The ’80s saw a huge shift in economic policy that was met with as much cheer from one side of the aisle as it was with disdain on the other. The age-old tale of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ has always made for interesting and often hilarious dynamics in TV shows and movies.
Arguably nothing has really changed, andwealthy elites are still easy fodderfor everything in Hollywood from movies and sitcoms, to reality shows and everything in between.Back in the ’80s, things were vastly different and there did seem to be a proliferation of these kinds of programming that often mocked or attacked the wealthy.
While inequalities between the wealthy and the poor has always been a hot topic, satirical and comedic jabs at the wealthy were a popular trope back in the ’80s, when Reaganomics and Wall Street fundamentally changed the economy. Here’s a look back at how some of thesecomediesfrom the ’80s attacked the wealthy upper class members of society.
Direct Contrasts
In the ’80s this comedic trope was used just as well to highlight and mock the extreme differences between the lives of rich and poor people. A prime example of this was the 1998 hit film,Coming to America.In the film,Eddie Murphy playsan exorbitantly wealthy African Prince who parades around as a poor laborer to get closer to a girl and find a bride he could trust wasn’t solely after his wealth.
Related:The 11 Best Feel-Good Movies of the 1980s, Ranked
The sharp fall in his status and living situation was simultaneously contrasted by co-star Arsenio Hall (who played his personal aide) whose hilarious attempts to cling onto their usual standards made for some sidesplitting results. While Murphy’s character was often kind and generous with his wealth, at the same, the film’s villain (played by Eriq La Salle) was portrayed as a rich person who was selfish, petty, and dishonest.
Life Swaps
In another ’80s comedy classic,Trading Places,a similar motif was deployed. This time, Dan Aykroydplayed a wealthy managing director who is forced to switch lives with a street hustler, once again played by Eddie Murphy. At the root of the story are the two even wealthier owners of a commodities brokerage firm that set up the entire switch to settle a bet.
In the process, these two characters are cast as evil rich people who are so bored, they actually go as far as to completely upend two people’s lives for a gag. As a comedic trope, the results of the switch are hilarious. However, the actual trope that quietly underscores the entire film is the satirical attack on wealthy people by portraying them as unconscionable individuals.
1980s Sitcoms
Through popular ’80s sitcoms, rich people were often portrayed as the opposite of fancy, and relished making fun of the poor or benefiting at their expense. Examples of this storyline was often seen through the eyes of the famous Bundy family fromMarried… With Children, which ran into the late ’90s but started and gained in popularity back in 1987. The show often parodied the dynamic between neighbors by glorifying the antics (however dishonest) of the poor Bundys, while demonizing and poking fun at their rich neighbors, the Rhoades, later known as the D’Arcy’s.
Related:The All-Time Best 80s Movies Ever Made, Ranked
Similarly,the wildly popular sitcomThe Jeffersonspoked fun at wealthy white people through the differing value systems between the newly rich African American family that moves into a prestigious apartment block, and the mostly wealthy white families that had always lived there. The ’90s would go on to pick up straight from there with shows such as the equally hilarious contrasts between the rich and poor in showslikeThe Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Direct Attacks and Legacy
Through ’80s films such as the 1987 dark comedyEat the Rich, the ongoing comedic motif against the wealthy was as direct as they come. The title pretty gives away its plot as the film was a satirical portrayal of class differences that demonized and poked fun at wealthy people in a pretty direct manner.
While these types of movies and shows are pretty much prominent throughout other decades too, the ’80s seemed to embed them into a cultural phenomenon that only continued to grow in the ’90s, and all the way to today. With the legacy of such movies and shows permanently ingrained into the psyche of entire generations of audiences, there’s no surprise why they remain a popular trope no matter which decade it is.
This has perhaps been one of the lasting legacies of ’80s entertainment. By the ’90s, movies likeAmerican Psychowere all the rage. While not exactly a comedy, the film certainly took a satirical and dark comedic look at the shameless excesses and debauchery of excessive wealth. Since the 2011 global financial crisis and the advent of global movements like the Occupy Wall Street protests, these kinds of stories seem unlikely to ever stop being popular.
The political underpinnings of such a theme certainly makes it prone to contentious debate. Many people often argue that this kind of negative influence against wealth, capitalism, and upper class society tends to be inaccurate and exaggerated. Regardless, no matter which side of the aisle you’re from, it was undeniable that the ’80s often struck comedic gold by poking fun at the wealthy upper class.
