It is safe to say that in the sixties everything changed: society, fashion, music, art, media, everything was impacted. It was a time when everyone truly believed they could make a difference, when it seemed as if the world had limitless possibilities and a few people trying really hard, willing to sacrifice everything, could change the direction of everything.
And it proved the power of believing in yourself. Ordinary people did change things, extraordinary things like the attitude of society at large, like the way people viewed war and music and art. Student protests, often led by folk musicians, helped lead to the demise of the Vietnamese War, helped make social consciousness and equality for all a living fact, helped people really achieve the freedom that America and the West have always striven for. It was a remarkable time, and no wonder that many people look back to it as a time of dreams and passion.
Social Activism, Celebrities, and Music
Rock music became its own genre in the mid-1950s. Less than ten years later, the Beatles burst onto the music scene, the vanguard of a revolution in music. Parents hated them, sometimes even worse than they hated Elvis. But the kids loved them, and would buy anything with a picture of John, Paul, Ringo, or George. Their innovations paved the way for later artists, both British and American: the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Mamas and the Papas ? dozens of legendary bands have the Beatles to thank.
By the middle of the decade, the Beatles were writing songs about social issues, like war and loneliness. And other bands followed suit. There was a lot to write about; in the United States, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was leading American Blacks to unheard-of levels of social equality, and soon the British would put special military troops in Northern Ireland to quell the unrest there, leading to nearly-open guerilla warfare with the IRA. Women all over the world were following a movement to equal rights. And anti-war activists like Jane Fonda were making a name for themselves, both famous and infamous.
Food: Trends Good And Bad
Though founded much longer ago, McDonalds and other fast food restaurants grew into a major power in the food industry during the 60s, probably driven by the high energy of the time coupled with an increasing dependence on automobiles as a means of transportation. At the same time the stuff that's bad for you became popular, other people began to realize that you really are what you eat. Because of new age conservationist movements, those people began to eat healthier: whole grains, organic foods they grew themselves, and semi-vegetarianism, vegetarianism, and vegan lifestyles.
War: What Is It Good For?
You can't talk about the sixties, the decade of peace, without talking about war. Particularly, you have to look at the Vietnamese war. The US entered the country in Southeast Asia in the early 1960s at the request of the French ? who subsequently abandoned the war. And America's presence in Vietnam grew, gradually forcing a draft of the very young men who were just discovering the dizzying freedom the sixties ushered in. The result? An impressive increase in the numbers of young people going to college, and an equally impressive increase in the number of young men moving to Canada. Ref: http://www.sixties.gb.com
But why was this war so different from Korea, only about ten years earlier? The simple answer: television. Reporters with cameras covered the bloodiest parts of the war, capturing the pain on both sides in film. And those films made their way to broadcast television, which for the first time could be found in half or more American homes. It was difficult to watch the images of war without being moved, and it was a real shock to teenagers and young adults who had never known the touch of violence before.
But there was another kind of war going on, a social war. Blacks in America were discovering their power, partly spurred by the thought of the draft and partly by the energy of the decade carrying them forward. Women throughout the world were discovering not only their political power, but the social freedom brought about by a little pill ? the birth control pill. For better or worse, relations between the sexes would never be the same.
Sixties Fun, Games, and Fashion
Toys were undergoing change, too. Physical games, like Frisbees and Twister, became very popular indeed. Boys began collecting Matchbox cars, the latest rage; and the self-image of little girls everywhere was changed as Barbie dolls, Sindy dolls, and other anatomically correct dolls that weren't baby dolls entered their pink frilly rooms.
Older boys were finding they had much more to look at than ever before. Girls' skirts moved from the near-ankle-length full skirts of the fifties to the short ? shorter ? shortest skirts of the sixties. Short skirts and midriff-revealing hipster jeans also made it important that as little cellulite as possible showed ? girls could no longer wear industrial-strength girdles. The most effective way of getting rid of cellulite? Be as thin as possible. The other problem with changing clothes was that if you used garters (or suspenders, if you're in Britain) they showed under the short tight skirts. The answer? Pantyhose, an invention of the devil.
Inventions and Innovations
Computers also moved from being a scientific curiosity to a genuine industrial innovation; punch cards and tape were the programming tools of the time ? until the integrated circuit, the precursor to today's microchips. This innovation led to the development of the hand-held pocket calculator by Texas Instruments, though calculators did not come into general use until the early seventies. But the world didn't understand how much science and technology was really going to change their lives ? until Neil Armstrong spoke to the world from the surface of the Moon in 1969. It was a fitting end to a remarkable decade.
