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''This article deals with the ] and ] aspects and ] of the 1970s. For a detailed list of ]s, please see ].'' |
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{{R hatnote}} |
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'''The Seventies''' in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between ] and ] (see: ]), but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past several decades. |
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In ] the decade is often referred to as the "Me Decade", a label given by social analyst and writer ]. In a change from ], the American public largely changed their focus from bettering American society to helping themselves. Instead of social justice, many Americans focused on economic matters, which were worsening as the decade went on. |
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The ] ] which began prospering in the mid-late ] and blooming in the very early 1970s through the ], might have thrived and become stable in the way that Europe recovered after the war through the Marshall Plan. However this growing economy was halted by the ] of ]. Hence in the third world, the seventies is remembered with lingering nostalgia for its unfulfilled passion for change and hope for a prosperous and egalitarian society which remained incomplete. |
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== Worldwide trends in the Seventies == |
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The dynamic world of the 1970s led to the experience of a ] that emerged from the transition of the global social structure from the end of ] and the decline of ]—to the rise of a newer middle class. |
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Globally, the 1970s had several features that were similar and definitive across economic levels and regions. These aspects and essence that make up global essence of the 1970s are the defining points of the 1970s: the ] and its subsequent failure, the impact of the ] on social-interactional dynamics, and the ] of ]. |
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The developing nations experienced economic growth that came in the wake of political independence. However, several African economies declined and political states became dictatorial regimes. Many Middle Eastern democracies crumbled into chaotic regimes with pseudo democratic governments. |
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The 1970's ethos in much of the developing world was characterized by: |
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* its incessant need to redefine ] to newer socioeconomic system, |
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* the sheer pace at which they need to adapt to new social influences along with the need to integrate it to their native cultural context, and |
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* the constant aspiration for a more egalitarian society in cultures that were long colonised and have an even longer history of hierarchical ]. |
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The ] of the late 1960s brought about self sufficiency in many developing economied. At the same time an increasing number of people began to seek urban prosperity over ] life. This consequently saw the duality of transition of diverse interaction across social ] amid increasing ] across ]. |
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Other common global ethos of the seventies world include: increasingly flexible and varied gender roles for women contrasted with even more rigid ] for men, the unprecedented socioeconomic impact of an ever-increasing number of women entering the non-agrarian economic workforce, and the sweeping cultural-religious impact of the ] towards the end of the 1970s in ]. |
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The global experience of a cultural transition of the 1970s and an experience of a global zeitgeist revealed the interdependence of economies since World War II in ], and showed the huge impact of American economic policies on the ]. |
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==Economy of the Seventies== |
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For the developed economies of the world, the 1970s adversely distinguished itself from the prosperous postwar decades. Then, the world economy was buoyed by the ] and the robust American economy. However, the high standing enjoyed by the American economy became discomposed by loose domestic and war spending. The ] of 1973 added to the existing ailments and conjured high inflation throughout much of the world for the rest of the decade. World leaders, such as ] of the United Kingdom, and ] of the United States, could not control it, causing their support to dwindle. |
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===Oil crisis=== |
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] station in ], were common throughout the Western world. Also common were long lines to receive rationed petrol products.]] |
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Economically, the seventies were marked by the energy crisis which peaked in 1973 and 1979 (see ] and ]). After the first oil shock in 1973, ] was rationed in many countries. Europe particularly depended on the Middle East for oil; the US was also affected even though it had its own oil reserves. Many European countries introduced car-free days. In the US, customers with a license plate ending in an odd number were only allowed to buy gasoline on odd-numbered days, while even-numbered plate-holders could only purchase gasoline on even-numbered days. The experience that oil reserves were not endless and technological development was not ] without harming the environment ended the age of ]. As a result, ] rose. |
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== Social movements == |
