Why do I hate the 1970s so much?

[Lincsong]

Wasn't the '70s the last time that young white people actually learned a *new* dance with real steps to it?

Seriously, has anyone noticed how incredibly dull the bar/lounge/club scene is these days? Not even worth it anymore. Most places don't even have dance floors. Nothing to do but shout, get bumped around and wait forever for drinks.

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True, except in Las Vegas.

 

[jamespowers]

But it works for you Jack. Now let's see the white suit with the black shirt.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Marc Chevalier]

True, except in Las Vegas.

Do white people still dance there? I may have to go

.

 

[Lincsong]

Do white people still dance there? I may have to go

.

Plenty of white people. But, you're married. That can be a problem.

 

[beaucaillou]

Having (mostly) lived through them,
the only positive thing about the 70's:
1) The Sex Pistols
2) Joy Division

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The '70s lives -- in Vegas! lol

.

 

[jamespowers]

The '70s lives -- in Vegas! lol

.

Maybe in a Disneyland style version with all the garbage deleted. :eusa_doh:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

2) Joy Division

"[The '70s, the '70s] will tear us apart ... again."

.

 

[Lincsong]

The Captain and Tenneille.:rage:

 

[beaucaillou]

The Captain and Tenneille.:rage:

Marc & Linc... lol

don't forget Doug Henning!!

 

[Martinis at 8]

Actually I think it starts with the Summer of Love and ends with Disco. So, I'd say the late 60's to the late 70's was the horrible era of the 70's.

Cheers,

M8

 

[Martinis at 8]

The '70s lives -- in Vegas! lol

.

But, but, but,..., I love Vegas!

 

[Jack Scorpion]

I was born in the 80s, but ... from what I know looking back on the 20th century ... I hate to say this in present company, but the 1970s is my all time favorite decade. For reasons of style.

1. Best decade in the history of film making, I think.
2. Best looking American cars.
3. Short brimmed fedoras while fedoras were still made well.
4. Music: The Doors, The Clash, Tom Waits, Talking Heads, The Stooges, etc.
5. Weird of me, but I love 70s style suits.

 

[Dr Doran]

Awright, awright, let's redefine, gents and ladies: I'm thinking of 1970s less in strict chronological terms but more in specific stylistic terms. What I hate is not the chronological stretch itself but almost all of the aesthetic and many of the things that occurred.
I argue that punk doesn't count as the 1970s I describe because it hated the prevailing styles of the 1970s and its purpose was to DESTROY them. Joy Division directly went against the predominant 1970s aesthetic as well. Nor should New Wave (a la the great B52s) count as 1970s in the true essential 1970s sense.
Further, as Senator Jack has shown, there were some fine styles.
Two of them.
And he owns them.
(Cheers to you, Jack, you look superb in those beautiful suits.)
Further, I shall admit that the Stooges are one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Hands down. Especially "Funhouse." And it is, in fact, a pretty 70s record.
There will always be some exceptions to each rule, n'est-ce pas?

However, having given Jack and Iggy their deserved due, the rest of the "stylistic decade" if we can use this term must be my least favorite. Disco. Doug Henning (well do I remember that man; my father, in addition to being a music professor, was a professional musician and belonged to a magicians' society with Henning). I didn't live in Berkeley during the 1970s but in LA and it still bit. Berkeley is, you are all correct, the epicenter of all that was "magic" about the 70s, true. It is still here. Even now in grad school, I notice a 70s influence in both the styles and thinking of many of the professors.
There is a book by David Frum. He is much more politically conservative than I am. However, this book is quite interesting. It is called either "How we got there" or "How we got here." It is hilarious, well-written, comprehensive, and about as good an attack on the 70s as you are likely to find. If you are to his left (and most are) you can read it with several grains of salt -- but it still cuts deep. (Personally, I prefer to read people with whom I disagree.) He accuses almost every social ill of originating in that period. It's over the top, but it explains in loving detail everything hateworthy.

 

[Lee Lynch]

I try and find positive traits in all the decades but have a really hard time with the 70's. The clothes were terrible, the hair was sloppy, the furniture was revolting and social and personal responsibility slowly started turniing into "if it feels good, do it".

Nailed it! Well said, and about how I feel.

I will make the concession that a few of the bands I like got their start in the 70's, and Star Wars was something wonderful that helped distract me as a child from what was mostly a drab, sad sort of sixties hang-over decade. I forgot Disco as quickly as I could, and have endeavored in my adult life to remain free of it. From a stand-point of style and creative arts, my own personal taste holds that all the worst of everything came from the 60's and 70's.

 

[Novella]

I like the 70s. I also didn't live through the decade.
I like the late 60s/early 70s folksy music. I like punk, rock, some funk and soul. Even some disco (I think there are some really fun classic disco songs. There's a high cheese level, but I think it's part of the fun.). I really like The Sting, Monty Python, Chinatown. And there's Jaws, Alien, Star Wars... I regret that my 70s film knowledge is so small (I'm going to work on fixing that this summer). Then TV - MASH, Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Schoolhouse rock. And as far as fashion goes, weren't there some past decade influences? I don't like really long hair on guys, but I can't help but feel like 80s hair was worse than 70s hair.

I'm surprised to hear that Berkeley hasn't changed much from its old stereotype. The friends I know going there aren't super liberal/activist (and I know a fair amount of people who currently go there). Could just be my friends are the exception to the rule?

The anti-70s posts in this thread have me thinking of Merle Haggard's song Are the Good Times Really Over for Good.

 

[Senator Jack]

Yet there was good disco and bad disco. A lot of the 74-75 disco was being made by the same musicans/writers who created many of the 60s soul classics. Get a few compilations from Epic, Okeh, CBS and you can hear the progression. Oddly, Disco Duck, the epitome of bad disco, was a byproduct of Stax records (on the Fretone lable). Here's a rather grand example of good disco. Carol Douglas' Doctor's Orders.

 

[Roger]

But, but, but,..., I love Vegas!

Remember those New York City television ads from the 1970's; IIIIIII luuuuuvvvv Neeewwwww Yoooooork. IIIIIIII luuuuuuuuvv Neeeewwwww Yoooooork.

 

[pigeon toe]

Oh goodness. My best friend is absolutely enchanted with the 70's. She thinks Gunne Sax dresses are the best thing ever, and loves those horrendous 70's "porn" mustaches. Her boyfriend even has one! I would love to go on a double date with those two, it would be like battle of the decades!

However, she's the only person I've ever seen in my life who can actually pull off all those crazy 70's trends and look amazing, even in a maxi dress with scary bell sleeves. She looks quite cute actually!

 

[Matt Deckard]

The 70's were cool in the 70's.