Why were the 70s such a tacky decade?

[HudsonHawk]

Several great things about the 70s. We had three maybe four channels on the TV, no computers, no internet, no cell phones and guess what, we were happy! What happened?

I'm happy now. A whole lot happier than I was in the 70s. Those were not good times.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think one of the most unfortunate traits of American society is defining happiness by what we have. Because the other side of that is the constant nagging voice in the back of your head goading you on and on and on to tell you you could be just that much happier if only you had *more.*

In that sense, the 60s, and '70s were no better than today. The marketing was every bit as pernicious -- I'm sure the kids of the decade have fond memories of slopping down in front of the tee vee on Saturday morning with Bugs Bunny and Aquaman and whoever else, and being force-fed commercials for every kind of sugar-soaked chemical-laden two-cents-worth-of-corn-meal-in-a-fancy-box breakfast silage you could imagine. But look at that stuff now with the cold, hard eye of adulthood, and if you've got any conscience at all you have to wonder how the perpetrators of that stuff were allowed to walk the streets as free people. The fifties were even worse -- the TV hosts themselves were shilling the crap, preying on the trust of children in the interest of filthy commerce. And it got even worse in the '80s and '90s and on into the present day.

The only TV figures of the sixties and seventies who had any integrity at all when it came to children were Mister Rogers and Captain Kangaroo. And even the good Captain had been a shill before he realized what he was doing to the kids who watched and cleaned up his act.

 

[ChiTownScion]

The only TV figures of the sixties and seventies who had any integrity at all when it came to children were Mister Rogers and Captain Kangaroo. And even the good Captain had been a shill before he realized what he was doing to the kids who watched and cleaned up his act.

Wasn't there a controversy regarding his hawking Schwinn bikes?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yep. He was also on Kellogg's payroll up until the mid-sixties or so. Remember "Kellogg Town," with the little electric train loaded with variety-pak boxes of cereal?

To be fair to the Captain, though, even in his ASK MOM TO BUY YOU THIS era, he never approached the shilling skills of his former boss, Buffalo Bob Smith, who was considered one of the most shameless salesmen on the air thruout the fifties. Bob Keeshan was very much disturbed by this, and even when his own sponsors insisted he do the direct selling himself, he did everything he could to avoid wheedling the kids the way Buffalo Bob had done. He finally had it written into his contract with CBS that he wouldn't have to do any on-camera selling at all.

Even Mister Rogers had a brief brush with commerce. Around 1965 he did his program on a commercial station in Pittsburgh, and was sponsored by a local department store. He immediately realized his integrity was in danger, and he got out of the contract and went back to educational TV as soon as he could. He could have made a pile of money going the full commercial route, but he believed the trust of children was not a commodity to be bought and sold.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Yep. He was also on Kellogg's payroll up until the mid-sixties or so. Remember "Kellogg Town," with the little electric train loaded with variety-pak boxes of cereal?

That may have been after my own Captain days, but I do remember his having a really elaborate Lionel electric train set up. I can't specifically recall him trying to sell the Lionel brand, but he may have.

Possibly related personal story: when I was three (1957), I told my parents that I wanted a train for Christmas: I got a cheap little tin windup train. Next year I was specific: I stated that I wanted an Lionel electric train: I was given one made by the Louis Marx Company. (I knew that was a cheap knockoff although I had yet to learn the term, "cheap knockoff.")

Fast forward 30- some years: my son was barely three, but I got him a Lionel (an inexpensive one, but a Lionel nonetheless). His method of playing with it was to shove it around the track, ignoring the transformer throttle. He would have been better off with his wooden Brio trains. Guess the moral is that most kids are satisfied with what is a lot simpler and less expensive than we imagine.

 

[Stearmen]

If nothing else came out of the 70s, the Ducati 750SS would be more then enough to justify the entire decades existence! Only the Italians could make Duck Egg Blue and metalflake silver work. And what a beautiful sound. Bravissimo!

 

[Dennis Young]

There was a lot about the 70s to not like. But it did have some neat things about it.


The 3D Viewmaster was one. In an era before a play station or X box in every home, the Viewmaster was really cool.

Some folks didn’t like the music, but I loved it! Whether I was listening to rock and roll, disco, soft rock or Country, it was mostly pretty good music…to me at least.
Airhocky was invented. I used to love toplay this game of busted knuckles. Lol
Some pretty good films: The Godfather, The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Taxi Driver, Deerhunter..


Ok, ok, I had to hunt a bit harder to find something to like about the seventies. Perhaps they really did suck after all.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've said before and will say again, "Network" (1975) is one of my all time top-ten favorite movies. It's a throwback to the kind of intelligent, thought-provoking drama Paddy Chayefsky was writing for live television in the early fifties, and it stands as his last word on what the medium eventually became. While some parts of it have dated badly, the essential message of the film remains as pertinent today as it was forty years ago.

 

[kaiser]

If nothing else came out of the 70s, the Ducati 750SS would be more then enough to justify the entire decades existence! Only the Italians could make Duck Egg Blue and metalflake silver work. And what a beautiful sound. Bravissimo!

