Video points out all the 'Stranger Things' that didn't exist in 1983
The popular Netflix show got the feel of the 1980s right, but College Humor points out that some items had to be time-travelers.
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
"Stranger Things," the popular Netflix drama, has been praised for nailing many of the elements about its 1983 setting. Yes, back then we had Snack Pack pudding in the tin cans the show displays and not today's wimpy plastic cups, we sometimes still played records and yes, the title credits resemble an era-appropriate Stephen King book cover.
But the folks at College Humor dressed up in "Stranger Things"-style costumes and found a paneled rec room somewhere to film a fun video pointing out some of the anachronisms. There's even a guy who argues that it doesn't matter, it all combines to create the general feel of the 1980s, and we shouldn't be so picky. (There's one of That Guy in every trivia debate.)
We won't spoil your viewing by revealing all their finds but would like to join in hearty agreement that an Atari 2600 (best video-game console ever!) was no longer the cool hot Christmas gift by 1983. (But to play devil's advocate, not everyone wanted a Commodore 64, some folks were late adopters, and the 2600 wasn't discontinued until 1992, so it was obviously still selling.)
And we spotted one possible time error the show didn't mention -- Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" didn't come out till late January 1984. Don't masquerade with the guy in shades, oh no.