ABC’s The Goldbergs is a love letter the 1980s and contains a veritable cornucopia of pop culture references and jokes about decade in each and every single episode. While it’s next to impossible to list every single 1980s reference on The Goldbergs, we’re going to run down some of each episode’s geekier and more obscure pop culture moments. Please note that this column tries to cover only the “unique” references that appear in each episode, while passing on the posters, toys and other background pieces that appear in every episode and are irrelevant to the plot.
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Eddie the Eagle
While the 1988 Winter Olympics had the usual fill of elite athletes, broken records and amazing sports spectacles, it also gained attention for two unique underdogs.While everyone remembers the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team thanks to Cool Runnings, the same Olympics also featured Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards, an English skier competing in the ski jump.After missing the British downhill skiing team, Edwards switched to the ski jump mainly because there were no other English skiers in the event to compete against for a spot in the Olympics.
Although his weight and eyesight were natural disadvantages, he still qualified for the Olympics and finished dead last in nearly every heat.However, audiences around the world took to Edwards as an unlikely hero and a model of the Olympic spirit. Despite his worldwide popularity, many ski jumpers viewed him as an embarrassment and the International Olympic Committee changed the qualifying rules to make it more difficult for un-elite athletes to get into the Olympics.
Edwards enjoyed fame and fortune after the 1988 Olympics and his life story will be featured in a movie starring Taron Egerton from Kingsmen as Eddie and Hugh Jackman as his trainer.That movie is coincidentally out this weekend.
Chariots of Fire Music
It’s fitting that The Goldbergs‘ tribute to Eddie the Eagle would feature the iconic theme song to Chariots of Fire, a 1981 movie about two British runners competing in the 1924 Olympics. Countless films and television shows have used the Chariots of Fire theme song for their own victorious scenes, which almost always are shown in slow motion.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Adam wears a Raiders of the Lost Ark t-shirt for most of the episode.Raiders was the first (and arguably best) Indiana Jones film, which featured Indiana Jones outwitting Nazis while searching for the Ark of the Covenant.I’m pretty sure I don’t need to explain how successful Raiders of the Ark was to the readers of a comic book news site.
Dressage
Dressage is one of the Olympic sports Adam recommends for Barry.Adam accurately describes dressage as “horse dancing”, as the rider leads the horse through a choreographed routine.The sport made the news in 2012 as Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, was a decorated dressage performer and owned a horse that competed in the 2012 summer Olympics.
Chairry
Chairry, the talking armchair owned by Pee-wee Herman, is sitting in the corner of the Goldbergs’ basement.That’s the first time I’ve seen Chairry on the show, although it’s possible she was lurking in the background and I just missed her.