Phil Edwards is a writer in London, a product of the 60's baby boom and author of http://www.sixties.gb.com and http://www.recipes.gb.com
So why are these swords so popular? There are several... Read More
A true love story"So, was it an eyes-meet-across-the-room-thing and you... Read More
I cannot emphasize enough the dearth of information, or the... Read More
Art is sometimes overwhelming. Life as a whole can become... Read More
Body piercings have seen a resurgence of interest in the... Read More
Good feng shui often requires making wise decisions based on... Read More
Imagine a time when mankind was young. Migration led many... Read More
I hate to break it to you, but humans are... Read More
Preview: "Shipping containers" have yet nothing to do with "housing"... Read More
Are we human because of unique traits and attributes not... Read More
I had lived in Vancouver very briefly as a child... Read More
The history of earrings is a varied history indeed. And... Read More
Medieval siege weaponry was required in any self-respecting war leader's... Read More
If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you... Read More
My artistic endeavor have led me towards a personal sense... Read More
Original Tribal masks are often seen by unknowing eyes as... Read More
Passion was the main stuff of journalism long before the... Read More
Psychic readings can be an invaluable tool for obtaining answers... Read More
Born in 1630, Charles II was the second eldest son... Read More
"By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote."... Read More
A mirror, when becoming a feng shui mirror, can be... Read More
Flashes of memory stream into my consciousness. They take me... Read More
Collecting art can be one of the most enjoyable ways... Read More
It is not my purpose to claim to know all... Read More
Towards the end of Million Dollar Baby the character Scraps,... Read More
I doubt Marilyn Monroe was anything but a confused star-struck... Read More
The Art of War is an ancient Chinese text on... Read More
Grove Mill, Mitcham; where in 1934 many of the iron... Read More
ARTHUR KOESTLER:Humanitarian, historian and scientist are just a few of... Read More
Wearing birthstone jewelry is very popular today. Not only is... Read More
I am very interested in reading about ghostly stories and... Read More
Anchor tattoos were all the rage for sailors. It was... Read More
Opal is a magnificent gemstone whose shades encompass virtually every... Read More
The Million dollars was my life-savings earmarked for prime the... Read More
My ancestry includes Colonel Miles (or Myles) Keough (or Keogh)... Read More
The Caduceus has the pine cone representing the Pineal Gland... Read More
Mexico needs to do something about the behavior of Gringos... Read More
Passion was the main stuff of journalism long before the... Read More
Of course, science has explained this to us, and we... Read More
If we think about it at this juncture, clearly there... Read More
Family Values in Ancient Times:Many people of the present make... Read More
ARTHUR KOESTLER:Humanitarian, historian and scientist are just a few of... Read More
I freely confess that I have had a life-long love... Read More
They were fierce hill tribes in what is now Scotland,... Read More
Firstly revealed by the fable Dr.Dre, and then debut of... Read More
No, by jewelry and the darkside, we are not referring... Read More
But people are starting to take a new look at... Read More
This morning when I got out of bed, I had... Read More
Most myths have some element of truth in them. The... Read More
Silver is widely diffused but is rarely found in the... Read More
When building catapults, armies had to include in their ranks... Read More
There is an old adage that says work isn't really... Read More
The history of Thailand currency traces the evolution of the... Read More
Watch any of the major movie, television, and music award... Read More
Feng shui involves more than just colors and where you... Read More
"By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote."... Read More
The thunderbird has been one of the most dominant icons... Read More
ATOMIC HIGH-SPIN TECHNOLOGY: - In 1950 B.C. there was a... Read More
Xenophon was a 4th Century BC Greek cavalry officer and... Read More
In the last two centuries, new cultural discoveries have nearly... Read More
There are many ways to interpret the symbolism found in... Read More
Art is sometimes overwhelming. Life as a whole can become... Read More
The film portrays the creation, fate, and redemption of a... Read More
"Game" TheoryThis article was inspired by Mick Napier's book ?Improvise:... Read More
Fancy dress parties have been around since for centuries and... Read More
Can We Pass The Test?American CitizenshipI'm the daughter of an... Read More
Humanities |