The Goldbergs, which is broadcasted on ABC, is a well-themed love letter to the ‘80s, and it is full of pop references to the period which afforded us The Breakfast Club, leg warmers, and Prince. While it might seem really hard to mention every pop reference depicted on the sitcom, we are going to highlight five really geeky and obscure references to the good old times. We shall only to focus on the most unique and memorable references that come up on the show, while we pay zero consideration on the toys, posters, and background props that might appear on the show but are irrelevant to the direction of the plot.
Reference 1: Video Dating
This episode does an accurate job of capturing the awkward nature of video dating albeit its popularity in the early ‘80s. People actually paid organizations like Great Expectations and Teledate to record short clips and pass really chest profile videos. These videos would later then be watched by other providers. Video dating, in all its weirdness, was seemingly a good step up from the previously popular mail order brides. However, the whole idea, as time would tell, went down the drain with the growth of the internet. Below is a link that depicts video dating in the show . Obviously, offering free “I Love VD” backpacks is not the best idea, as VD might as well be an acronym for venereal disease, an infection transmitted sexually.
Reference 2: A Body Like Jane Fonda
Bill Lewis states that his ex-wife had Jane Fonda’s body: a famed workout enthusiast. Jane Fonda has a long acting career, but she was well known due to her popular workout videos that were released in the ‘80s. Jane Fonda workout videos assisted in popularizing the VCR and even elevated her position as a popular pop culture artist. At one moment, the Fonda workout video grossed as the best-selling video for some years consecutively. Jane Fonda later retired from the video business in the ‘90s, but she, however, decided to make a return in 2010 with some new videos, which were generally aimed at hooking the older generation of body fitness enthusiasts. Below is a descriptive video.
Reference 3: Macho Man
Adam Goldberg, the showrunner, opted to base Bill’s video on the popular song “Macho Man”, which was broadcasted in the late ’70s. “Macho Man”, which was the second production by the Village People, referenced the band’s call for “macho types” while they were seeking dancers and singers to join the group. The Village People are undoubtedly the original symbol for the LGBT community. As a matter of fact, the band’s costumes all refer to costumes worn by gay people at events in Greenwich Village. Here is a link to the reference.
Reference 4: Ewoks Shirt
Adam Goldberg puts on an antique t-shirt, which was popular in 1985, at one point as a reference to the Ewoks. The TV movie, “Ewoks: Battle for Endor” was a sequel to another movie: “The Caravan of Courage.” The Caravan of Courage was a TV movie that focused on a family that had been trapped in Endor. The family befriends an Ewoks tribe; these new friends will later help the Rebel Alliance and Luke Skywalker to overthrow the Empire. The second movie was a bit more horrific than the first. It focused more on a battle between some marauders who wanted to take over Endor and the Ewoks. The movies, which were greatly acclaimed at the time, really struggle for popularity in an era that celebrates what a marvel the Star Wars is. Even so, the t-shirt that Adam puts on during this episode is a crew and cast t-shirt that had been offered during production, and it is a nice piece of ‘80s memorabilia. Check out the link below.
Reference 5: Clash of the Titans
Murray begged Barry to watch Clash of the Titans instead of preparing to become a gym instructor. Clash of the Titans, a movie which retold the story of Perseus, was broadcasted in 1981. The movie is greatly acclaimed for its application of special effects. With time, the film became a classic and even got reacted in 2010. Below is a video link to the episode.
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