Identity

Bodacious identity crisis of the 80s! 🆔✨

Identity in the 80s was all about expressing yourself! From your Walkman playlist to your choice of parachute pants, everything screamed "THIS IS WHO I AM!"

Radical identity markers

  • Your Hair: The bigger, the better! Aqua Net was basically a food group
  • Your Music: Were you New Wave, Hair Metal, or Hip Hop?
  • Your Style: Preppy, Punk, or New Romantic?
  • Your Crew: Jocks, Nerds, Burnouts, or the elusive Popular Kids

Break dancing identity elements

  • Your Tag Name: Every B-Boy needed a cool alias (like "Electric Boogaloo Eddie")
  • Your Signature Move: What made YOU different from every other windmill?
  • Your Crew Colors: Bandanas, wristbands, and laces had to coordinate
  • Your Beat: Could you dance to anything, or just specific rhythms?

Movie identity transformations

  • "The Breakfast Club" (1985): Five teens discover they're more than their stereotypes
  • "Pretty in Pink" (1986): Molly Ringwald proves you can be yourself AND get the guy
  • "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1987): Eric Stoltz learns to be authentic
  • "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982): Sean Penn's Spicoli defines slacker identity

Financial identity facts

In the 80s, your credit identity was simpler:

  • Social Security Number: Your primary financial identifier
  • One credit report from one of three agencies
  • No credit scores until 1989 (FICO was revolutionary!)
  • Identity theft was mostly about stolen wallets, not online hacking

Freestyle biking identity kit

  • Bike Brand: GT, Haro, Mongoose, or Redline?
  • Helmet Style: None (dangerous!), skateboard style, or full BMX gear
  • Tricks: Your repertoire defined your riding identity
  • Attitude: Fearless, calculated, or show-off?

80s identity verification process

  1. Walk the Walk: Could you strut with confidence?
  2. Talk the Talk: Did you know the slang? ("Gag me with a spoon!")
  3. Know the References: Movies, music, TV shows were your cultural currency
  4. Prove Your Loyalty: Would you defend your friends in a food fight?

"In the 80s, identity verification was about being authentic... or at least looking like you were!" 🎭