1986 | Perms, Popcorn, Panic

Jo crashes into late 1986 as a six pound ball of chaos while Amanda waits in the cosmic lobby, and together they drag you through one of the wildest years of the eighties. This Barely Historical episode dives into the Challenger disaster, the Chernobyl meltdown, Reagan politics, chaotic 80s parenting, working moms in giant sweaters, teenage boys saving for their first cars, mall culture, Aqua Net addictions, Top Gun fever, Ferris Bueller rebellion, Aliens terror, Madonna and Sean Penn drama, Run DMC domination, Crocodile Dundee mania, and the emotional instability that shaped 1986.

If you love dark comedy history podcasts soaked in 80s nostalgia, big hair energy, VHS memories, neon pop culture, and extremely medium research, this episode is your new favorite. Jo and Amanda blend gossip with real events as they turn Challenger trauma, nuclear fallout, Iran Contra hearings, and over the top consumerism into a chaotic scrapbook of 1986. Follow, rate, and review on Spotify, and check out Patreon for the Chernobyl deep dive plus upcoming episodes on 1924 and the first Macy’s Day Parade.

Let's ruin the past.

Listen wherever you ruin history.

Credits

Hosts: JoLynne and Amanda
Produced by Barely Historical
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube: @barelyhistoricalpodcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BarelyHistorical
Contact: oops@barelyhistorical.com