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===Environmentalism=== |
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The seventies touched off a mainstream affirmation of the ] early activists from the '60s, such as ], warned about. The ] that had occurred at the end of the previous decade transmitted back concrete images of the earth as an integrated, life-supporting system and shaped a public willingness to preserve nature. On ], ], the ] celebrated its first ] in which over two thousand colleges and universities and roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools participated. |
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Over the course of the decade, in the US a series of environmentally friendly legislation would be passed. Notable actions included the establishment of the ] in 1970, the passage of Clean Water Act in 1972, and the enactment of the ] the next year. |
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The takeoff of environmental thought rose parallel to the increased usage of ] over ]s. However, with the increasing expenses of nuclear power the opposition likewise grew. Opposition to nuclear power became widespread in reaction to the partial meltdown of the ] nuclear plant on March 28, 1979. |
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===Feminism=== |
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Feminism in the United States got its start in the ], but began to take flight starting in ], with the fiftieth anniversary of the passage of the ] (which legalized female suffrage). |
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The term "]" became a regularly heard term in the United States, as many women who held feminist ideals held protest in which they burned their bras, which they believed were a symbol of male domination. |
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== Culture during the Seventies == |
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===Social zeitgeist in the Seventies=== |
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In the wake of the ] many of the social dimenisions and perspectives towards issues were increasingly seen in liberal perspectives. ] became more friendly and less authoritative towards students. This was reflected in the ] of the 1970s, where the ] between ] and ]s became relatively flat. This had influence in social interaction and ] relationship as well. The ] rose to prominence in the third world and the role of ] in nuclear families took radical shift from those of earlier generations. With the rise of nuclear family and liberal attitudes towards social structure came new perspectives to child rearing and education. The 70s saw a decline in attendance to ]s and a rise of local ]s. The role of the nuclear family and the parent was increasingly noticed and given new impetus. New perspectives like ] brought about the girl child in middle class a central roles within the nuclear family. while social norms and laws got increasingly framed in favour of women. |
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=== The Seventies in music === |
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{{seemain|Timeline of trends in music (1970-1979)}} |
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The seventies were a time when a new generation of young people were exposed to new media and hence newer ideas in almost every field. TV and motion picture brought to varied audiences images, lifestyles and music from diverse regions and peoples. This led to the emergence of a new vocabulary and experimentation in music. After the war the second generation of German musicians began experimenting with music, these included ] and the tradition of ] or Kraut music, rooted in the experimental classical music. This later influenced ] like those of ] and experimental ] like ], especially in monumental ] compositions like ]. |
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Another experimentation in ] was brought about by composer ] and ], with what was to be called ]. This was a break from the intellectual serial music of the tradition of ] which lasted from the early ] to ]. Minimalist music sought to appreciate simple music with systematic patterns repeated in complex variations. |
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These experimentations were also used in several movies made in the early ]. In world music the musical collaboration of violinists ] and ] was appreciated by a large audience. |
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The commercial cinemas around the world tended to imitate nuances of disco beats in their movies to present their movies as western and upbeat. These included the increasingly popular ] movies in far ] and ] movies from ]. |
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To many people, the Seventies will be most remembered for the rise in ] music. First creeping into dance clubs in the mid-seventies (with such hits as "]" by ]), songstresses like ], ] and ] popularized the genre and were described in subsequent decades as the "disco divas." ] scored a Top Ten hit with "]" and the ] had a string of #1s following their collaboration on the '']'' soundtrack. |
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As quickly as disco's popularity came, however, it fell out of favor with the new decade, and effectively died in ], with the popularity of ] bands such as ] and ], who both formed their respective bands in the seventies. Many of the aforementioned singers who became popular during the disco era found themselves out of tune with the ], and were out of work for many years, until a renewed interest in disco brought many of them back to the forefront. Many songs from the disco era are still very popular dance hits and receive continuous airplay in nightclubs throughout the world. |
