The Eights | Media and Music in 1988

Eleanor Clift, columnist for The Daily Beast, contributor to "The McLaughlin Group," longtime political reporter, author and television pundit, and Ann Powers, NPR Music critic and correspondent and author of Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music (Harper Collins, 2017), talk about the music (George Michael, NWA, Public Enemy, Sonic Youth, Salt-N-Pepa and more) and media ("Crossfire" and "The McLaughlin Group") of 1988 — and the role it played in the culture wars of the time.

@annkpowers talks about George Michael, who had the biggest album of '88 (Faith) -- and how he code switched, in a way. He was in the closet at that time but his music was a signal to the gay community.

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 31, 2018

@annkpowers says the sound of Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back" (also 1988) was "consciously a signifier of black power."

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 31, 2018

@EleanorClift reminds us that "1988 was the most shockingly vicious and racist campaign that America had seen for a while, and it spooked people about negative campaigning" for a while (though it's common place again, now).

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 31, 2018