That is a Bike that I could not get enough of looking at in the 70's as well. That was a very rare machine around Northeast Indiana, I only saw one in the flesh back then, it was parked outside of the Harley shop where my Dad picked up a part for his Electra Glide. Really made me aware that European Bike were something special.

 

[GHT]

Some folks didn’t like the music, but I loved it! Whether I was listening to rock and roll, disco, soft rock or Country, it was mostly pretty good music…to me at least.

Well perhaps it took a while for us to export Glam Rock or Punk. But on our sceptred isle that was the main stream, source of music, coming out of our radios. The Sex Pistols, spitting at their audience, head butting each other. I wonder if there are any fifty-year-old, pot belly punks still going around with their clothes held together with safety pins?

 

[GHT]

I think one of the most unfortunate traits of American society is defining happiness by what we have. Because the other side of that is the constant nagging voice in the back of your head goading you on and on and on to tell you you could be just that much happier if only you had *more.*

Stephen taught me a very valuable lesson that reinforces that on which you opine. He was a regular at the dance school that I used to go to. One memorable day he pushed an envelope into my wife's hand and said that it was an invitation to his birthday. Stephen came from a very privileged family, he wanted for nothing, in fact his birthday was being held in the penthouse of a very expensive, central London Hotel.

The invitation read: "I am shocked to admit that I will be thirty on the 28th. Please come and celebrate with me." For all the family's wealth, their opulent home even the party venue, nothing material ever turned Steven's head. When he was just fifteen, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, leukemia actually. Given six months to live, he grabbed every day and lived it to the full. He had taken all the advice of his medical team, had endured his regime, and here he was, celebrating his 30th birthday.

Sadly we lost touched with him, I don't know what became of him, but he taught me that people, annoying though they can be, are also the greatest source of riches. Love, friendship, caring, these are gifts that materialism will never replace. Thank you Steven, I hope you are still with us.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Well perhaps it took a while for us to export Glam Rock or Punk. But on our sceptred isle that was the main stream, source of music, coming out of our radios.

Not to go 1776 on you, but...punk started on this side of the pond, though it was never mainstream over here until the Sex Pistols, Clash etc got in on the act.

 

[GHT]

I stand corrected, didn't make it anymore enjoyable though, whoever was performing it.

 

[Worf]

The 70's gave us Steely Dan, Parliament/Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone's best work. As musician I can ALMOST forgive them for disco, pop country, fashion by Bozo the Clown, porn staches, terrible television and all the rest.

Worf

 

[jamespowers]

If nothing else came out of the 70s, the Ducati 750SS would be more then enough to justify the entire decades existence! Only the Italians could make Duck Egg Blue and metalflake silver work. And what a beautiful sound. Bravissimo!

Uh yeah, like that is better than a 48 Indian Chief---NOT!

 

[jamespowers]

The 70's gave us Steely Dan, Parliament/Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone's best work. As musician I can ALMOST forgive them for disco, pop country, fashion by Bozo the Clown, porn staches, terrible television and all the rest.

Worf

I could do without all of those.

 

[jamespowers]

There was a lot about the 70s to not like. But it did have some neat things about it.


The 3D Viewmaster was one. In an era before a play station or X box in every home, the Viewmaster was really cool.

Some folks didn’t like the music, but I loved it! Whether I was listening to rock and roll, disco, soft rock or Country, it was mostly pretty good music…to me at least.
Airhocky was invented. I used to love toplay this game of busted knuckles. Lol
Some pretty good films: The Godfather, The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Taxi Driver, Deerhunter..


Ok, ok, I had to hunt a bit harder to find something to like about the seventies. Perhaps they really did suck after all.

They did. You're reaching. lol lol

 

[jamespowers]

I stand corrected, didn't make it anymore enjoyable though, whoever was performing it.

Correct! It still stunk no matter who invented it. Better you fellows didn't invent it. lol lol

 

[ChiTownScion]

Another thing that was rotten in the 1970's: the animated cartoons. The 30's to the 50's were the first Golden Age, and there wasn't much in the 60's of great artistic merit-- but at least we had Rocky & Bullwinkle and other Jay Ward productions. The 80's saw, arguably, a second Golden Age (Spielberg's Animaniacs and Bakshi's Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures , to name two notable examples that were loaded with cultural references and social commentary) of animated cartoons. But the 70's? I can't think of a single outstanding production on either the big screen or television.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Another thing that was rotten in the 1970's: the animated cartoons. The 30's to the 50's were the first Golden Age, and there wasn't much in the 60's of great artistic merit-- but at least we had Rocky & Bullwinkle and other Jay Ward productions. The 80's saw, arguably, a second Golden Age (Spielberg's Animaniacs and Bakshi's Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures , to name two notable examples that were loaded with cultural references and social commentary) of animated cartoons. But the 70's? I can't think of a single outstanding production on either the big screen or television.

No love for the Dr. Seuss stuff...The Cat In The Hat?, Horton Hears A Who?, The Lorax? What about Bakshi's Fritz The Cat or Wizards? Rankin and Bass's The Hobbit version? Watership Down?