The POP-EXPOSE 

The Care Bears and the Radical Power of Caring

The 1980s were not exactly subtle. This was the decade of giant robots, muscle-bound heroes, laser battles, monster trucks, neon colors, sword fights, ninjas, commandos, and cartoons that looked like toy aisles had exploded into Saturday morning television. And then there were the Care Bears. Soft. Colorful. Round. Smiling. Living in the clouds. Shooting beams of love, courage, cheer, friendship, hope, and kindness out of their bellies like emotional laser cannons. On paper, that sounds ridiculous. In practice, it was kind of brilliant. Because while so many 1980s heroes fought…

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The POP-EXPOSE 

Why Mr. Rogers Was the Real Superhero of the 1980s

The 1980s gave us no shortage of heroes. We had muscle-bound warriors swinging swords, transforming robots fighting across the galaxy, commandos blowing up enemy bases, karate kids learning balance, ghost hunters saving New York, and time travelers trying to fix the future before it disappeared. It was a decade of big heroes, big action, big toys, big music, and big imagination. But somewhere in the middle of all that noise, wearing a cardigan instead of armor, sneakers instead of combat boots, and speaking in a calm voice instead of shouting…

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