Topic: the 1980s

Igby Rigney as Bret, Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer in "The Shards" (Ray Mickshaw/FX)

"The Shards" oozes '80s excess

Melanie McFarland
(Getty/Salon)

The safety of my unrequited loves

Elizabeth Ellen
(AP)

Joan Didion vs. mythic America

J.P. O'Malley
Kevin Bacon, in a video for Mashable (Mashable)

Daniel D'Addario
George Segal, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jeff Garlin in "The Goldbergs" (ABC/Danny Feld)

David Sirota
A still from the movie "The Day After"

1983's dreadful nuclear autumn

Alexander Zaitchik

Hard times for homophobes

Mary Elizabeth Williams