This series presents 17 volumes that serve as cultural time capsules sent from the American people. Popular culture is defined as the culture of the people, and each volume examines the entertainments, diversions, icons, and rituals that show how American attitudes, behavior, beliefs, customs, and tastes have changed from decade to decade and from era to era. At the same time, readers of this series will learn how elements of popular culture actually changed its creators - the American people. Each volume has chapters on: Advertising; Architecture; Everyday America; Fads, Games, Hobbies, Sports & Toys; Fashion; Food; Literature; Music; Performing Arts; Travel; Visual Arts; and The World of Youth. The 1980s are seen by many as a time of excess and extremes. From Boy George to Madonna, metal heads to valley girls, and workout clothes to shoulder pads, many pushed the boundaries of what was conventional. After a decade of war, disillusionment with the government, advances in civil rights, and disco, Americans became status seekers and shopaholics, and the "Me" generation was born. Twelve narrative chapters describe the decade of decadence and its impact on popular culture including: the AIDS epidemic, preppies, Miami Vice, the Rubik's Cube, E.T., hair bands, the advent of the personal computer, malls, Ronald Reagan, Pac-Man, Cheers, Stephen King, Michael Jackson, the shuttle Challenger explosion, Bonfire of the Vanities, music videos, Roseanne, Wall Street, the power suit, Less Than Zero, rap music, and The Cosby Show, among many others.