Comedy Was Never the Same

The 1980s saw America swing back towards conservatism, and comedy swung right along with it – often with a satirical edge. Films like Trading Places (1983) and Wall Street (1987) used humor to comment on Reagan-era economics and the growing wealth gap.But the ’80s weren’t all about money. This decade also saw the rise of the teen comedy, with John Hughes films like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) capturing the essence of Gen X disaffection and rebellion.Meanwhile, comedies began to more openly address issues of gender equality. 9 to 5 (1980) used laughs to highlight workplace sexism, while Tootsie (1982) had Dustin Hoffman learning some uncomfortable truths about being a woman in a man’s world.