokes.

What good came out of those 10 years between 1980 and 1990? How about the console that brought Nintendo to the forefront of video gaming, dethroning Atari and introducing popular characters like Mario to the world? The system that set the stage for the Wii. That’s right; the NES was introduced in 1983, eventually selling over 63 million units. Nintendo also launched the era of portable gaming with 1989’s GameBoy. While we’re on the subject of technology, you’re probably aware that the Mac is the coolest computer around these days, with Apple Stores in New York and other cities becoming a Mecca for technology. Well, the first Mac was released in 1984.

You need look no further than my closet for a short list of 80s movies that were not only good then, but considered classics today, with characters worthy of tee-shirt status: A Christmas Story, Aliens, Back To The Future, Blade Runner, Caddyshack, E.T., The Empire Strikes Back, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Friday The 13th, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, The Karate Kid- really, is there any need for me to hit up L though Z? I didn’t think so. What’s the biggest summer blockbuster for 2009 expect to be? Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, perhaps? Well, I wonder when Transformers first came to life. Oh, that would be 1984.

We’ve already touched on music but here are a few more acts that peaked during that special decade: The Police, The Clash, U2, INXS, Duran Duran, the Go-Go’s and Talking Heads. Despite what advertisers would have you think, the 80s wasn’t all bad hair and synthesizers.