Stranger Things and “Stranger Danger”
Something fascinating about Stranger Things that I see virtually no one talk about is the societal backdrop of the 1980′s in regard to missing kids.
For those of you who don't know, the 80s and early 90s saw a major moral panic over child abductions and murders, specifically by people the child did not know. This of course is the reason for childhood lessons of “don’t talk to strangers,” and “don’t help the man find his puppy,” among the many others you’ve likely already heard. Though this panic started with crimes in the 60s, the onset of 24 hour cable news made these horrifying stories much more easily accessible, and therefore, much more prevalent in the minds of worried parents. Even today, the fear instilled during that time has not truly faded, especially with the more recent arrests in cold cases from this time.
This fear was only compounded by the reactions of the Reagan administration, who were quick to make laws regarding the protection of children from deviant strangers, which fit perfectly with their family first platform.
It should be fairly obvious what this means in the context of Stranger Things, but here’s the basics anyway:
The year the show is set is fascinating when considering this angle. One of the first major cases to contribute to this panic occurred in 1979, the idea of specializing in and focusing on missing children became mainstream in 1981 (according to researcher Joel Best), and the Missing Children’s Act being passed in 1982. Season one is set in 1983, when the panic was beginning to gather steam, but was still somewhat new. This creates an interesting position, as society would have been especially sensitive to cases like Will’s.
Will Byers could easily be a household name in the Stranger Things universe, even beyond Hawkins. I think a lot of people forget that, but a missing kid who comes back alive is big news, and would make waves in news circles almost everywhere even without the supernatural elements. HNL would likely try and cover it up, but I doubt they’d keep it all out of the public eye, especially in the time of so much fear surrounding kids going missing. He might even be seen as a symbol of hope. (It would be interesting if they touched on this in season 4, like with new neighbors or classmates knowing who Will is, but they likely won’t.)
I find it interesting (and very appropriate) that Karen Wheeler sets the rules she does with her kids in season 1, considering the Wheelers’ canon ties to Reagan.
Frankly, that panic (and honestly a few others in the time) boiled down to the simple concept of fear of the “other.” This could be the USSR, it could be someone involved in counter culture, or it could be some strange man who offers a kid some candy. In a way, what happened to Will is an ultimate manifestation of this fear, as he is not only abducted, but he is taken by something beyond conventional understanding: An extreme other. Like I’ve mentioned before, we don’t really know why the Demogorgon took will (or even if it was truly the creature that did), but it is still a symbol of unusual things connected to Will’s disappearance, and to those concerned with this panic, that’s more than enough to make it evil.
There’s just a lot to consider here, so I hope this fascinates you.