Lot of cheesiness in that era: cheesy movies, cheesy TV, cheesy bands, cheesy cars, cheesy fashion. Pins were just a part of the whole. At the time, we didn't really know that it was cheesy, but 30 years later, it's laughable.
Just as an example, take a noteworthy movie from that era, "Top Gun". Huge at the time, and still iconic today, but man....cheesy music, cheesy dialogue, a good dose of cheesy acting. At the time style was valued more over substance. Not always, of course, but just as for every "Hunt for Red October" you had a "Batman and Robin", for every "Pinbot" you had a "Raven".
