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This monthly podcast looks back at the pop culture of Generation X, from an African-American perspective.

Jun 1, 2019

Topics: Reaganomics, MJ vis-a-vis Prince, 48 Hrs. (Film). (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)
 
 
1.    1982 Notes
 
2.    General Snapshots
 
3.    Ronald Reagan President
 
4.    Oct – The 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders occur when 7 people in the Chicago area die after ingesting capsules laced with potassium cyanide.
 
5.    November – The unemployment rate peaks at 10.8%.
 
6.    November 2 – United States elections, 1982. The Republican Party loses 27 seats to the majority Democratic Party in the House.
 
7.    November 30 – Michael Jackson releases Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time.
 
8.    Open Comments
 
9.    Popular Music Scene
 
10.    Top 3 Singles
 
11.    1 - "Physical", Olivia Newton-John
 
12.    2 - "Eye of the Tiger", Survivor
 
13.    3 - "I Love Rock 'n Roll", Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
 
14.    Record of the Year - "Rosanna", Toto
 
15.    Album of the Year - Toto IV, Toto
 
16.    Song of the Year - "Always on My Mind", Willie Nelson
 
17.    Best New Artist - Men at Work
 
18.    Open Comments
 
19.    Popular Movies
 
20.    Top 3 Grossing Movies
 
21.    1 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
 
22.    2 – Tootsie
 
23.    3 - An Officer and a Gentleman
 
24.    Notables: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, First Blood, Poltergeist, Rocky III, Porky's, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
 
25.    Open Comments
 
26.    Popular TV
 
27.    1 - 60 Minutes
 
28.    2 – Dallas
 
29.    3 - M*A*S*H / Magnum, P.I.
 
30.    Black Snapshots
 
31.    Jan - Fame debuts on TV
 
32.    Mar - Teddy Pendergrass is severely injured in a car accident in Philadelphia. Pendergrass's injuries result in him being paralyzed from the chest down.
 
33.    Andrew Jackson Young Jr., pastor, politician, diplomat, activist, former executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and a close confidant to Martin Luther King Jr. becomes Mayor of Atlanta.
 
34.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Jennifer Holliday for "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)"Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Marvin Gaye for "Sexual Healing"
 
35.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: (tie) Dazz Band for "Let It Whip"
36.    Earth, Wind & Fire for "Wanna Be with You"
 
37.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Turn Your Love Around" performed by George Benson
 
38.    Best Comedy Recording: Richard Pryor for Live on the Sunset Strip
 
39.    Economic Snapshots
 
40.    New House - 82.5k
 
41.    Avg Income - 21k
 
42.    New Car - 8k
 
43.    Avg Rent – 320
 
44.    Harvard Tuition - 7k per year
 
45.    Movie Ticket - 2.50
 
46.    Stamp - .20
 
47.    Open Comments
 
48.    Social Scene: Reaganomics
 
49.    Reaganomics is a popular term used to refer to the economic policies of Ronald Reagan
 
50.    During the campaign of 1980, Ronald Reagan announced a recipe to fix the nation's economic mess. He claimed an undue tax burden, excessive government regulation, and massive social spending programs hampered growth.
 
51.    Reagan's 1981 Program for Economic Recovery had four major policy objectives: (1) reduce the growth of government spending, (2) reduce the marginal tax rates on income from both labor and capital, (3) reduce regulation, and (4) reduce inflation by controlling the growth of the money supply. The economic theory behind the plan was called Supply-Side, or Trickle-Down economics, or voodoo economics by political opponents.
 
52.    Did It Work?
 
53.    President Reagan delivered on each of his four major policy objectives., although not to the extent that he and his supporters had hoped.
 
54.    Government spending wasn't lowered, just shifted from domestic programs to defense. The result? The federal debt almost tripled, from $997 billion in 1981 to $2.857 trillion in 1989.
 
55.    Reagan cut tax rates enough to stimulate consumer demand. By Reagan's last year in office, the top income tax rate was 28 percent for single people making $18,550 or more. Anyone making less paid no taxes at all. That was much less than the 1980 top tax rate of 70 percent for individuals earning $108,000 or more. Reagan offset these tax cuts with tax increases elsewhere. He raised Social Security payroll taxes and some excise taxes. Reagan cut the corporate tax rate from 46 percent to 40 percent.
 
