1987: A Closer Look at Events
Toni Morrison writes Beloved, and the novel later wins the Pulitzer Prize. The book was about a female slave and the spirit of her dead daughter. Critically acclaimed by critics and readers alike, this novel made Toni Morrison’s career. A movie version was later produced in 1998 starring Oprah Winfrey and directed by Jonathan Demme.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame began in 1986, but noticeably absent from the first list of inductees was a woman. In 1987, Aretha Franklin was welcomed into the museum. The “Queen of Soul” began singing at her father’s church. She signed with Atlantic Records in 1967 and had 20 number one hits and won 17 Grammys. VH-1 also named her the Greatest Woman in Rock N’ Roll.
Budd Dwyer was a Republican politician from Missouri, but was the Representative of Pennsylvania. Dwyer was accused of taking bribes, which some believe was part of a conspiracy. After being convicted, Dwyer called for a press conference the day before his sentencing. He said he would not resign as treasurer as he handed out envelopes to the crowd. He then pulled out a .357 Magnum and put the barrel in his throat. He killed himself live on television to a shocked nation. The footage is still circulating today. It’s still undecided whether he was innocent or not.
On February 12, in Salt Lake City, Utah, another of the Unabomber’s bombs exploded. Ted Kaczynski’s reign of terror was legendary, but it was this bombing which led authorities to draw the perfect picture of his image. Using the photo they were able to apprehend Ted quickly... or, the picture was completely off and would take nearly a decade for the man to be caught.
The Fairness Doctrine was a “law” that stated that all forms of media had to give equal coverage/time to both sides of a debate. Congress proposed the plan as a bill and passed it on to the White House. However, President Reagan vetoed it and that was the last anyone heard of the Fairness Doctrine. Since then, media outlets have been grossly liberal or conservative and rarely report unbiasedly.
On May 17, Iraqi missiles killed 37 Americans on the USS Stark. The day after, Suddam Hussein apologized profusely that it was a mistake. Alas, the damage had been done, America begins military escorts. Desert Storm was on the horizon and the attacks of today were only an afterthought. What if Ronald Reagan had listened to Vice President Bush and declared war then? Either way, Hussein still had all the oil and no one wanted war.
Michael Jackson released Bad, his follow-up to 1982's Thriller. The album features two classics: “Bad” and “Smooth Criminal”. The later was covered years later by Alien Ant Farm and “Bad” parodied by “Weird Al”. The album was another hit for Jackson while he was still “normal”.
Wednesday-Friday, October 14-October 16: Jessica McClure, falls down a well. For 58 hours, Baby Jessica was stuck in an eight inch pipe. The story gained worldwide notoriety. It inspired several real life hero stories and a TV movie. However, what of the man who saved her? He killed himself.
1987 was the year for movies with several cult classics populating the list. Most of the films held a fantastic theme. The comedies: Three Men and a Baby, The Princess Bride, Overboard, Spaceballs, and Ernest Goes to Camp. The action: Masters of the Universe, Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, Hellrasier, The Untouchables, The Lost Boys, The Living Daylights, Full Metal Jacket, The Running Man, Lethal Weapon, Fatal Attraction, Good Morning, Vietnam, Heat, Dirty Dancing (yes, the epic thriller...), Predator, Robocop, and Ernest Goes to Camp. The year marked a peak of creativity for the cinema.
