Exam Study Notes

Countercultural Scene and Jonestown

• Countercultural movements in the 1960s focused on:
  • Racial integration and equality.
  • Gender equality.
  • Socialist ideas.
  • Critiques of the American state.
  • Paranoia about the American state.
• Jonestown:
  • A cult that initially emerged from this countercultural scene.
  • The group moved to Guyana and created a commune in the jungle.
  • The goal was to establish a model socialist utopia, a common theme in the 1970s.
  • Many communes existed in the 1970s, varying from free love and hippie communes to religious or capitalist ones, and those embracing new age religions such as the Rakshat Purim in Oregon.
• Jonestown's downfall:
  • Reports emerged that people were not allowed to leave.
  • A congressman from San Francisco visited to investigate.
  • Jim Jones, the cult leader, reassured him that people were free to leave.
  • However, a gunman assassinated the congressman when he tried to leave.
  • Following the assassination, over 900 people committed mass suicide using cyanide and Flavor-Aid.
  • The Jonestown site has recently been reopened, raising questions about dark tourism and memory.
    • Complex politics of memory: What's worth remembering and how should it be remembered? Balancing contemplation with superficial tourism.

The 1970s: Collapse and Cultural Shifts

• The collapse of the 1960s:
  • The ideals and movements of the 1960s significantly declined by the 1970s.
  • This collapse continued into 1978, marked by chaos and disillusionment.
• Shifting Cultural Landscape in Film:
  • Hays Code: Strict morality in Hollywood films.
  • B Films (late 1950s-mid 1960s):
    • Cheap films that could bypass the Hays Code by depicting danger, monsters, and villains.
  • Monster Films:
    • 1960s: Reflected the era's anxieties but still offered a sense of resolution.
    • 1970s: Monsters often win, and the threat never truly disappears (leading to sequels). A sense of perpetual dread and inescapable doom.
• Themes of Loss in 1970s Popular Culture:
  • Winning is not an option:
    • In sports movies like "Slap Shot," "Rocky," and "Bad News Bears," characters do not achieve clear victories.
    • This reflects a broader cultural sentiment of disillusionment and the lack of clear-cut success.

Economic and Political Context of the 1970s

• The End of the Postwar Economic Consensus:
  • The American economy and culture had been built on cheap oil since the 1870s.
  • The 1970s saw the end of this era due to:
    • Rising oil prices.
    • Middle Eastern politics.
    • The emergence of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) as a political force.
      • OPEC controlled oil pricing and exerted political influence after the 1973 war between Israel and its neighbors.
• Political Impact:
  • Nixon and Ford administrations faced significant challenges, including inflation.
  • Ford's presidency was particularly impacted by the economic crisis.
  • Carter inherited these economic problems.

Christmas and Cultural Reflection

• Christmas as a Cultural Barometer:
  • The evolution of Christmas traditions reflects changing societal values and economic conditions.
  • Early 20th century: Victorian traditions, Santa Claus at Macy's, Santa-led parades.
  • 1930s-1940s: Wistful music reflecting hope for a better future.
  • Post-war era: Celebratory music.
  • Countercultural era: Misfit themes.
• Christmas in the 1970s: Hardship and Job Loss:
  • Songs reflected the economic struggles of the time, focusing on job loss and factory closures.
  • Example: "If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard, expressing the hardship and uncertainty of the era.

Growing Crises in the 1970s

• Urban Crisis:
  • Urban blight, riots, upheaval, fear of crime, and bankruptcy.
  • Fires as a solution for landlords seeking insurance money.
• Cold War Crisis:
  • The aftermath of the Vietnam War.
• Suburban Crisis:
  • The decreasing attainability of suburbs due to high oil prices.
  • Concerns about environmental pollution in suburban areas.
  • Overall sense of crisis and disillusionment.