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The mid-seventies saw the rise of ] from its ]/] roots in the ] and early 1970s. ], the ], and ] were some of the earliest acts to make it big in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Groups like the clash were noted for the experimentation of style, especially that of having strong ] influences in their music. Punk music has also been heavily associated with a certain ] and absurdist humor which exemplified a genuine suspicion of mainstream culture and values. |
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=== The Seventies in cinema=== |
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====World cinema==== |
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In cinema all over the world, the seventies brought about vigour in adventurous and realistic complex narratives with rich cinematography and elaborate scores. The cultural interaction between aided with TV and visual media and the rise in motion picture technology ushered in a new period of motion picture making. |
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In ], the failure of the ] brought about nostalgic motion pictures reminiscent of the ones that celebrate the 1970s itself. These movies expressed a yearning and as a premonition to the decade and its dreams. The ] director ] made the motion picture '']'' (]), which is a nostalgic portrayal and a premonition of the fading of the young 1970s ethos of change and a friendlier social structure. The ] director ] made the motion picture '']'' (]). German movies after the war aksed existential questions especially the works of ]. The movies of the ] director ] reached a new level of expression in motion pictures like '']'' (]). |
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Asian cinema of the 1970s catered to the rising middle class fantasies and struggles. In the ] cinema of ] this was epitomised by the movies of Bollywood superhero ]. These movies portrayed adventurous plots with car chase trying to imitate hollywood movies like '']'', presented music with Disco beats and also presented the young middle class man as an "''angry young man''". The women on the other hand were shown as ones who have adopted western values and outfits especially by heroines like ] (who was featured on the cover of ''TIME'' for a story on Bollywood's success) and ]. However towards the very end of the 1970s, especially after the steep rise in land prices in urban areas and the decline in employment security, the heroines were seen more often as ]-women striving to have a prosperous middle class ] especially heroines like ] and ]. In this way the cinema of asian region becomes a ] statement of the ] times of the region and its people. |
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Other movie industry of the region produced fine masterpieces like in ]. ] made ''Swayamvaram'' in 1972, which got wide critical acclaim. This was followed by the movie ''Nirmalyam'' by ] in 1973. |
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====Hollywood==== |
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The decade opened with Hollywood facing a financial slump, reflecting the monetary woes of the nation as a whole during the first half of the decade. Despite this, the seventies proved to be a benchmark decade in the development of cinema, both as an art form and a business. With young filmmakers taking greater risks and restrictions regarding language and sexuality lifting, Hollywood produced some its most critically acclaimed and financially successful films since its supposed "golden era." |
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] won Best Actor honors at the ] for his role in the ] hit ''The Godfather''. He boycotted the ceremony and sent ] ] to reject the award on his behalf. Also pictured are ] and ].]] |
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In the years previous to 1970, Hollywood had began to cater to the younger generation with films such as '']''. This proved a folly when anti-war films like '']'' and '']'' became major box-office flops. Even solid films with bankable stars, like the ] epic '']'', flopped, leaving studios in dire straights financially. Unable to repay financiers, studios began selling off land, furniture, clothing, and sets acquired over years of production. Nostalgic fans bid on merchandise and collectables ranging from ] sparkling red shoes to ] own back lots. |
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More of the successful films were those based in the harsh truths of war, rather than the excesses of the '60s. Films like '']'', about the ] general, and '']'', about a ] field hospital, were major box-office draws in ]. Honest, old-fashioned films like '']'' and the ] adaptation, '']'', were both commercial and critical hits. |
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One of the most insightful films of the decade came from the mind of a Hollywood outsider, Czechoslovakian director ], whose '']'' became a bold reflection of life at the beginning of the seventies. The ] satirized the American middle class, following a young girl who runs away from home, leaving her parents free to explore life for the first time in years. While the film was never given a wide release in ], it became a major critical achievement both in America and around the world (garnering the film high honors at the ] and several ] nominations). |
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An adaptation of an ] novel would prove to be one of the most notable films of 1970, and would set the stage for a major trend in seventies cinema. The film, '']'', featured a complex plot, characters, and an all-star cast of Hollywood A-listers and legends. ''Airport'' followed an airport manager trying to keep a fictional ] airport operational during a blizzard, as well as a bomb plot to blow up an airplane. The film was a major critical and financial success, helping pull ] into the black for the year. The film earned senior actress ] an Oscar for ] and garnered many other nominations in both technical and talent categories. The success of the film launched a slew of ]-related films, many of which following the same blueprint of major stars, a melodramatic script, and great suspense. |
