Ronald Reagan Materialism Essay

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The early 1980’s in the United States were publicized as “The Reagan Era,” and the media publicized the era as a time of change, patriotism, and American Pride. The predominant culture in the United States during the 1980’s reflected materialism through popular songs such as Madonna’s “Material Girl,” and the advent of “yuppies,” college-educated baby boomers that adopted materialistic ideologies. The prevailing attitude generally supported President Ronald Reagan, though there was much dissent against his regime quietly building among many, especially after his complete neglect of the HIV/AIDS issue. Beneath this veil of red, white, and blue, an entire population of Americans was struggling with odd, rare illnesses with no known explanation. The media, and America’s leadership, completely ignored those suffering with this disease, which was later identified as HIV. When HIV became so prevalent that it was an issue that could no longer be ignored, the media affectionately dubbed it GRID, or Gay-Related Immuno Deficiency. This moniker was such an extreme setback to the fight against HIV, and did nothing to improve the lives of those living with it in the United States. …show more content…
It was the juicy mystery that millions were tuning in to in efforts to understand and find answers, but all it left them with was fear, judgment, and misunderstanding. An issue as important and life threatening as HIV/AIDS should receive ample media coverage, providing American citizens with education and knowledge to prevent transmission, seek care and treatment, and provide support, and the initial popularity of HIV/AIDS in the media accomplished the exact opposite of this aim. However, HIV/AIDS prevalence in the media has steadily declined as understanding about the disease has
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