56.    Reagan deregulated: Domestic oil and gas, cable TV, long-distance telephone service, interstate bus service, and ocean shipping. He eased bank regulations, but that helped create the Savings and Loan Crisis in 1989. Reagan increased, not decreased, import barriers. He did little to reduce other regulations affecting health, safety, and the environment. Carter had reduced regulations at a faster pace.
 
57.    Tame Inflation. Reagan was fortunate Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker was already in place. Volcker vigorously attacked the double-digit inflation of the 1970s.
 
58.    Legacy
 
59.    Reagan’s indifference to urban problems was legendary. For example, early in his presidency, at a White House reception, Reagan greeted the only black member of his Cabinet, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Samuel Pierce, saying: “How are you, Mr. Mayor? I’m glad to meet you. How are things in your city?” He had failed to recognize his own HUD Secretary.
 
60.    And his dislike for public school education is still with us.
 
61.    MAY 06, 2013 LANCE T. IZUMI: SACRAMENTO, CA – While Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy changed the face of the world, it shouldn’t be forgotten that his leadership also dramatically changed the face of issues at home. Top among those was education. In 1983, the Reagan administration released the groundbreaking report A Nation at Risk.  Using a wealth of statistical data, the report demonstrated in detail the failings of America’s education system and the impact of those failings on the country’s children. The report recommended greater emphasis on basic subjects such as math and English, more rigorous and measurable standards, higher expectations for student performance and conduct, lengthening the school year, and improving teacher quality through, for example, increasing standards for teacher training programs. It’s no coincidence that the report’s recommendations form the basis for much of today’s agenda for education reform.
 
62.    According to Dick Carpenter, professor of education leadership at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, in the two years after the release of “A Nation at Risk”,  Reagan delivered more than 50 education-related speeches. Prof. Carpenter found, In speech after speech, Reagan articulated his educational beliefs and ideas, including parental responsibility in education; school choice, including tax credits and vouchers; rigorous academic content focused on basics such as reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and government; religious freedom in schools; high standards of conduct and discipline; character education; and a federal responsibility in helping the disadvantaged. 
 
63.    Gary K. Clabaugh The Cutting Edge 259: Most presupposed that the charges made by Mr. Reagan’s handpicked panel were true. Oddly, throughout this entire clamor parents’ confidence in the schools their children attended remained remarkably high.9Meanwhile Mr. Reagan was quietly halving federal aid to education.
 
64.    That sums up Mr. Reagan’s educational legacy. As governor and president he demagogically fanned discontent with public education,then made political hay of it. As governor and president he bashed educators and slashed education spending while professing to value it. And as governor and president, he left the nation’s educators dispirited and demoralized.
 
65.    Open Comments
 
66.    Question: What are some of the changes you have noticed in schools since you were a child? Good & Bad.
 
67.    Music Scene
 
68.    Black Songs from the Top 40
 
69.    4 - "Ebony and Ivory", Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
 
70.    15 - "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", Hall & Oates
 
71.    24 - "Let It Whip", Dazz Band
 
72.    26 - "The Other Woman", Ray Parker Jr.27 - "Turn Your Love Around", George Benson
 
73.    33 - "Let's Groove”, Earth, Wind & Fire
 
74.    Vote Top R&B Albums
 
75.    Jan - Raise!, Earth, Wind and Fire
 
76.    Feb - Skyy Line, Skyy
 
77.    Feb - The Poet, Bobby Womack
 
78.    Apr - Love Is Where You Find It, The Whispers
 
79.    Apr - Friends, Shalamar
 
80.    May - Brilliance, Atlantic Starr
 
81.    May - The Other Woman, Ray Parker, Jr.
 
82.    Jun - Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I, Stevie Wonder
 
83.    Jun - Keep It Live, Dazz Band
 
84.    Jul - Gap Band IV, The Gap Band
 
85.    Sep - Jump to It, Aretha Franklin
 
86.    Oct - Get Loose, Evelyn "Champagne" King
 
87.    Nov - Forever, For Always, For Love, Luther Vandross
 
88.    Nov - Lionel Richie, Lionel Richie
 
89.    Dec - Midnight Love, Marvin Gaye
 
90.    Key Artists: Michael Jackson, vis-a-vis Prince, and Quincy
 
91.    Let's just peek into the "underground" scene and see what Prince has been up to since Off The Wall
 
92.    (1979)"Thriller" is the sixth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 30, 1982
 
