My cultures (specifically my age group) began with a kick—the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Mutually Assured Destruction mentality! Our child hood was filled with President Bill Clinton and drudge music. Metallica and Snoop Dog was played on high with an enormous increase in the White urbanization. “It was the best of times and the worst of times” as Dickens would say. The technology bubble was on the edge of bursting, and with the final pop it gave the economy its first surplus in years. Business was booming and foreign affairs were on the up and up.
Walking up and down the streets you would see the increase of the restoration of historic buildings. The youth would be wearing predominately black cloths. The white youth was obsessed with not caring because that what was cool. There was a rise in the nerd culture. The comic book obsession went through the roof. Being smart became a little more socially acceptable. With child television shows like Smart Guy and Daria, children got the impression that smart was cool.
The year 2000 brought about another big scare: THE END OF THE WORLD. Y2K hit and Nostradamus predicted that the end of the world. The computers were going to shut down and anarchy was going to run rampant. After that we believed as Americans they were safe as long as our computers keep working.
Until the day that New York was filled with smoke. The eyes of the world turned to New York and they were afraid for their lives, their children’s lives, and their national security. The fear led to President George W. Bush taking control of America's safety. In a day The Department of Homeland security was created and the Patriot Act was passed. We went to war with Afghanistan because the Taliban ruled there and their leader was Osama Bin Laden. The war on terror spread to Iraq.
America became obsessed with the thought of the troops and how bad that president Bush was. The lyrics of songs were filled with hate for the President— Muse, System of A Down and Green Day to name a few. In the beginning it was a social taboo to disagree with the war. Artists like the Dixie Chicks were hurt by their comments showing their disapproval of Bush. The war had affected all forms of culture.
Today there is a new leader that embodies “change,” President Obama. America is wanting out of the war. People everywhere are in love with change. Rap and R&B songs are filled with compliments to the new president and he in his first hundred days is portrayed as a president of the people. Ever since the Twin Towers fell, the presidency has had a major effect on pop culture.
So do you think that any specific place is cool, or just most places after 1989. And Smart Guy was a great show.
ReplyDeleteThe place to be as of 2000 has be Washington D.C. It is were our lives as Americans have rested. We started there when Bush first came into office. We looked there for leadership after 9/11. For the past 3 years that is where we have pointed fingers for everything that is wrong and now we are once again looking there for hope. I am probably going to get torched for saying this but about half of Americans are to egocentric or proud to look any other place in the world. If it was up to me I would like to focus on socialist nations just anywhere but ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty great post in terms of links and pics.
ReplyDeleteOther than the Shepard Fairey effect of modern graphic design, what else has Obama done to effect cool.
This may be a very white thing to say but he has made it cool for African American men to become something other than a Rapper. He has shown that the system is not so corrupt and that black individuals can hold office. He has restored faith in the system for man.
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