009 Boomers' Pop Culture

POP CULTURE – A Boomer’s Recap

Let’s take a fascinating trip down memory lane for the fun part of our era. Music makes so many memories. In 1964, nine of the top twenty songs were by the Beatles. Then add Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” The Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk,” and Martha & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street.” Twenty years later we got music videos and Cyndi Lauper and Madonna and Michael Jackson - all grown up (or not). 

 In 2004, the number one song for three months was “Yeah!” by Usher (with Lil Jon & Ludacris). So far this year, we’ve seen lots of Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5, Beck and Beyonce looking sexy. If I didn’t watch the guests on reality and late-night TV, I would not know any music since 1985. And now the top ten most listened to by Boomers: 10. Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965) 

[Watch Dylan sing it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHOdoJDgtrk ]

9. Eagles “Hotel California” (1976); 8. Michael Jackson “Earth Song” (1989 and 1995); 7. John Lennon “Imagine” (1971); 6. ABBA “The Winner Takes It All” (1980); 5. Josh Groban “You Raise Me Up” (2002); 4. Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1970); 3.Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1976 and 1992); 2. Bing Crosby “White Christmas” (in top 40 Billboard for 16 years, first sung in 1942 but recording for sale in 1946) and 1. Michael Jackson “Thriller” (1992). And there you have it – straight from MANY, MANY Google searches. I know you have favorites not listed. Me, too. 

Now books: Folks were reading Lolita (1955), Peyton Place (1956) while teens were

reading The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Moving to the 1960s, we got In Cold Blood, The Godfather, and The Bell Jar. Teens were reading The Outsiders. Goodness, seems there was nothing uplifting! Other “hot” titles were Dr. Alex Comfort’s The Joy of Sex (1972), Alex Haley’s Roots in 1976 and Irving’s 1978 The World According to Garp. 

Then we begin to read authors, not just single titles: Stephen King published Carrie in 1973 and now has nearly 60 novels to date. The teens and tweens found Judy Blume in the 1970s and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series began in 1985. John Grisham had us spellbound in the 1990s, and then came Dan Brown, and J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. Today, The Twilight series and the Hunger Games are big reads. One can’t help but notice how some of these titles segued into movies. 

A question: do you go to the movies (yes, I love the Alamo because it serves dinner) or do you wait for Netflix or TV releases? The husband and I still like the dark, quiet of theatres. Is this a Boomer thing? 

First I remember the Disney films meant for the children (why did all the mothers always die? Cinderella, Bambi, Beauty & the Beast . . .). We went to “star vehicles” at the end of the big studio era. Some are wonderful classics: The Music Man, Dr. Strangelove, 

My Fair Lady, Psycho, North by Northwest, Some Like It Hot, and Elvis musicals were 

some of my favorites. Other titles that show up on multiple best movie lists include The Godfather, Catch -22, Annie Hall, Star Wars, E.T., Taxi Driver, The Graduate, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Silence of the Lambs, Saving Private Ryan, Jaws, Westside Story, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Quite a mixed bag isn’t it? 

Now, the Twilight saga movies and incredible super heroes are top at the box office. Mutant Ninja Turtles redux?

What did we watch on those new televisions? In the 1950s we watched I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, and, of course, The Ed Sullivan Show where we saw The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, The Jackson 5, along with Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Carol Burnett – and even Richard Burton in his Camelot garb. American Bandstand was on the air from 1952 -1988. No wonder everyone knew Dick Clark! 

Other popular early shows, some still on the air, were Andy Griffith, Leave It to Beaver, The Twilight Zone.  Laugh-In (from 1967-1973) made a BIG impact on pop culture. 

Just think of Goldie Hawn in the multi-print bikini with body paint puns! 

The Mickey Mouse Club was on intermittently from 1955-1996. In the 1970s came the game shows (some legit and some not!), and the sometimes controversial All in the Family.  In 1975, SNL (Saturday Night Live) began with George Carlin as the first celebrity host! The 1980s began to be more diverse: Sesame Street, The Simpsons, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Cheers, the Today Show. And don't forget Dallas--Who Shot JR? The 1990s brought us Beverly Hills 90210, Friends, Saved by the Bell, and culture-changing Sex and the City and South Park.

The new century opened up the world of reality TV: Desperate Housewives, American Idol, Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen and Master Chef, The Bachelor and its spin-offs started in 2002. Survivor premiered in 2000 and begins a new season this week. I think host Jeff Probst is part of the reason the show lasts. And we should add to the list of popular hosts: Nick Cannon on America’s Got Talent, Chris Harrison on The Bachelor, 

Ryan Seacrest on American Idol and, of course, Heidi Klum   

and Tim Gunn on Project  Runway (first aired 2004). And, yet, football seems to be in the #1 spot!! 

Other popular TV shows in the past few years were Glee, Lost, The Office, House, MD, The Sopranos, and for fun, The Big Bang Theory and 30 Rock.  BBC America is making headway on the airwaves with Downton Abbey and the new Dr. Who, Sherlock and The Tudors series.

What did we wear? First we were little preppy people – Mary James and saddle oxfords (with socks). We moved on to Peter Pan collars, sweater sets, and boys with crisp shirts with loops on the back placket. 

In the 1960s we got a bit more “groovy” – bell bottoms, go-go boots, miniskirts, then maxi skirts, and, OH MY, the LEISURE SUIT!! Or men had very W I D E ties. So very chic, wasn’t it? We wore platform shoes (retro now), fringe, beads, and bandanna headbands on our dreds and long hair. We learned to tie-dye. 

 By the 1990s we got back into suits with footballer player sized shoulder pads, or jumpsuits, and Chuck Taylors in every color rebounded in the market (first produced in 1917!). We also began to see “Goth” make-up – black lipstick, lots of eye liner, and jeans and t-shirts or t-shirts and jeans! Pants for all occasions, all ages, and both sexes! We wore Doc Martens, Uggs, fleece, and lycra -and the Wonderbra if one needed uplift. What’s new now? Not much. Lots of retro and more tattoos, and neon colors. 

This blog is far too long already, so I will leave you with just a list of SOME of the many toys available to us. You can add to this mentally or show your children and grandchildren what you may have saved.

Tonka Trucks, Matchbox Cars, PlayDoh, Magic Rocks, Silly Putty, hula hoops, Barbie and GI Joe, Mr. Potato Head and Cooties, Spirograph and Etch-A-Sketch, Chatty Cathy, and games like Clue and Life. 

We had Easy Bake Ovens and Frisbees and that darn Slinky that would not behave. (Monopoly came on the market in 1936 in case you wondered). 

Now most games have apps ; we use computers. Yes, I play Candy Crush but can’t get past level 226 without having to spend money. But long live LEGOS!! – a store, a movie, and still lots of small affordable packs. Guess we’ll adapt to the next new thing, too. 

Happy memories!

Glenne White