Andy Sullivan: Against the Grain

Thu, 03/07/2024 - 8:14am — Diane Dyer

This week, we research and count down the top 10 gadgets of the 1980’s Inventors and their gadgets came in many forms. It took an unlikely combination of a German manufacturer and a tv show (Miami Vice) to give the ‘80’s male a not-so-close shave. When the decade began, America was deeply polarized. Men were either beard-loving ex-hippies or clean-shaven office workers. Apparently, stubble appeals to women as well. I’ve sported it several times and got nothing. I digress. We start at #10.

Effortlessness takes effort. Enter Braun with its 3-shaver. This miracle of German engineering claimed to deliver the closest shave ever using their innovative three-stage setting. Thanks to Braun, anyone could achieve that casual, scruffy, chic look. Other manufacturers followed with clippers of their own. There was even a company that wanted to call their razor the Miami Device (another Miami Vice tie-in). Braun sold over 100 million shavers in the ‘80’s. They’ve certainly stood the test of time.

In the mid-‘70’s, cheap, mass-produced Quartz watches from Asia flooded the market. By the early ‘80’s, European watchmakers had a big problem: their products were seriously out of date. Swiss watchmakers needed to keep up with the time and had to come up with a product that was both affordable and fashionable. The Swatch was born. Swatch brought the precision of a Swiss timepiece with the affordability the average American was looking for. Ranging from $25-$35, the Swatch launches in the U.S. in 1983. The first batch wasn’t exactly eye-catching and left consumers unmoved. Swatch’s marketing boss hatched a radical marketing plan. Swatch marketing project leader Franz Sprecher says “the first collection was not very good, so I came up with an idea. We are not selling watches. We are selling a fashion accessory”. It went from just an easy watch to wear to great, vibrant jewelry. Swatch releases up to 48 new designs every year. That meant you could fit in by being different. That was perfect for the ‘80’s. This made Swatch very counterculture, as they were doing something very un-Swiss. The Swatch was cool, colorful and collectable. The word “Swatch” came from two words: second watch.

By launching a timely revolution, Swatch reinvigorated the Swiss watch industry and kept an entire decade on time. MTV original DJ Mark Goodman says “Swatch understood that it was a youth market and what an untapped market this audience was”. Swatch was one gadget that defined the ‘80’s. I loved mine!

#8: “Planet Rock” by Africa Bambaataa sold over 1 million copies in 1982. The beat of the song sparked a musical revolution, and it was created thanks to one ‘80’s gadget: the Rhythm Composer TR-808 Drum Machine. Launched in 1980, the 808 generated sounds using analog rather than digital technology, giving its drum beats a futuristic vibe. The unique sound caught the ear of early hip-hop artists, one of whom was pioneering engineer Egyptian Lover. Hadn’t heard of him? Don’t feel bad. I hadn’t either. “The best thing is that it doesn’t sound like real drums. It’s a totally different sound. I made my records back in ’83. Years later, it’s still futuristic”. In addition to unique drum sounds, the 808 frees users from the preset rhythm patterns found on other machines.

Music producer Trevor Horn says “When I first worked with ABC(‘80’s pop group, not the network), the first song I did with them, I could program the rhythm section. Back in 1982, that was groundbreaking”. In 1983, supplies of the old analog components had dried up. Keyboard brand Roland replaced the 808 with a more advanced model. Thanks to hits like “Planet Rock”, its sound had already become iconic. It became a cult tool. People wanted that 808 sound.

Used 808’s started being snapped up by DIY music producers, often for less than $100 at thrift stores. Hip-hop acts like Run DMC, LL Cool J and Public Enemy started to incorporate the 808 sounds. Remember the late Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”? An 808 beat was used throughout the song. That drum sound became the DNA of so much hip-hop and popular music even to this day. Today, the 808 beats are included with music software and modern drum machines. Kanye West dedicated an entire album called 808’s and Heartbreak to its sound. 40 years on, the 808 continues to define the sound of pop music.

#7 was more than a gadget. It was an addiction. In 1989, the Gameboy was ready to launch. They just needed a killer game to go along with it. Nintendo spies find the perfect candidate. The problem was that it was on the wrong side of the iron curtain. Tetris was a Soviet Union invention. It came from Alexey Pajitnov, who worked in a computer sciences organization in the USSR. The addictive game became wildly popular and started circulating for free via floppy disc. Nintendo was one of three parties who tried to track down the Tetris controller in the Soviet Union. After a cloak and dagger search, Nintendo’s agents finally contacted Alexi. The deal was done, and Nintendo had hit the jackpot. Nearly half the people who had Gameboy’s in the 1990’s were women. In 1989, 35 million copies of Tetris are sold.

We’re going to end this week at #6. In the 1980’s, American lifestyles were changing rapidly. Technology was adapted to the way we live. We were starting to work farther from home, engaging in more activities. Meanwhile, a revolution was taking place in the workplace with a record number of women joining the workforce. Women were still doing 80% of the cooking at home. It was time for a revolution in the kitchen. The microwave promised to be a time-saving appliance for the modern home. Its path to becoming a fixture of domestic life was far from smooth. Fears of microwave radiation have been around since the ‘40’s. As microwaves became more popular as a household appliance in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, those fears intensified. In 1988, scientists were able to debunk the myth linking microwave exposure to cancer. As anxiety surrounding the use of microwaves started to ease, a flurry of microwave cookbooks and menu items was unleashed. As buying a credit card became more accessible in the ‘80’s, they became easier to afford. By the end of the decade, microwaves were in 70% of American households-more common than toaster ovens, VCR’s or cable tv.