Why do I hate the 1970s so much?

[jamespowers]

Man, you would hate grad school. I AM PROUD TO SAY, however, that not only am I not skinny, but I never whine, as my wife is from Soviet Poland and I have some idea what actual suffering is like; and also, I am proud to note that despite my credentials as a member of the Democratic party and as a reasonably liberal person (reasonably being the key word) I stick out like a sore thumb in grad school and a lot of people think I am a hyper-conservative John Bircher. I'm not -- it's just a measure of how goofy THEY are.

On that note:

Perhaps this thread’s title should change to reflect the fact that the thing most of us are critiquing is not specifically the 1970s but the countercultural monstrosity that surfaced in late 1960s – from 1968 until 1979 or so. James Powers, be my guest.

In honor of this potential change I alert my fellow haters of the 1968-1979 period to an delightfully mean review, unbridled in its piercing cruel critique, in the New York Times Book Review today. It reviews one Jean-Paul duBois’ 2007 book “Vie Francaise,” a lightly fictionalized story of duBois’ own life, using the name “Paul” as his avatar. I am a Francophile (that’s France, not Generalissimo Franco of Spain) BUT as we all know, I’m also a hater of the 1968 generation, and, the reviewer writes, duBois is “the son more of his generation than his country.” The book reviewer critiques the pompous faux-rebellious fatuousness of that generation beautifully. The review is entitled “His Generation” and it is by a certain William Deresiewicz (I am also a Polophile and so his surname automatically prejudices me somewhat in his favor).

The novel, the reviewer writes, is “the story of one very tired generation. It’s called the generation of ’68 in Western Europe and the ‘60s generation in the United States, but whatever name it goes by, its trans-national similarities outweigh its differences, and it’s been dragging the slow length of its middle age through the culture of two continents for at least the last 25 years.”

Yikes. He continues, “ ‘Vie Francaise’ gives us yet another version of the angry young man who won’t grow up, and while the inflections may be Gallic, the self-pity and self-righteousness are all too familiar.”

Ouch. Nice. It won the “Prix Femina” in 2004 (I have no idea what that is, but ...) The author of the book “tries, rather feebly, to make the tokens of political significance stand in for its substance” and each chapter, titled after the French president of the question, gives the author “the opportunity to engage in periodic ritual grumbling about the scoundrel in question.” In 1968 ‘Paul’ lets loose his rebellion by smashing the windows of his father’s car dealership. And the universities after 1968 are “so absurdly permissive that Paul and his friends try to mau-mau a young professor for daring to require papers and exams.” I do not know the verb “to mau-mau” but as an academic, this is exactly the kind of abuse that sickens me the most about that generation.

A typical (for that generation) and most psychologically retarded nihilism apparently pervades the novel: “the root of the malaise ... as Paul himself admits, is that he refuses to grow up ... life is meaningless, everybody stinks, authority figures are jerks, everybody but me is a suit-wearing zombie ... Paul’s political attitudes ... are also typically generational: knee-jerk leftism and mindless anti-Americanism.”

Wow. Sounds like a winner that could turn a pretty left person into a raging conservative.

I really don't have to comment further---other than to say that the last line ain't gonna happen.

 

[Lincsong]

Toga? Maybe I should have.lol

 

[Dr Doran]

I really don't have to comment further---other than to say that the last line ain't gonna happen.

It HAS happened. Look at most of the neocons. A lot of them were leftist radicals in the late 60s/early 70s. Look at David Horowitz. He was a big Berkeley Black Panther supporter and communist in that period and now he is one of the most conservative people in America.

 

[surely]

Doran

tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm new to this thread and have only read the first page and the last so if I've missed something I'm sure you will let me know.

I'm steaming a bit because I was quite active in the 60's. Your criticisms seem like pot shots taken with a blunderbuss.

On some points eg Horowitz I think you got it right. But as to stating the reasons for the so-called rebellion of those times, the nature of the people who were involved and the following reactions, it seems to me you are looking thru a glass darkly. That is sad. You hold strong opinions, which is fine, but perhaps ill informed, in my opinion.

"Do the rest of you feel this way, or am I just a hateful misanthropic bad man?" Your quote, which I suppose you meant ironically or sarcastically, but which may hold some truth. I don't really think so because other posts I've read indicate that you have some sensitivity to others who have attempted
to bring about positive change. I respect your intellect, not your wholesale putdown of a generation.

Well, I hope the tone of this missive has been polite and I apologize in advance if I got it wrong.

