90s Subjects I want to Talk About

Bombings

School shooting

OJ Simpson Trial

Gangs

80s TV Shows

The tv shows of the 80s also go along with the theme of wanting good to conquer evil. I watched Miami Vice in my individual group. The show revealed a show that had policemen capturing criminals. This show expresses the people's desire to be purely good and to have no badness in the streets. Another show we watched in class was the A-Team, which had a very similar storyline to Miami Vice. The show provided an escape from reality for people who were suffering in life. It gave the. Hope that sometimes good does win. Many people during this time wanted to win as we were in a Cold War with the Cold War. Many people lived in fear and they wanted the war to be over. These shows provided a source for hope in winning the war. A last show we watched was The Bill Cosby Show. This show presented the average American family. I really enjoyed watching this show because it was hilarious, and the family was forced to deal with everyday problems and situations. Many families enjoyed watching this show because they found it relatable. This show appeals to people of all ages as it includes many different generations of people in the show.

80s Movies

One movie we watched in class that definitely reflects the events of the decade is War Games. This movie highlights a teenage boy who accidentally breaks into the government's computers and potentially ignites a nuclear war against the Soviet Union. This movie reflects the times because it presents the nuclear warfare scare that the United States and the Soviet Union faced through the games of the movie. I half enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed the comedy of it that a teenager was able to break into a government's computer and potentially destroy the world, but other parts seemed to be boring and it seemed as if much didn't happen. In addition, the 80s also highlighted movies with teenagers. Two movies we watched were Ferris Bueler's Day Off and The Breakfast Club. It seems as if this is the decade that introduced movies specifically meant for teenagers. I really enjoyed these two movies because they were each movies I was able to relate to, as I'm a teenager. In addition, the movies presented everyday problems that every teenager questions or deals with at one time in their life. These movies portrayed the teenager's life very well. Another movie we watched was Indiana Jones. I've never enjoyed these movies because I find them to be extremely repetitive and cheesy. The action movies and teenage movies don't reflect any specific events during the 80s. One last movie we watched was Batman. I love Batman. Indiana Jones and Batman provide the satisfying storyline of good conquering evil, one of the people's favorite qualities in movies. We enjoy seeing the good win because we underrstand that that is not always the case in the real world. 

80s Music Reflection

Apart from a few songs, I do not believe that the 80s music reflects the events of the decade. One song that does reflect an event is Elton John's, Nikita, which presents the conflict of a man falling in love with a Soviet woman. At the time, the Cold War was taking place so things see hostile between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. This was one of the few songs that reflected the decade. However, as fear flooded the streets, songs known as "Celebration" by KOOL and the Gang along with "Lets Groove" by Earth Wind and Fire did far to reflect the decade. I believe these songs were created as an attempt to improve the mood and hope of the people. Another song by the Motley Crue, "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cindy Lauper provide an upbeat toon, idolizing women and how great they are. This, in addition, did not have much to do with events of the 80s. 

80s Music is Different than the 70s

The 80s music is much different than the music in the 70s. As the music from the 70s focused on the popularity of disco and punk, hip hop is what shined in the 80s. Disco provided a steady smooth beat as punk provided a rebellious toon as it kept an ongoing beat. The 80s differ because in the hip hop music, the steady beat was often interrupted by the scratching together of records. In addition, as there weren't too many shining stars in the 70s, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince rocked the music world. As much of the music in the past tended to lean towards a more conservative side, Madonna opened up a racier and revealing side to music along with her dancing numbers. Also, Elton John wrote a controversial song, Nikita, reguarding a man who falls in love with a Soviet woman. The 80s music has opened up new doors to different ways of performing music along with going against the flow and interrupting a steady beat. I enjoyed the upbeat sounds of the music. Most of the songs remained on the happier side of the spectrum and presented a foot tapping tempo. I did not enjoy the country music because in my opinion, I greatly dislike Dolly Parton. As she was a big part of the country genre, her nasally annoying voice turned me away from the genre in general. On the contrary, I enjoyed listening to Madonna's catchy tunes. I can see why teenagers idolized her back in the 80s. She was an empowering woman who brought hope to girls everywhere. 

80s Interesting Topics

Video games in the home

Space shuttle disaster

Mount St. Helens

Assassination Attempts

Embassy bombing in Beirut

MTV

U.S. Bombs Libya

Fall of Berlin Wall

Movies from the 70s

We watched four different movies from the 1979s which included Star Wars, Jaws, Apocolypse Now, and Saturday Night Fever. Starting with Star Wars, I liked the new effects and the plot line. The effects were a great new invention and the idea of having another world out in the universe created an essence of "escape" for viewers during the 70s. Moving onto Jaws, I actually enjoyed watching it quite a bit. I liked the suspense that the movie created before each shark attack. I believe that people would go to see this movie because they desire the hope for the good to win. People enjoy it when good defeats evil, so maybe this movie creates that idea. Next, in Apocolypse Now, I did not like this movie. I felt that the movie was very difficult to pay attention to because it was boring. I believe that people went to see this movie because it reflected on the Vietnam War, which was a very controversial topic. They wanted to know Hollywood's opinion based on the matter. Finally ending with Saturday Night Fever, this movie mostly reflects the 70s because after everyone was given rights, everyone was happy so they were dancing. I enjoyed watching this upbeat film, and the dancing was quite entertaining. People went to see this movie because they liked seeing a happy movie.

