Thank you, President Regan, for Transformers.

 

 

 

Ronald Reagan was a controversial presidents in many ways.  You either love him or hate him, and this often depends on if you are a conservative or not.  Throughout his career, he led America though turbulent times and made many difficult choices.  The Iran Contra scandal, Grenada, and the whole thing with the airport unions is what we all remember.  However, there was one particular controversial policy that Reagan supported, which most of us may not remember but many of us do benefit from.




I'm talking about Transformers.  Yes, Transformers the toy franchise, but also G.I. Joe, My Little Pony and Ghostbusters, and a whole bunch of other warm fuzzy memories from children's cartoons.  What the hell am I talking about?  You see, Ronald Reagan appointed this guy called Mark Fowler as head of the FCC in 1981.  Fowler and Reagan both believed in de-regulation.  They both believed that government should get out of business, particularly television and toys in this case.  This kind of de-regulation opened the door for a whole slew of 30 minute television shows that were essentially called "30 minute ads" by opponents.

At the time, Reagan was lambasted for the decision.  Some even accused him of exploiting America's children.  Now, looking back, nothing could be further from the truth.  Regan and Fowler's policies made many beloved toy franchises possible, which brought joy and comfort to millions of American children.  Television shows such as Transformers and G.I. Joe, while silly and juvenile, do demonstrate good values to our children.

Bumblebee tells the kids not to run away from home

Many of these shows stress the importance of friendship, teamwork, and honesty.  These shows also stimulate the imagination and provide a way for kids to relate.  Imaging if we didn't have Transformers to bond over as kids.  It would have been a little more awkward making friends.  I can't imagine the hours I spent as a kid pretending to bust ghosts or shoot Cobra agents.

There were so many great cartoons during the 80's that I can't possibly talk about them all.  Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Dungeons and Dragons, and He-Man are just some of the many warm, fuzzy, cartoon memories from childhood.  Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks so.  Hollywood and T.V. have been cranking out numerous remakes from this golden era of children's cartoons.  There has already been remakes of Transformers, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, and My Little Ponies that I know of.  We just can't get enough.

Oh, and how can I forget, the wonderful cosplay that 80's cartoons have given us:

Yes, I admit it, I watched Jem

The next time you go see some re-hashed 1980's children franchise, know that it was Ronald Reagan that made it all possible. So, thank you, President Reagan, for all the great memories.