Satire and Irony

• Shift from Sincere Critique to Satire:
  • The 1970s saw a shift from sincere cultural critiques to satire and irony.
• Randy Newman's "Burn On, Big River":
  • A satirical song about the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland catching fire in 1969.
  • The song sounds like a love letter to Cleveland, but it is meant to be flippant and disparaging.
  • It critiques the conditions that allowed such an environmental disaster to occur.
• Authenticity and Ironic Critique:
  • Randy Newman's style in the mid-1970s was satirical and ironic.
  • He later expressed regret for not being more sentimental in his work.
• The Burning River as a Metaphor:
  • The incident became a metaphor for broader issues of environmental degradation and societal decay.
  • The question posed: "How in the hell does a river burn?"

The Cuyahoga River Fire: Memory and Reality

• The Cuyahoga River Fire:
  • The 1969 fire was not as significant as often portrayed.
  • It burned for about 20 minutes, affecting a couple of barges and a bridge.
  • However, it became a powerful symbol of environmental crisis.
• Misremembering and Metaphor:
  • Randy Newman claimed to have seen footage of the fire on TV, but no such footage exists.
  • The image of the burning river became exaggerated and sensationalized over time.
• Previous Fires:
  • The Cuyahoga River had caught fire multiple times before 1969.
  • These earlier fires did not garner the same attention because they were seen as a cost of industrial progress.
• National Resonance:
  • The 1969 fire resonated nationally because it symbolized either:
    • Urban and political decay: Cities in free fall after Watergate and Vietnam.
    • Environmental crisis: The consequences of pollution and industrialization.

Deeper Realities Behind the Metaphor

• Factories and Jobs:
  • Oil slicks in the Cuyahoga River were a result of factories, oil refineries, and steel mills.
  • These factories provided jobs, and the pollution was tolerated as a cost of employment.
• Shift in Perspective:
  • In the late 1960s and 1970s, as jobs disappeared due to deindustrialization, the pollution became unbearable.
  • The river fire symbolized the loss of economic opportunity and the resulting environmental degradation.
• Randy Newman's Omission:
  • Randy Newman's song does not address the underlying issue of job loss and deindustrialization.
  • His satirical approach overlooks the pain and suffering caused by economic decline.

The 1970s: A Cultural Overview

• Cultural Timeline:
  • The cultural "70s" extended from approximately 1972 to 1982.
• Themes in 1970s Culture:
  • Dystopian futures: Films like "Planet of the Apes," "Omega Man," and "Soylent Green" depicted bleak, cautionary scenarios.
  • Chaos and disasters: Films featured buildings burning, airplanes crashing, ships sinking, and monstrous threats.
  • Corruption and paranoia: Films like "All the President's Men" and other conspiracy-themed movies reflected a sense of distrust and unease.
  • Television: Focused on working-class struggles and independent women trying to make their way in the world (e.g., "Good Times," "Taxi," "Sanford and Son," "Mary Tyler Moore"). Even the Brady Bunch shows a non traditional family trying to get by.
  • Sports films: Emphasized loss and the challenges of survival (e.g., "Rocky," "The Bad News Bears," "Slap Shot").

Economic and International Influences

• OPEC and Oil Embargoes:
  • The international oil crisis significantly impacted American culture and economy.
• Slap Shot as a Metaphor:
  • The film captures the essence of the 1970s: a dying team in a dying town shows that times are not good.
  • Not films with disco balls and cocaine.

Sports and Cultural Metaphors

• Shifting Narratives:
  • Late 1950s-early 1960s: The New York Yankees symbolized American optimism and success.
  • Football: Embodied Cold War ideals of discipline and rigor.
  • Coaches: Fetishized as symbols of leadership and preparation for conflict (e.g., Lombardi, Wilkinson, Bryant).
  • President Kennedy: Enlisted Bud Wilkinson to lead a presidential commission on physical fitness, emphasizing the need to prepare young men for war.
• Dismantling the Consensus:
  • The emergence of rival leagues in football (NFL vs. AFL) and basketball (NBA vs. ABA) reflected a breakdown of traditional norms.
  • The AFL embraced rebellion and nonconformity, contrasting with the NFL's tradition-bound approach.
  • Super Bowl III: Showcased the clash between traditional Johnny Unitas and rebellious Joe Namath.
• Race and Sports:
  • Basketball narratives emphasized racial tensions, with white players versus black players.
  • Blaxploitation films: Featured black athletes as stars in urban action movies (e.g., Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, Bernie Casey).
• Shift to Towns over Players:
  • By the 1970s, the focus shifted from individual players to the towns and communities they represented.
  • Examples: Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland A's, New York Yankees (as gritty underdogs).