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]'s ''The Poseidon Adventure'' was one of the most successful star-studded "disaster films."]] |
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Three ''Airport'' sequels followed in ], ], and ], each successor making less money than the last. ] brought '']'', which starred a young ] leading an all-star cast to safety in a capsized luxury liner. The film earned an ] for visual effects (and Best Original Song for "]," as well as numerous nominations, including one for its notable supporting star, ]. '']'' teamed ] and ] against a fire in a New York skyscraper. The film cost a whopping $14 million to produce (expensive for its time), and won Academy Awards for Cinematography, Film Editing, and Best Original Song. The same year, the epic '']'' featured questionable effects (camera shake and models) to achieve a destructive 9.9 earthquake in ]. Despite this, the film was one of the most successful of its time, earning $80 million at box office. By the late seventies, the novelty had worn off and the disasters had become less exciting. ] brought a terrorist targeting a '']'', a ] '']'' of bees, and a less-than-threatening '']'' in ]. |
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] brought a rebirth of the action film, three years after the influential '']''. '']'', staring ], brought suspense to new heights with an adrenaline-broiling car chase through the streets of ], while '']'' featured gratuitous nudity and '']'' featured much blood and gore to complement its complex story. ] filmmakers also found success in the seventies with such hits as '']'' and '']'', and more questionable films, such as '']'' and '']''. Like other sequels in the seventies, ''Shaft'' went on to have two more adventures, each less successful than the last. |
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An adaptation of a ] novel, '']'', became one of the best-loved and most respected works of cinema upon its release in ]. The three-hour epic followed a Mafia boss, played by ], through his life of crime. Beyond the violence and drama were themes of love, pride, and greed. '']'' went on to earn $134 million at American box office, and $245 million throughout the world. It won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay. Its director ] was passed over in favor of ] and his musical, '']'', which also earned an Oscar for its star, ]. '']'' followed in ], with roughly the same principal cast and crew, earning Oscars for star ], its director, composer, screenwriters and art directors. The film also earned the Best Picture Oscar for that year. |
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The replacement of ], first with ] and then with ], in the ] series created a minor bump for the '60s hit in the seventies. While ] '']'' was a moderate success, the following films in the series didn't live up to expectations. The highest grossing of the seventies Bond films, ] '']'', is viewed by many as the weakest of the franchise. |
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Other massively successful films would soon take Bond's place in the seventies. It was at this time that the ''']''' was born. While the 1973 horror classic '']'' was among the top five grossing films of the seventies, the first film given the blockbuster distinction was ] '']''. Released on ]th, the film about a series of horrific deaths related to a massive great white shark was director ]'s first big-budget Hollywood production, coming in at a cool $9 million in cost. The film slowly grew in ticket sales and became one of the most profitable films of its time, ending with a $260 million dollar gross in the ] alone. The film won Academy Awards for its skillful editing, chilling score, and sound recording. It was also nominated for Best Picture that year, though it lost to ]'s '']'' (which also won acting awards for ] and ]). |
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], was not soon surpassed.]] |
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The massive success of ''Jaws'' was eclipsed just two years later by another legendary blockbuster and film franchise. The ] science-fiction epic, '']'', hit theater screens in May of ], and became a major hit, growing in ticket sales throughout the summer, and the rest of the year. In time earning some $460 million, the good versus evil fantasy set in space was not soon surpassed. The film's breathtaking visual effects won an ]. The film also won for ]'s uplifting score, as well as art direction, costume design, film editing, and sound. ''Star Wars'' effectively removed any specter of studio bankruptcy that had haunted the studios since early in the decade. Another success in visual effects came the same year, with Spielberg's '']'', another blockbuster and alien contact set in the wilderness. For the picture, Spielberg received his first Oscar nomination for direction. |
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Throughout the seventies, the horror film developed into a lucrative genre of film. It began in 1973 with the terrifying ''The Exorcist'', directed by ] and starring the young ]. The film saw massive success, and the first of several sequels was released in 1977. ] brought the equally creepy suspense thriller, '']'', about a man who becomes the target of a former Nazi dentist's torment after his brother dies. The same year, the ] himself made an appearance in '']'', about the spawn of ]. ] '']'' was a precursor to the "slasher" films of the eighties and ] with its psychopathic Michael Myers. Cult horror films were also popular in the seventies, such as ]'s early gore films '']'' and '']'', as well as ]'s '']''. |
