Pop Culture: From Days of Decadence to Age of A.I.
In our remaining month of 2019, why not take a trip down memory lane to decades past? As we step into the 20s again – that’s right! – we can look back to the pop culture moments that shaped our society. Popular culture is what defines and differentiates each decade, and quite frankly make up the few things we collectively associate with a time period.
But what about the 30s? How about the 40s? Guilty as charged, these decades seem to have escaped my mind. If you too have forgotten symbols including iconic figures, politics, media, fashion, and inventions from the past, here is a guide to the pop culture of the last 99 years that captivated consumers and have even resurged today.
The Twenties:
The 1920s is famously known as the Roaring Twenties, the Golden Age, and the Jazz Age. Starting abruptly at the end of WWI, life was seen as a celebration to be had. The national economy was booming, and so a consumer society was created. Lavish automobiles and new wardrobes were purchased. In response to a war-free time, hemlines rose above the knee, and in rebellion towards their Victorian mothers, flapper girls became a staple of the party scene.
The flashy geometrics of the Art Deco movement emerged in Europe and swept across America in the form of architecture and décor. And quite notably, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby was published and became a portrait of the decade and still a beloved read today.
The Thirties:
And then the Great Depression hit. The stock market plummeted in 1929 and its repercussions lasted through 39’, especially in the United States. This decade is mostly remembered by its high unemployment rates and the New Deal programs enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to get the economy back on track. The masses held frugality and modesty to heart, moving to “Hoovervilles” and dressing beneath long hemlines.
While the decade holds a negative connotation, it still brought us some great things… Fred Astaire’s infectious dancing, the very first FIFA World Cup, Swing music, and the Twinkie! Radios also became a staple in every U.S. home and the cinema was still alive, serving as a form of escapism from the days’ troubles.
The Forties:
War was the culture. Specifically, World War II and the Holocaust. The globe froze into a standstill of mass murder, bombings, and intolerance. As the draft age was lowered to 18 and military branches were created for women, the war effort reigned. Rosie the Riveter’s “We Can Do It!” plea was plastered across The States.
In an era of rationing food, gas, fabric and more, efficiency was key as the creations of Velcro and Tupperware came along. The likes of Bing Crosby and Humphrey Bogart tried to raise the nation’s spirits, and when the war ended in 1945, spirits were indeed high as noted by the surge of pregnancies and thereafter, Baby Boomers.
The Fifties:
The fifties are usually seen through the lenses of the 1978 blockbuster Grease or of the Civil Rights movement. Very different pictures. On one end was happy-go-lucky sock hops, checkerboard-laced diners, and Cadillac-packed drive in movies and on the other was segregated public spaces, African American-led protests, and police brutality.
Modern suburban families watched the inception of American Bandstand on their televisions, as their teenagers fell for Elvis Presley’s rock tunes and Marilyn Monroe’s breathy voice. While fashion was scattered between leather jackets and preppy cardigans for men and poodle skirts and Chanel suits for women, everyone found a niche or subculture they could fit into.
The Sixties:
Quite an experimental decade, it had many highs and many lows. In 1960, the first black student attended an all-white elementary school, stirring up hate and hope simultaneously. Beatlemania welcomingly took the world by storm. Color TV… check. 1969 put the first man on the moon, gave birth to Woodstock, and showcased the highest of the highs: Hippie counterculture. Everyone was experimenting with psychedelic clothing and psychedelic drugs.
The Vietnam War was in full swing and it outraged many, sparking youth movement protests. The Civil Rights activists were still fighting for freedoms and an end to racism. The nation’s forward-thinking figureheads President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were both devastatingly assassinated.
The Seventies:
With the seventies came the emergence of discos, which altered the music scene and urban fashion sense. The Bee Gees and Donna Summer were on repeat and John Travolta was dancing in a white wide-legged suit. Clothes were much tighter, more skin was exposed, and it was perhaps the first time when women wearing pants was normalized. There was American Bandstand and then there was Soul Train, which was a long running modern reinterpretation that showcased African American musical performers.
The decade also gave birth to digital cameras, email, MRI machines, the Rubik’s Cube, and the Happy Meal. All technological, medical, and delicious breakthroughs. A typical sight in the seventies would be a group of college students with Sony Walkman’s latched onto their bell-bottoms discussing serial killers and the Watergate Scandal.
The Eighties:
While Coca-Cola and Pepsi were fighting in “Cola Wars,” people were fighting the impending recession. Everything from leisurewear (velour track suits and neon leg warms) to partywear (ruffles and fishnet tights) was fair game in this era of excess. The eighties were linked to consumerism and conservatism because of materialistic tendencies, the New Right, “yuppies,” and Reaganomics.
The movies catered to mass audiences with the releases of sci-fi films like E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, action films like Raiders of the Last Ark, and rom-com’s like The Breakfast Club. Music also exploded with the introduction of Madonna and Guns N’ Roses, the inception of MTV, and the star-studded Live Aid benefit concert of 1985.
The Nineties:
The nineties are the source of millennials’ nostalgia. Techno neon was out and grunge plaid was in. It was a decade eclipsed by Nokia’s first cellphone, gaming systems, DVD movies, Google, and shockingly the Y2K bug, in which people feared that computers would combust and lead to the end of the world. In global news, Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was unearthed, and Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car crash.
Fans flocked to new girl groups and boy bands, and viewers sat around their fuzzy-screened televisions to watch sitcoms like Seinfeld and Friends. But above all else, everyone was yelping, “Jack could have fit on the door!”
The Noughties:
We leaped into the 21st century, and now reflecting, it can be hard to identify pop culture phenomenons. But let’s give it a go. The early 2000s was technology driven and advanced. People were able to share their lives digitally through social media platforms like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Apple released the first few generations of the iPod and iPhone, paving the way for future smartphone enhancements and global connection.
During this time, 9/11 shocked and nearly broke the nation, a global recession touched down, and Barack Obama was elected the first black POTUS. Of less importance but still with significant reach, fashion trends included bohemian references, low rise jeans, and butterfly clips.
The Twenty-Tens:
We’re nearly caught up and ready for the 2020s. In perspective, the twenty-tens can be defined under two umbrellas: technology and activism. Artificial intelligence surpassed our wildest dreams, giving us the ability to make purchases via e-commerce, stream music and movies online, and control our homes through smart technology.
The decade will also be remembered by its protests. All social issues were covered including Black Lives Matter, the gender wage gap, the #MeToo movement, abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, March for Our Lives, global warming, and climate change. People united and were not afraid to speak their truths and call out any injustices or intolerance they saw. Right now, anyone can be an influencer, and more importantly, anyone can be an activist.
Interestingly, we have taken many mass mindsets, trends, and objects from decades past, and have molded them to fit into our modern society. We aim for 30s frugality in the form of sustainability, we buy 50s-inspired record players, we’re trying to decriminalize marijuana like our 70s brothers and sisters, and we’re wearing 90s Nirvana tees.
From days of decadence to days of A.I., we’re heading into a new decade, which we hope is marked by many more evolutionary and revolutionary triumphs.