93.    "1999" is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the first to feature his band the Revolution. It was released on October 27, 1982.
 
94.    Previous Albums by Prince: For You (1978), Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), 1999 (1982) - Peak Chart Position for "1999" was #5
 
95.    Singles from Prince since 1978:
 
96.    June 7, 1978 - "Just as Long as We're Together"
 
97.    November 21, 1978 - "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
 
98.    August 24, 1979"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?"
 
99.    January 23, 1980"Still Waiting"
 
100.    March 25, 1980"Sexy Dancer"
 
101.    April 1980 (non-US single)"Uptown"
 
102.    September 10, 1980"Dirty Mind"
 
103.    November 26, 1980"Do It All Night"
 
104.    March 6, 1981"Controversy"
 
105.    September 2, 1981"Sexuality"
 
106.    October 1981 (non-US single)"Let's Work"
 
107.    January 6, 1982"Do Me, Baby"
 
108.    July 16, 1982Singles from "1999""1999"
 
109.    September 24, 1982"Little Red Corvette"
 
110.    February 9, 1983"D.M.S.R."
 
111.    Vote: Prince vs. MJ
 
112.    Quincy Delight Jones Jr., aka The Dude (@ 49 yrs. old): Producer, musician, composer, and film producer.
 
113.    Born on the South Side of Chicago
 
114.    Parents divorced at a young age. At 10 yrs. old, family moved to the state of Washington.
 
115.    At 14, began playing the trumpet, arranging music, and hanging out with 16-year-old Ray Charles.
 
116.    At 19, left college to become a professional musician with the Lionel Hampton band. While with the band he did arrangements for Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and other prominent artists of the day.
 
117.    For the next 8 years he traveled the world performing with Hampton, arranging music, and building possibly the best contacts list in music history.
 
118.    At 27, he started his own band. It was a financial failure and left him in serious debt.
 
119.    Irving Green, friend and head of Mercury records gave him a personal loan, and an executive job. Quincy was off to the races.
 
120.    Highlights:
 
121.    One 1 year later, friend Sidney Lumet, one of the most prolific filmmakers of the era: 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976), and The Verdict (1982), asked him to score his film The Pawnbroker. He would go one to score 40+ films.
 
122.    In 1964, at age 31, he was the arranger/conductor for Frank Sinatra's 2nd album with Count Basie, It Might As Well Be Swing, which contained the classic hit Fly Me to The Moon. It became the first music heard on the Moon when played on a portable cassette player by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin after he stepped onto the Moon. 
 
123.    In addition, he composed the theme music for the TV shows, Sanford and Son, Ironside, Banacek, The Bill Cosby Show, the opening episode of Roots, Mad TV and the game show Now You See It.
 
124.    He was co-producer for the 1985 film The Color Purple. He convinced Steven Spielberg to direct, and was responsible for discovering and casting Oprah.
 
125.    In 1990, he began production for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, with Will Smith, and In the House, with LL Cool J.
 
126.    He launched Vibe magazine in 1993.He is second in the list of all-time Grammy award wins with 28. (31 is 1st)
 
127.    Absolute Legend.
 
128.    Bonus Song: Grandmaster Flash  and The Furious Five
 
129.    "The Message" is the best-known track by legendary hip-hop innovators Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and is a song that, without exaggeration, changed rap music's tone and content forever.
 
130.    Movie Scene: 48 Hrs., starring Eddie Murphy
 
131.    TV Scene: N/A
 
132.    Vote: Favorite/Most Important Pop Culture thing for the year?