What I Notice About he 70s

Rebellious Behavior

You're either very developed or underdeveloped

There's a sense of community

Same social classes stick together

Another Music from the 70s Post

Other than punk and disco music, the rest of the music seems to be on the happier side of the spectrum. This reflects the society of the 70s because at this time, women were granted the right of using birth control. Along with that, escaping the 60s of assassinations was key to improving the mood of the society. One song that I really love from the 70s on the playlist is I Will Survive, by Donna Summer. I like the message of the song and it's inspiring. It motivates a person to keep living life.

TV Shows from the 70s

For my individual tv watching, I was forced to watch The Little House on the Prarie, which  was absolute torture. The show is categorized as a western, but during the 70s, no one cares about the cowboys and ranches anymore. Everyone wants something new and exciting to look forward to rather than live in the past. In class, we watched The Muppets, which was hysterical. The show had something for everyone and was intended for all audiences. I really liked the non-serious tone of the show and it was enjoyable to watch. This show definitely represents the time period because during the 70s, people wanted to be happy and not have to worry about big-deal issues. The Muppets is all positive and upbeat, and it does not focus on the negative. The show allowed people to escape their stressful lives and go into a happier place.

Music from the 70s

The music from the 70s definitely represents the time period. We focused mainly on two different genres: punk and disco. Punk music was rebellious and sounded like metal trash cans being rammed together. The music was intended for teenage white boys and I did not like the music at all. It was impossible to understand what the singer was saying because the rambunctious noise overpowered everything. The music was drum heavy. It represents the time because it shows how many young men were going up against authority. On the complete opposite end, I did enjoy listening to disco. Disco was upbeat and happy. The music, I believe, stretched out to all audiences. All of the songs have a catchy beat and are easy to dance to. Disco also represents the time period because women are now able to have some freedom over their choices, hence the happier music. In the end, music from the 70s is both enjoyable and trashy.

70s Interesting Topics

Iranian Hostage Crisis

Roe vs. Wade

Watergate!

Movies in the 60s

I recently watched short clips from 3 movies from the 1960s including, Planet of the Apes, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Pink Panther. My favorite of the 3 was The Pink Panther. Although the movie contained slapstick comedy, of which I normally dislike, this humor was not as ridiculous as some movies today, making the situations in The Pink Panther seem more believable. The movie that I did not like was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid because I found it to be incredibly boring. There were some scenes that were slightly amusing, such as a fight scene between two men, but the acting seemed a little dry. I believe that Planet of the Apes reflects the 1960s the most because it demonstrates the desire to go to another land and not be involved in the everyday world. This is a result of all of the terrible assassinations during this period of time, so this movie allowed the people to escape their realities. 

60s Interesting Topics

1)Assassinations

2) Toys

3)Batman!

Music from the '60s

The music from the 60s varies from peppy and upbeat to depressing and slow. Many songs send a message about love or heartbreak, while others send messages about absolutely nothing. The first boy band came out and became a major hit. I personally love the Beach Boys and I admire their upbeat dancing music, although there messages aren't too serious. In the 60s, the music is heavy with vocals and guitars. Drums began to be used more, which created a catchy beat. Then the Beatles began a major hit. Drugs became more involved in music, and then the lyrics of the songs began going downhill.

Sci-Fi in the 1960s

In the 1960s, Sci-Fi became a popular genre. Two of the shows that I watched were Star Trek and The Twilight Zone. Beginning with Star Trek, I hated it and found it incredibly boring. I found this show so boring that I couldn't even last the first ten minutes of it. When I was forced  to watch more episodes with some cheesy fighting scenes, I could not help but laugh at the awful effects and acting. I understand that back in the '60s they did not have the technology that we do today, but the show would have been better off without the cheesy fight scenes. However, I do admire that Star Trek was the first television show to reveal a interracial kiss, and I admire the show for taking the risks in filming that situation. Another show that I watched, and actually enjoyed, was the Twilight Zone. This creepy twisted show really appealed to me and I love how at the end of each episode, it is never the expected. The show takes the viewer into different dimensions, and overall, the show is creative and amusing. As much as I liked the Twilight Zone, I do believe that there are better Sci-Fi shows as of today. For example, there is Doctor Who, which I have never actually seen before, but I have heard that it is quite entertaining. Even though Star Trek back in the '60s bored me to death, the movies of today had great action effects and much better acting.

What is the definition of "pop culture"?

In my eyes, pop culture is a source of entertainment that appeals to the majority of a society, focusing mainly on the "trendsetters", which include teenagers and young adults. For example, Lady Gaga is one of the most popularly music artists of today. She has millions of fans around the world for her outrageous fashion statements and original songs. On television, the show, Breaking Bad, has become a new hit sensation throughout the country. In addition, the movie industry recently released, Iron Man 3, which had one of the highest grossing rates this year. These popular forms of entertainment tend to appeal more to a younger crowd, however, they are the most talked about hit sensations. Pop culture is definitely seen through trends of the younger generations and will continue to be seen like that.

Pop Culture's Reflection of Society

Pop culture strongly reflects society. Throughout the music and movie industries, desires of the people are clearly reflected. For example, popular music of today, for the most part, is up-beat and peppy. Many songs describe the glory of partying and having a good time, which expresses the hopes and dreams of the American society today. People do not wish to be surrounded by clouds of stress and exhaustion. They want to be out having fun, which is clearly reflected through popular music today. Popular movies of today also reflect America's desire to escape reality. Some of the top movies of last year included the "hero" story or a story where good fights evil and wins. In today's world, good does not always conquer evil, and sometimes the "better man" never comes out on top. However, these hero movies being the top movies clearly reflects the desire for good to win. Our society enjoys watching these action movies because it makes us feel good that there are good people in the world and there is hope for all. Pop culture has definitely reflected the desires for our American society, and it will continue to do so in the future.