The Bronx is Burning: A Metaphor for Urban Crisis

• 1977 World Series:
  • A massive fire broke out in the South Bronx during a game between the Yankees and Dodgers.
  • The commentary on the game acknowledged the fire, with announcer Howard Cosell supposedly saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning."
  • This phrase became a symbol of urban decay and crisis.

Deeper Examination of the Cuyahoga River Fire

• Misremembered Image:
  • The iconic picture of the Cuyahoga River burning is often misattributed to the 1969 fire but is actually from 1952.
• Resonance in the 1970s:
  • The story resonated because it symbolized the environmental and economic challenges facing American cities.
• Divergent Responses:
  • Before the 1960s, industrial pollution was tolerated as a trade-off for jobs.
  • By the 1970s, with job losses and factory closures, the pollution became a symbol of decline and neglect.
• Political Battle:
  • The incident sparked a political battle over who was responsible for the pollution.
  • It led to the creation of environmental protection measures, such as the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Slap Shot: A Visual Representation of Deindustrialization

• Film Scene:
  • A scene from "Slap Shot" shows a steel mill and the cars of its workers.
  • The mill is about to close, leading to job losses and economic devastation.
• Causes of Deindustrialization:
  • Skyrocketing oil prices.
  • Inefficiencies of older plants.
  • Liberalization of foreign trade policies.
  • Competition from cheaper Japanese steel and recycled steel.
  • Decline in demand for large, gas-guzzling cars.
• Factory Closures and City Decline:
  • Fordist factories had two speeds: full production or shutdown.
  • Many factories shut down between 1975 and 1985, leading to the decline of cities like Detroit, Flint, Buffalo, and Cleveland.
• Impact on Appalachia:
  • Coal mines closed as factories stopped using coal, devastating Appalachian communities.

Major League and the Satirizing of Cleveland

• Film Release: Major League released in 1989
• Randy Newman's Song: The movie uses Randy Newman's song, perpetuating Cleveland's image as a distressed city.
  • Cleveland embraces its negative image but also faces the deep effects of deindustrialization.

Deindustrialization as a National Phenomenon

• Guts Cities: Factory closures led to economic devastation in cities like Cleveland, Youngstown, Pittsburgh, Norwood, Detroit, Flint, and Buffalo.
• US Steel Gary Works: The plant automated, producing steel with fewer jobs.
• Norwood General Motors Plant: The plant scaled back production and closed, transforming the community.
• Transformative Change: Deindustrialization transformed the economic landscape of the United States.

Shifts in Manufacturing and Consumption

• Cheaper Japanese Steel: Cheaper steel from Japan replaced American-made steel.
• Recycling: New methods of repurposing existing steel reduced the need for new production.
• Smaller Cars: Demand shifted to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars made of plastic, impacting the steel industry.

Howard Cosell and the Myth of the Bronx is Burning

• Randy Newman's Claim: Randy Newman claimed to have seen footage of the Cuyahoga River fire on the news, but this was not true.
• Misremembered Images:
  • The public remembers the river fire as an epic conflagration, but it was a small incident.
• 1977 World Series:
  • Commentator Howard Cosell supposedly said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning," during a Yankees game.
• Actual Footage:
  • Footage from the game reveals that Cosell did not say the famous quote.
  • The fire was mentioned but not emphasized as a major event.
• The Power of Memory and Metaphor:
  • The misremembered quote became a powerful symbol of urban decay and the challenges of the 1970s.
  • It reflected the choices people made about how they thought about cities, industries, and pollution.