of the America’s Cup races, the ultimate display of
expert boatmanship.
Impact During the 1980’s, class became a significant
topic of discussion both in the media and in popular
culture. Some of the most popular teen films of the
decade were written or directed by John Hughes, who
often produced stories about the fraught relations be-
tween teens of different classes. As the Ronald Rea-
gan administration successfully rejuvenated the U.S.
economy, class disparities became more evident than
ever, as poor and rural people failed to benefit from
an economy that was making others wealthy. More-
over, as Reagan’s conservatism both mirrored and in-
creased that of the country at large, many subcultures
and countercultures arose, and many of them fea-
tured outlandish styles of dress.
The image of the preppy in American society be-
came laden with meaning during the decade. For
some, it was a signifier of the detachment and simple
cluelessness of the wealthy in the face of poverty.
This version of the stereotype received one of its
most famous portrayals by Dan Aykroyd inTrading
Places(1983). For others, preppy styles represented a
palatable mode of dress in the face of punks, goths,
and Madonna fans who wore their lingerie outside
their clothes. Preppies’ association with old money
complicated their class significance still further, as
they stood in opposition to the rise of the young,
newly rich yuppies. Meanwhile, actual preppies had
to negotiate all of these positive and negative associ-
ations.
Further Reading
Birnbach, Lisa, ed.The Official Preppy Handbook.New
York: Workman, 1980. The definitive (and hu-
morous) book describing all aspects of the preppy
lifestyle, from birth to married adulthood. Photos,
drawings, and lists are included, as well as a lexi-
con of preppy words and phrases.
Fussell, Paul.Class: A Guide Through America’s Status
System.New York: Dorset Press, 1992. Deals with
the “visible and audible signs of social class” re-
flected by choice, not race, religion, or politics.
Walker, Matt “Johnny,” and Marissa “Mitzy” Walsh.
Tipsy in Madras: A Complete Guide to 80’s Preppy
Drinking.New York: Berkley, 2004. Commentary
on how to drink in preppy fashion, with recipes
for “classic” preppy drinks, and on literature and
customs to help the reader identify a preppy.
Jane L. Ball
See also Business and the economy in the United
States; Fashions and clothing; Golf; Hairstyles;
Hobbies and recreation; Hughes, John; Reaganom-
ics; Tennis; Yuppies.Prince
Identification African American recording artist
Born June 7, 1958; Minneapolis, MinnesotaDuring the 1980’s, the multitalented Minneapolis-based
musician Prince recorded several albums and singles that
were both wildly successful and critically acclaimed. He ex-
perimented with different styles and genres and pushed the
boundaries of acceptable subject matter in song lyrics. He
also displayed a highly idiosyncratic and eccentric persona.Prince had already begun to make inroads as anR&B
musician when he released his third album,Dirty
Mind(1980), which he wrote, produced, and played
almost entirely solo. He mixed rock, funk, pop, and
New Wave and topped them off with his distinctive,
falsetto vocals. The album also contained unusually
sexually explicit lyrics.Dirty Mindwas the first Prince
album to capture the attention of prominent music
critics. The album employed a minimalist approach
to popular music—coming at a time when a great
deal of mainstream rock andR&Brelied on ornate
production values—that would prove to be highly
groundbreaking and influential. Prince’s 1982 dou-
ble album, 1999 , gave him his first sizable hit singles,
the anthemic title track and “Little Red Corvette.”
Both songs were especially popular on MTV and
rock radio, helping break the barriers that often
kept African American music segregated from the
mainstream. Prince continued to hone his sound,
experimenting with synthesizers and drum ma-
chines.“Baby, I’m a Star” Prince’s next project raised his
profile considerably higher. He starred in the film
Purple Rain(1984) and also wrote and performed
the film’s sound track with his new backing band,
the Revolution. The film was popular, but the ac-
companying album brought Prince the most critical
and commercial acclaim to date. He had his first
number-one hits with “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s
Go Crazy,” and the album eventually spent twenty-
four weeks at number one on theBillboard100 chart
and sold over ten million copies in the United States.778 Prince The Eighties in America