 

[metropd]

I don't, I think the late 1960's through the 1970's are one of the most interesting time periods in american history...at least to me. I can't take any era of time and say I hate it but then again I don't hate anything. Personally I was thinking of starting the thread Why do you like 1968 through 1979?.

 

[Lincsong]

The Dune Buggy.

 

[Lincsong]

It HAS happened. Look at most of the neocons. A lot of them were leftist radicals in the late 60s/early 70s. Look at David Horowitz. He was a big Berkeley Black Panther supporter and communist in that period and now he is one of the most conservative people in America.

I was a Reagan supporter/conservative when I was 11 years old in 1980 and little has changed in 27 years.:eusa_clap

 

[Parallel Guy]

I was a Reagan supporter/conservative when I was 11 years old in 1980 and little has changed in 27 years.:eusa_clap

Just as I was a McGovern supporter/liberal when I was 14 years old in 1972and little has changed in 39 years. Consistency, inconsistency and the right to be either is one of the great things about democracy.

 

[Warden]

Look, look

Sex Pistols to make live comeback, I admit it, I had a fraggle rock hair cut back in the 1970s and although I saw many punk bands I never saw the Sex Pistols.

So here is my chance, mind you at £37.50 a ticket gig prices appeared to of gone up a bit since 1977.

See BBC news story here

By the way don't you think Johnny looks like Crusty the Clown?

Harry

 

[Lincsong]

Gordon Lightfoot

 

[FedoraFan112390]

bump

 

[kiltie]

Gordon Lightfoot

WHAT THE ( explitive )?!?

Gordon Lightfoot is cool. The song Sundown is cool. Carefree Highway is cool. The Wreck of the Edmund ( explitive ) Fitzgerald is cool.

I am not being flippant. I am not being ironic. The above are facts and not open to debate.

Thank you.

 

[Dr Doran]

Wow.

Wow. I assumed this got snipped in one of the Grand Purges. Hard to believe it is still around.

 

[Kermez]

Re: The '70's

Fashion was horrible, but it gave us my second favorite TV show of All-Time: COLUMBO!

Plus, some great music - I like to get... funky (on occasion ), plus The Cars, Van Halen, lots of Classic Rock... the list goes on and on and on... :eusa_clap

But keep the fashion.

(Unless you're a hot chick in the right tight-fitting "retro" clothes - yummy! )

 

[Kermez]

I have no problems with a patriarchy. Better to have a society of strong brave men than cowering wimps.

And another thing bad about the '70s; unleaded gas and "lite" beer!!!!!

We have WAY too much in common!

(Reagan rulz and GFF is STILL dead!)

 

[WildCelt]

WHAT THE ( explitive )?!?

Gordon Lightfoot is cool. The song Sundown is cool. Carefree Highway is cool. The Wreck of the Edmund ( explitive ) Fitzgerald is cool.

I am not being flippant. I am not being ironic. The above are facts and not open to debate.

Thank you.

You may add to your list "The Mountains and Marianne" and "Bend in the Water."

 

[carouselvic]

As well as Early Morning Rain & I Not Sayin'. Our local PBS station ran a Gordan Lightfoot special about three weeks back. Gordan still has it. IMHO

 

[Sefton]

Fashion was horrible, but it gave us my second favorite TV show of All-Time: COLUMBO!

Plus, some great music - I like to get... funky (on occasion ), plus The Cars, Van Halen, lots of Classic Rock... the list goes on and on and on... :eusa_clap

But keep the fashion.

(Unless you're a hot chick in the right tight-fitting "retro" clothes - yummy! )

Peter Falk is great in everything. A really fine, underappreciated actor. As for the "Classic Rock", I'm more of the opinion that most of it (especially Van Halen. I could do a whole thread on why they are awful!) would top my list of things to hate about that decade. But since you have good taste in TV detectives let's just agree to disagree.

"Wow. I assumed this got snipped in one of the Grand Purges. Hard to believe it is still around."-Doran


Due to budget cutbacks there will be no more "Grand Purges". All Purges will now be more of a buffett style.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

I think the best Tv was made in the 70's think of Sonny and cher, Carole Burnett, Kojak, Angie Dickinson in policewoman, The night Stalker

It was allso the start of the cult of the "Celebrity" with Andy warhol and Studio 54

Bianca Jagger arrives at studio 54 on Horseback


I've never worked out what the 90's was all about was it just 10 years of waiting for the millenium?

 

[DerMann]

To be perfectly honest, apart from the style and hippies, I'm fascinated with the decade.

To me, it signifies the end of an analogue era and the dawn of the digital era. Must've been absolutely intriguing to live during that time.