The Swinging Seventies

The 1980's

AM Caro — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:41:00 GMT

Huh? Isn't this supposed to be a blog about the 1970's? Yeah, it is. But I also get a little nostalgic about the 1980's as well. Plus, if you grew up in the late 1970's and early 1980's you will probably remember the fact that a ton of 1970's television programs and movies were dumped onto UHF channels in the early 1980's so in a way you could say that much of the 1970's survived an extra year or two before being put out to the cultural pasture until the 1990's when TNT would air week long "celebrations" of the 1970's. (It was cool stuff like that that made cable TV a hip alternative to the crap that aired on regular TV) But, the 1980's were distinct years that were far, far removed from the 1970's as we moved on to a completely different vibe in the nation. The 1970's were a very, very strange decade and the 1980's were a decade that moved towards stability and normality. Many compare the 1980's to the 1950's but this is an inaccurate assessment. The 1950's were hardly the stable decade as most people assumed. In fact, much of the fifties was filled with Cold War paranoia that came right on the heels of a major ground war in Korea. But, the 1950's are a story for another time.

The 1980's were an amazing departure from the 1970's. One of the biggest changes - and many will not even acknowledge this - was the closing of the drive in theaters and the opening of video stores. our entertainment moved indoors and this would forever create a new landscape that was much more convenient but lacking in the unique charm of the 1970's drive in circuit. Also noticeable in the 1980's was the fading away of the aforementioned 1970's programming (and 1960's programming) from UHF stations as the decade of the 1980's moved on. This was because more and more original programming was produced for after school kid's viewing. Sadly, the costs of animation would kill off Saturday Morning TV after 20+ years as daily programming proved far more profitable.

Sometimes it is bittersweet to look at an undeniable fact: sometimes decades come to an end.

K-Tel Bigfoot Snowshoes

AM Caro — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:38:00 GMT

There were two things that were hugely popular in the 1970's: the K-Tel Company and Bigfoot. The K-Tel Company was famous for producing a ton of really awful (well, I liked them) record albums. Bigfoot was famous for being a giant ape creature that hid in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Needless to say, K-Tel and Bigfoot were a perfect match.

After seeing a display in the supermarket today for Bigfoot snow shovels (the company's logo is an illustration of the famous still from the Patterson-Gimlin film) I thought about the classic 1977 novelty item K-Tel's Bigfoot Snowshoes as well as the very memorable TV commercial that promoted the snowshoes.

Oh, Bigfoot was a big star back in the 1970's. He really fit in well with the image of the loner that made up the individual nature present in much of the 1970's mythos.

KISS FAQ

AM Caro — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:53:39 GMT

Oh come on, folks, what would a blog about the 1970's be without a mention of KISS? Of course, this blog will feature A LOT of information on the band as well as personal anecdotes but for now I want to share with you may favorite KISS site the KISS FAQ Without a doubt this is the most comprehensive KISS site on the web and well work reading DAILY for tons of kiss news and updates. So, check it out!

The Pursuit of DB Cooper

AM Caro — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:02:51 GMT

Even after 37 years it would seem the case of the legendary sky jacker DB Cooper will never be closed:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080101/ap_on_re_us/looking_for_cooper

"PORTLAND, Ore. - The FBI is making a new stab at identifying mysterious skyjacker Dan Cooper, who bailed out of an airliner in 1971 and vanished, releasing new details that it hopes will jog someone's memory. The man calling himself Dan Cooper, also known as D.B. Cooper, boarded a Northwest flight in Portland for a flight to Seattle on the night of Nov, 24, 1971, and commandeered the plane, claiming he had dynamite."

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The Swinging 1970's Revisited

AM Caro — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:32:34 GMT

While the 1940’s, 1950’s, the 1960’s and the 1980’s are past decades that are often considered time periods of great social, historical and cultural relevance the 1970’s are seeming skipped. Part of the reason for this is that there is a notion that with the end of the tumult of the 1960’s people simply wanted to forget. The means in which they forgot things was through disco, pet rocks, bad fashion statements and “swinging” (whatever the hell that all inclusive term is supposed to mean). Of course, there was far more to the Me Decade than the casual dismissal that many people opt to present. In fact, this decade was a wonderful decade loaded with interesting events politically, culturally, and socially. I was born in the early 1970’s and have fond memories as a little kid who at the tale end of the decade was enthralled by Saturday Morning TV, KISS albums, and drive ins featuring STAR WARS, JAWS and, of course, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Also, as a little kid I tried very much to make sense of inflation, the energy crisis and our worst president Jimmy Carter. The Swinging Seventies was a fond decade so why don’t you relive it with me? Let’s put on a Smiley Face shall me and relive those days? Have a Nice Day!