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In the mid-seventies movies began to reflect the disenfranchisement brought by the excesses of the past twenty years. A deeply unsettling look at alienation and city life, '']'' earned international praise, first at the ] and then at the ], where it was nominated for Best Leading Actor (]), Best Supporting Actress (]), Best Score (]), and Best Picture. '']'' dealt with the impeachment of ], while '']'' portrayed greed and narcissism in both American society and television media. The film won Oscars for Best Actor (]), Best Actress (]), Best Supporting Actres (]), and Best Screenplay (]). Thanks to a stellar cast, experienced director, and a poignant story, ''Network'' became one of the largest critical successes of ]. |
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Another film, '']'', about an average man turned boxer (played by ]) won the Best Picture ] that year. The film also became a major commercial success and spawned four sequels through the rest of the seventies and ]. ] brought the successful sequel, '']'', which featured the same cast, but without ]. Another tailor-made blockbuster, ] '']'' was released, but to less than stellar success. '']'' did mark the first time a film was booked to theaters before a release date, a common practice today. |
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] and ], introduced the "disco lifestyle" to the world.]] |
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The success of ]'s '']'' in ] stirred a new trend in moviemaking. ''Annie Hall'', a love story about a depressed comedian and a free-spirited woman, was followed with more sentimental films, including ]'s '']'', the autobiographical ] story, '']'', starring ] and ], and ]'s '']'' and '']''. |
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Younger audiences were also beginning to be the focus of cinema, after the huge blockbusters that had attracted them back to the theater. ] became popular in the pop-culture landmark films, '']'', which introduced Disco to middle America, and '']'', which recalled the world of the 1950s. Comedy was also given new life in the irreverent '']'', set on a college campus during the 1960s. '']'', starring ], was another irreverent comedy about marijuana use became popular among teenagers. The new television comedy program, "]," launched the careers of several of its comedians, such as ], who starred in the ] hit '']'' with rising star ]. Blockbusters like '']'', starring former '']'' actor ], were also still popular. |
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The decade closed with two films chronicling the ], ]'s '']'' and ]'s '']''. Both films focused on the horrors of war and the psychological damaged caused by such horrors. ] and director ] earned Oscars for their work on the film, which earned a Best Picture ]. ] and ] were also nominated for their work in '']''. '']'' won for cinematography and sound, and earned nominations for ] and Coppola. |
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] saw the poignant '']'', the inspiring '']'', and the nuclear thriller, '']''. Meanwhile, '']'' and '']'' focused on the failures of the American judicial system. The year ended with ]'s subtle black comedy '']'' and '']'', a family film based on the ] puppet characters. |
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=== The Seventies in television === |
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====In the United States==== |
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], were popular with US television viewers throughout the 1970s.]] |
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At the start of the decade, long-standing trends in American television were finally reaching the end of the road. '']'' and '']'', long-revered American insitutions, were finally canceled after multi-decade spans. The "family sitcom," popularized by the travails of ] and ] in the fifties and sixties, saw its last breath at the start of the new decade, with '']'', which ran for five seasons. Although the show was never high-rated during its original run, it has been syndicated continuously since its final episode, and many children have grown up with it, causing them to think of the Bradys as the quintessential family -- not only in 1970s television, but quite possibly all of American television. |
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In the ], television in the seventies was transformed by what became termed as "social consciousness" programming, spearheaded by television producer ]. His adaptation of the British television series '']'', which was called '']'', broke down barriers in television censorship code. When the series premiered in ], Americans heard the words "fag," "]," and "spic" on national television for the first time. ''All in the Family'' became the talk of countless dinner tables and ]s throughout the country, mainly because Americans hadn't seen anything like it before. The show quickly became an overnight sensation and was the highest-rated program on US television schedules from 1971 until ]—to date, only one other series has tied ''All in the Family'' for such a long stretch at the top of the ratings. ''All in the Family'' spawned numerous spin-offs, such as '']'', starring ]. Maude was ]'s cousin and Archie's archenemy. She stood for everything ] and was an outspoken advocate of ] and ]. Maude felt most comfortable, however, hiring a black woman as her housekeeper. Maude's housekeeper, Florida Evans (played by ]), became popular in her own right and was given her own television series in ], '']'', which proved to be another hit for Lear's production company. Lear developed two shows in ]: '']'', a spinoff of ''All in the Family'' in which Archie Bunker's black next-door neighbors moved to a luxury apartment on the ], and '']'', about a single mother raising her two teenage daughters in ]. |
