KT4 ST3 cultural challenges

Dominant culture of the 80s

no dominant culture as all fragmented

Reflected controversial issues e.g AID crisis

youth began idealising the battlefield

Heavy metal growth on MTV

Rap and hip-hop as controversial

what were the 'culture wars'

heavy metal

became popular especially with white males.

The PMRC pressured MTV to stop playing it in 1985, but it continued in a late night slot called Headbangers' Ball which was the most popular show, 1.3 million viewers weekly

rap and hip hop

controversial as roots in gang culture of Harlem and the Bronx. Rap divided black American opinion with criticisms of its anti-Semitic, sexist and violent lyrics. A few women became rappers which changed this. Plus, 1988 Stop the Violence campaign which rappers became a part of to stop violence promotion e.g Salt n Pepper

example of rap and hip hop

violence e.g 1988 N.W.A 'F*ck tha police'

who was the PMRC

formed 1985, group of senators wives led by Tipper Gore

Parental Advisory stickers were put on any offending material e.g., list of 15 most offensive songs

PMRC objectives

became concerned about the lyrics in pop music, especially Madonna and Prince - and focused on the links of teenage suicide and music

PMCR action example

Filthy fifteen, 15 most offensive songs, led to senate hearings in 1985 to discuss 'porn rock' and musicians such as John Denver gave evidence but he spoke against as his song 'rocky mountain high' was banned as believed to be suggestive of drug use

music industry response to PMRC

pointing out the difficulties of censoring music compared to movies - thousands of songs are produced each year, plus lyrics can be misinterpreted

Critics accused the PMRC campaigns as an attempt to impose one morality on everyone

Reasons MTV criticised (2)

promoting racism and sexism as black artists were rarely shown

BUT Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' helped change this

Also women were objectified in some songs

Madonna

hits such as 'holiday', renowned for music video and had 12 top hits in a row

controversy over sexuality in music videos, objectification of herself but she argued she was in control of her own image, use of religious iconography which led to Pepsi dropping sponsorship with her

non-oppositional youth culture

most youth adopted mainstream attitudes

fans of sport and mainstream movies.

Yuppies embraced the economic and socially aspirational culture of the 1980s

e.g. TV show Family Ties featured liberal ex-hippie parents faced with socially conservative children

Technology

1. Helped revolutionise entertainment

2. PCs used to share information

3- new computer games

4- camcords from 1983 created shows such as 'you've been framed'

PCs example

greater sharing of information (Microsoft Windows from 1983). Nearly one quarter of US households owned a PC by the early 1990s

Computer games example

consoles such as the Atari 2600 - Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Nintendo from 1985

change of technology

TV no longer a communal viewing as channel surfing evolved so greater proliferation of channels with cable TV

Cable TV

Increased personal choice

Reagan deregulated TV in 1980s which led to huge expansion in channels so by 1990 90% of homes had cable TV

Free access to pornography

Not subject to FCC (Federal Communications Commission) guidelines, so more explicit material involved

cable TV channel examples

ESPN covered sport

CNN from 1980 – only reporters to send reporters to Iraq during Gulf War of 1991, so huge audiences

TV evangelism – The 700 Club

Disney Channel

MTV

from 1981 - first 24 hour music channel. 23 million viewers by 1982

Film and TV themes

Reflected social issues as well as continuing escapist themes. Most popular TV shows were soap operas, comedies and mini series and films continued being escapist

Homosexuality in film and TV

1981 sitcom 'Love Sidney' was about a homosexual artist acting as surrogate father to a friend's child but changed as the network didn't think audiences would accept

sex in film and TV

Reagan was concerned about too much sex and violence on TV, but his deregulation policies increased this

Film ‘Basic Instinct’

TV –  The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Violence and War in Film and TV

criticised for too much e.g., Cable TV showed films like the 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre and this provoked debate about imposing a common set of standards

politics/ society in Film and TV

1988's 'Rain Man' starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise dealt with autism

race in films

1991 film 'Boyz in the Hood' was set in the gangland of South Central Los Angeles, the area formerly known as Watts, the scene of riots in 1965 and in 1992

disability in films

more representation

1989 - film - My Left Foot - told the story of Christy Brown, a severely disabled Dublin slum dweller who went on to be a successful writer

Escapism in films

still very popular such as ET and Indiana Jones

war in films

a favourite theme

anti war films such as 'platoon' 1986 but some asserted male dominate e.g. 'in Rambo' 1985, Vietnam vet rescued American prisoners of war

affluence in films

film 'Wall Street' satirised the rich - character of trader Gordon Gecko coined the phrase 'Greed is Good' This was the era of the YUPPIE ('Young, upwardly mobile professional')

women presentation in films

few 1980s films reinforcing women's domestic role rather than having pro-feminist themes

example of women in films

Film 'Baby Boom' saw a previously committed career woman give up her high paid job in the city to look after her baby niece after her sister's death. The film showed her eventually embracing her new lifestyle.

reasons women not present in films

competition with cable TV which appealed more to mainstream values sop maximised profits

one way that TV shows did reflect women problems

'Rosanne and Murphy Brown' (Brown was a TV journalist and single mother in the sitcom- the character was criticised as irresponsible and undermining family values as she was a single parent)

example of race in TV shows

The Cosby Show starred black actor Bill Cosby

positive depiction of an African American family

the first time a black family had been presented as stable, happy family with educated parents- a lawyer and a doctor

Contrasts to black people being depicted as low earning and social problems

Impact of AID crisis

transmitted through sexual activity, needles and blood transfusions. Identified in 1984 but offered no cure

5000 died by 1985

45,000 died by 1990

fuelled anti-homosexuality campaign

Reagan response on AIDS

Rock Hudson was Reagans friend and died of AIDs 1985 which led to a report on the issue and the suggestion of 3 remedies but Reagan refused to advocate condoms and rather cut budget on research which made AIDs a much greater problem

AIDS act

The Ryan White Care Act

A child contracted AIDs through blood transfusion and died 1990 which changed public perceptions

granted $20 million to help victims