TACO BELL

s a 20 something college kid, I thank God everyday for the existence of Taco Bell.Without the almighty Bell in our lives, I am not sure what we would do. Honestly, I have yet to encounter a single person that says that they do not like the fast food eatery - outside of agreeing that the metric system sucks, the universally liked Taco Bell is about as close as Americans have gotten to reaching a consensus on anything.As Thanksgiving is a holiday dedicated to shoveling inordinate amounts of food down your throat hole, I decided to celebrate America's favorite eatery by examining its influence on popular culture. As it turns out, that little restaurant has had quite the impact on how we look at entertainment, and I figure why not celebrate cultural nostalgia through a drive-thru perspective?In short, this article is not just a celebration of Taco Bell, but the culture weaved around the restaurant, too. You would not think that examining the last 30 years of a fast food restaurant would yield a pretty damned comprehensive evaluation of American pop culture, but, yeah, you would be surprised. And not only that, but exploring the changes of the restaurant throughout the years also demonstrates the changes that have occurred in U.S. society during that same time frameâ€¦meaning that as the Bell goes, so does the rest of the nation.Take note, fast food connoisseurs - this is not just a celebration of Taco Bell's history over the last three decades, but in many ways, a look at the evolution of U.S. history since the 1980s, as well.