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] |
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With the rise in socially responsible programming, the television ], a very popular genre in the ], slowly died out. The first casualties were '']'' and '']'', both ] staples, in the spring of ]. '']'' suffered a blow when actor ] died during surgery in ], and the show quietly ended its run the next year. ]'s '']'' outlasted them all, and finally ended its run with a star-studded series finale in ]. ''Bonanza'' actor ] helped popularize a television adaptation of the popular children's book series '']''. Debuting in ], the series ran for eight years. ''<nowiki>Little House</nowiki>'''s competitor family drama was ]'s '']'', which revolved around family unity but during a different time and place—] during the ]. |
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By the mid-to-late ], people tired of socially responsible sitcoms, and by extension, the ] network as a whole. CBS had aired most of Lear's creations and had led the US television ratings since the mid-]; since then the network had received a reputation as being the "Tiffany Network," showcasing the best in television. Former CBS Head of Programming ] defected to struggling ], which saw a glimmer of hope in the early ] with the #1 hit show '']'', but eventually retreated to its traditional third-place spot. Silverman was instrumental in starting a new movement in American television, which centered around sexual gratification and bawdy humor and situations. Critics called the new era "jiggle television," termed due to the crime-fighting television series '']'', which starred up-and-coming sex symbols ], ], and ]. |
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] |
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Silverman was responsible for green-lighting more risqué sitcoms such as '']'', modeled after the British series '']'', in which swinging single-man ] pretended to be ] to live in an apartment with two single women. Mildly controversial at the time, the show quickly became a Top Ten hit in the ratings. ABC also aired '']'', a sitcom that parodied soap operas, and garnered controversy by writing in one of the first homosexual characters on US television. Many stations refused to air the series because of this and other storylines (another storyline consisted of heroine Corinne Tate, played by ], lusting after a priest who eventually left the priesthood to marry her). |
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Silverman's legacy also included the "fantasy" genre, which started in ] with '']''. The series involved popular movie and television stars in guest roles as passengers on a luxury cruise liner that sailed up and down the ]. Silverman followed up in ] with '']'', starring ] and ]. Montalban and Villechaize were the owner and sidekick, respectively, of a luxury island resort where peoples' wishes came true. |
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], middle-class family, proved quite popular with viewers in the late seventies.]] |
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Another popular medium in US television moving into the 1970s was the ], which moved from being a genre watched exclusively by ] to having a sizable audience of men (who largely watched '']'') and college students; the latter audience helped '']'' gain a devoted following, as it was on during many universities' traditional "lunch period." In a '']'' article written about the genre in ], it was estimated that as many as 35 million households tuned into at least one soap opera each afternoon, the most popular being '']'', which routinely grabbed viewing figures of twelve million or higher each day. The soap boom spawned a nighttime soap parody, '']'', which made a quick star out of ], who played the eponymous heroine. A rising soap opera toward the decade's end was '']'', which capitalized on the everyman success of the film ''Rocky'' (despite ''Ryan's Hope'' debuting earlier; the show's success came a while after the movie's release). The serial was about an ] family running a ] in ], and earned critical acclaim from television critics for its realistic portrayal of an "ethnic" middle-class family in a contemporary setting. The show's matriarch, played by ], won two ]s by decade's end. |
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] throughout the decade.]] |
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Another influential genre proved to be the television newscast, which built on its initial widespread success in the ]. Each of the three television networks had widely recognizable and respected journalists helming their newscasts: ] anchor ], who was voted "The Most Trusted Man in America" many times over, led in the nightly ratings. ]'s ] and ] were a strong second, while ], perennially third place in the news department until the ], had a newscast helmed by ]. |
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Finally, a popular genre in the ] was the ]—in many respects, it received its last hurrah during this decade. Popular during the 1950s and 1960s, it carried on in the ] with '']''. With a repertory company that included ], ] and ], the veterans' series continued to be successful and ran well into the mid-seventies. ] aired a variety show of its own, starring ] comedian ]. '']'' became a success and became the first show headed by an African-American comedian to become a ratings winner. |
