This 1980 TV Movie Explains Everything

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Cody Johnston analyzes how we're making the same mistakes we did in 1980 and how what we now call AI "slop" has always been here. Watch to the end (without skipping ahead) before you comment. I dare you.

Posted by sentinel at 11:41 PM | 15 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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... Cody Johnston analyzes how we're making the same mistakes we did in 1980 ...

What might those mistake be?

Note that I have no intention of sitting through an hour-plus youtube video.

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-06-18 11:54 PM | Reply

If you're too lazy to watch an engaging YouTube video, you can always ask Google to give you the AI slop version of it.

#2 | Posted by sentinel at 2026-06-19 12:06 AM | Reply

I've watched videos that were over 2 to 3 hours long because they gave some interesting insights into past eras of history and presented them in an interesting or entertaining way. If an hour video is too much for some people, I'd hate to think how they'd react if someone asked them to (*gasp*) read a book!

#3 | Posted by sentinel at 2026-06-19 12:13 AM | Reply

@#2

Not too lazy, I just have other things to do than sit through an hour+ long youtube video to learn something I could read in a couple minutes.

Google's AI, btw, has self-admitted errors.

So, I'll ask again, what's the gist of the video?

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-06-19 12:14 AM | Reply

How much do you remember about 1980?

#5 | Posted by sentinel at 2026-06-19 12:30 AM | Reply

@#5 ... How much do you remember about 1980? ...

Quite a bit.

But what's yer point?

I'll ask again ... what's the gist of the video?

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-06-19 12:33 AM | Reply

Speaking of the 80s, Katy Stoll (the wallet ad segment) just kinda looks like Phoebe Cates. Mmmm, Phoebe Cates

#7 | Posted by hamburglar at 2026-06-19 12:42 AM | Reply

#7 | Posted by hamburglar

Quick scan for streaming "Fast Times At Ridgemont High".

#8 | Posted by morris at 2026-06-19 01:05 AM | Reply

@#5 ... How much do you remember about 1980? ...

Well, for starters, I attended a Pink Floyd Concert (The Wall) at Nassau Coliseum on Long island ...

On the drive home, there was an ice storm. At the end of the concert an announcer came out on the stage and told everyone to be careful driving home because of the ice.

#9 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-06-19 01:24 AM | Reply

re: Morris

One of my favorite Cars songs, too.

Phoebe Cates in the 80s, Jessica Alba in the late 90s-00s, Lisa from Blackpink now. They all have such beautiful smiles.

I actually thought Lisa was an A.I. generated clickbait when I clicked on her photo on Facebook, was quite pleasantly surprised that such a stunning woman was real.

Oh yeah, the 80s had cool music and movies and some fun cheesy stuff too

#10 | Posted by hamburglar at 2026-06-19 07:29 AM | Reply

Love me some LaLisa.
www.youtube.com

#11 | Posted by TFDNihilist at 2026-06-19 08:22 AM | Reply

In 1980 I was too young to have any inkling of what was going on in even local news, much less national news. I was probably obsessed with the Dukes of Hazzard and Incredible Hulk TV shows at the time.

Thankfully I was shielded from things like babies being abandoned in dumpsters. I do remember government cheese, though. People joked (and probably still do joke) about it, but damn, that cheese was definitely the best to make grilled cheese sandwiches ever.

#12 | Posted by sentinel at 2026-06-19 12:36 PM | Reply

Pretty sure the 1980s movie you're thinking of John Carpenter's 1988, "They Live".

#13 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-06-19 12:41 PM | Reply

"In 1980 I was too young to have any inkling of what was going on in even local news, much less national news. I was probably obsessed with the Dukes of Hazzard and Incredible Hulk TV shows at the time."

If you were old enough to be obsessed with weekly 46-minute plots, you were old enough for social consciousness.

In 1970 I was 10 years old in New York City. All it takes is the Daily News or the New York Post, great sports pages with front halves of the paper, to get the news. Or watch what becomes before the weather. 1980.

I wasn't enlightened. But I couldn't ignore it either.

No early Reagan memories? Assassination? John Hinckley? All right past you?

John Lennon getting shot? No?

Top 1980 movies: www.boxofficemojo.com

See them?

You were there.

#14 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-06-19 04:28 PM | Reply

From around that timeframe I recall these made-for-TV films: "The Day After," "V," and "The Bunker."

Maybe not quite 1980, but thereabouts.

#15 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-06-19 05:36 PM | Reply