The Elroy Public Library is celebrating the 1980s in January, February

Contributed by KARI PREUSS

Elroy Public Library director

Were you ever Gagged by a Spoon? Did you ask Where’s the Beef? What do you recall of the 1980s?   

Each month the Elroy Public Library is going to look back on a decade by celebrating the books, films, and cultural aspects of the time. January/February is focused on 1980s (which surprised me to realize is 40 years ago). I entered the 80s at the age of 6 and left a sophomore in high school. 

Stepping back in time allows you to recall precious memories and rediscover classics. Sit back and try to answer each question before learning mine. 

What books were you reading? I recall the book “Jacob Have I Loved” as the greatest literature I had ever read at the age of 10, and the Stephen King book “It” as the reason I needed to sleep with lights on for a month. Stop by to pick up the top books of 1980 such as “Beloved,” “Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Watchmen,” “The Color Purple,” or “The Name of the Rose,” to name a few.   

What 1980s movie was your favorite? Tough one to answer, but I would have to split between “Sixteen Candles,” made in 1984, and “Spaceballs” in 1987 (love and laughter have always been my weakness). We have put together a few of the best 1980s movies such as “Cocoon,” “Weird Science,” “Tootsie,” “Gandhi,” “The Natural,” and “Strange Brew” on DVD. If we do not have your favorite movie, we can order it in. Don’t have a DVD player? You can borrow one. Sorry, we do not have VHS or Beta options … 

Now to music: what were you listening to? I was a huge fan of Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, Air Supply, and Motley Crew. I had not only the record but the cassette of “Hysteria” by Def Leppard. Do you remember cassettes? Top songs in 1980 were “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen, “Call Me” by Blondie, “Lady” by Kenny Rogers, and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones. Again, the library has all the artists you can recall to borrow on CD and a boom box to borrow if you need one. 

Finally, the 1980s were defined by the hair and clothes.  What fashions do you recall? Perms, Aqua Net, and shoulder pads for me, with a brief summer of spandex shorts. Honestly, I dated a guy because he looked so good in his parachute pants and sweet mullet. We have all the Panther yearbooks to enjoy if you have the time. 

We are playing our version of “The Bozo Show’s” GRAND PRIZE GAME with an ultimate prize of 7 gallons of goodies. Each bucket you can successfully land gets you a ticket for the drawing. 

Hope you enjoyed the look back, and stop by to try out our Rubik’s Cube or try out Trivial Pursuit at the Totally Tubular Elroy Public Library. I will end with a few cost-of-living facts from 1980: Gasoline, $1.19 per gallon; milk, $2.02 per gallon; hamburger, $1 a pound; stamp, 15 cents; new car, $7,200; and average income, $19,170 per year.  

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