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In ], while Fred Silverman was still working for ], he spotted singing duo ] doing a stand-up concert and decided to turn it into a weekly variety show. In addition to stand-up banter between the husband and wife, '']'' would also have skits and music (mostly sung by ]). The show was a ratings winner from the first episode and ran for three years. It was followed in the same vein shortly after by singing group ]. Another group of singers who received a variety show in the seventies were two of the famous singing ]—] and his sister ]. ] set to work on the siblings' series and '']'' premiered on ABC in the winter of ]. Although the show became very popular, the Osmonds were equally ridiculed for their wholesome image and ] moral reputation (on an episode of ''Good Times'', the lead character, Florida, listed three things in the world you just can't do, and one was "Smile wider than Donny and Marie"). |
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====In the United Kingdom==== |
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In 1967 the ] had started trials of their new colour service, and it was gradually rolled out over the next few years. ] soon followed suit, so by 1970 the viewer had 3 full colour channels from which to choose: BBC1, BBC2 and ITV. Although US imports occupied a significant proportion of airtime, there was a substantial amount of high quality in-house production too. |
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The BBC, supported by its licence fee and with no advertisers to placate, continued fulfilling its brief to entertain and inform. The '']'' was a continuation of the '']'' which had run from the mid 60’s. As the title implied, it presented TV drama which had relevance to current social and economic issues, done in a way calculated to intrigue or even shock the viewer. As well as using established writers, it was effectively an apprenticeship for new ones who were trying to make a name for themselves; ], ], ] and ] all served time on ''Play for Today'' before going on to write their own independent series. In style, the plays could go from almost documentary realism (of which '']'' is the best known example) to the futuristic or surrealist ('']'', '']''). |
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Potter went on to write '']'', one of the landmarks of 70’s television drama. It had the now familiar elements of Potter’s style: sexual explicitness, nostalgia, fantasy song and dance scenes, all overlaying a dark and pessimistic view of human motivation. The series was a success, but the BBC was not yet ready for '']'', a story of the rape of a physically and mentally handicapped young woman. After viewing it, the BBC’s Director Of Programmes ], pronouncing it to be “brilliantly written … but nauseating”, withdrew it, and it would not be shown on British television until 1987. |
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]'s risqué television specials moved to ] in ], where they would stay for twenty years.]] |
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Many popular British ] (sit-coms) were gentle, innocent, unchallenging comedies of middle-class life, avoiding or only hinting at controversial issues; typical examples were '']'', '']'', and '']''. A more diverse view of society was offered by series like '']'', a comedy about prison life, and '']'', set in a lodging house inhabited by two students, a lonely spinster and a lecherous landlord. More nostalgic in tone were '']'', about the escapades of pensioners in a ] town, and '']'', about a ] unit during World War II. Things had begun to change in the '60s, with '']'', and the series continued during 1972–75. The rantings of Alf Garnett on race, class, religion, education and anything else at all definitely touched a nerve. Although the show was in fact poking fun at right-wing bigotry, not everyone got the joke. Some – including, notably, Mary Whitehouse – complained about the language (although the level of profanity was quite light) and resented the racial epithets like “wog” and “coon” and the attitudes underlying them. Others, completely missing the point of the show, actually adopted Alf as their hero, thinking he was uttering truths that others didn’t dare to – apparently oblivious to the fact that he never got the best of any argument and was regularly shown up to be stupid and ill-informed. The series regularly provoked controversy in the media, and for millions it became a common gossiping point at work or in the pub. |
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] became popular among viewers for her role as Barbara Good in '']''.]] |
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In police dramas there was a move towards increasing realism. '']'' continued until 1976, but it was essentially a nostalgic look back to an earlier time when police officers were depicted as a mix of strict but fair law enforcer, and kindly social worker. On the other hand, detective series such as '']'' (a spin-off from the earlier '']'') began to show police work done by fallible human beings with their own personal failings and weaknesses, constantly frustrated by the constraints under which they worked. Such series showed crime at the level of petty larceny and fraud, being tackled by ordinary coppers on the beat. Serious organised crime, on the other hand, was the province of various elite units, and one show in the '70s set a new standard. '']'' presented a hard, gritty picture of an armed police unit – members of ]'s elite ]. Violence was routine, as were fast car chases; Regan and Carter were hard-hitting coppers, who when they weren’t catching villains were likely to be on a drunken binge or womanising. |
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Although this was a truer picture of British policing, it was not always to the liking of senior police officers, who felt that the confidence of the public in the police force would be diminished as a result. In police dramas through most of the '70s however, corruption was rare, the detection rate was unrealistically high, and the criminals arrested were always convicted on solid evidence. Although the officers in ''The Sweeney'' were no angels, and there were occasional hints that police who inhabited a world where informants were necessary could not completely avoid compromises, these never amounted to more than turning a blind eye to minor misdmeanours. It would not be until 1978 that a police drama (the mini-series '']'') would depict a police officer fabricating evidence to secure a conviction, with the collusion of his colleagues. |
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=== The Seventies in literature === |
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After the experimentation and sexual subject matter that exemplified some of the sixties' most definitive works of literature, the early '70s brought a return to old-fashioned storytelling. ] '']'' was a tender romance that captured America, topping best-seller lists for the better part of the year and producing a successful film adaptation by the end of 1970. |
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The seventies also saw the decline of previously well-respected writers, such as ] and ], who both released poorly received novels at the start of the decade. Meanwhile, ''Islands in the Stream'', a posthumously released ] novel, was released. While Hemingway's classic style shown through, it was criticized as overwrought. |
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Racism remained a key subject in literature throughout the early seventies. While ] ''A Cry of Absence'' and ] '']'' studied racism in the past, works like that of ] and ] studied race relations in South Africa and New York respectively. |
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In the early seventies, ] emerged as a major literary figure with the release of ''Bech: A Book'', a semi-autobiographical look at a Jewish novelist, the continuing Rabbit series (including 1971's popular ''Rabbit Redux''), and his numerous subtle, relevant stories. Reflections of the 1960's experience also found roots in the literature of the decade through the works of ] and ]. Books like ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' by ] explored sex, single-parenthood, and the singles life in fresh, intriguing, and even unsettling light. |
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With the rising cost of hard-cover books and the increasing readership of "]," the ] became a popular medium through the popular fiction of ] and ]. Criminal non-fiction also became a popular topic with works such as '']'', written by ] policeman ], and the narrative '']'', about the infamous ] killings, written by ] and ]. |
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1975 brought the popular '']'' by ], a juvenile novel about a family of rabbits which found a home in mainstream literary circles. ] middle-age dramatic novel ''Something Happened'' brought the author one of his best-received novels since '']''. ] also returned to prominence in the seventies, first with '']'', a story of four families interwoven throughout their interactions in the ] area of ], and later with '']'', a historical novel about a family living in Colorado in the time of the 1870s. In 1976, ''Centennial'' was adapted to a popular television ]. ] would release a Bicentennial series of novels himself, which helped launch his writing career and were nearly as popular as Michener's book. |
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] literary movement in the seventies.]] |
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] '']'' became one of the most popular books of 1976 with its unconventional style and satiric nature. ] returned with the ]-winning ''Humboldt's Gift'', about a failed poet and a rising playwright. The same year ] released his immensely popular '']'', which followed Haley's ancestry back to the kidnapping of a young black man named ], who was sold into slavery in the south. |
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] and ], writers from the '']'', published '']'' in 1976. The best-selling book documented the downfall of President ], and their involvement in his impeachment. Throughout the trial many other books related to Nixon and the ] scandal topped the best-selling lists. The same year, ] published '']'', about the ], and ] released the feminist classic, '']''. |
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By the late seventies, a former English teacher from ] had become one of the most popular genre novelists with his tales of horror and suspense. ] 1974 novel, '']'', became a best seller and spawned a popular 1976 film. He followed ''Carrie'' with '']'', a vampire tale; '']'', a spooky romp set in a deserted hotel; '']'', a post-apocalyptic shocker; and '']'', about a comatose man who awakens with psychic abilities. King also released a collection of short stories and two novels under the pseudonym ]. |
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1977 brought many high-profile biographical works of literary figures, such as those of ], ], and ]. The world of fiction saw a return of the ]. Books by ] and ] warned of the problems caused by ] dependence on oil while ] ''The Day Before Doomsday'' warned of nuclear annihilation. ] much-awaited follow-up to the '']'', '']'', was released in 1978 and instantly became a best seller. |
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Notable works such as ] ] epic, '']'', rounded out the decade. ] ''Jailbird'' reflected the comic results of the Watergate scandal while ] continued to write in favor of an end to ]. By decade's end, ] topped the best-seller lists with '']'', which celebrated the early NASA test pilots and astronauts. |
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===The Seventies in science and philosophy=== |
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The 1970s saw an emergence of a new ] in the ] world and ] approach. The ] modeling of the natural and social systems gave way to pioneering dynamical non linear approach to the study of phenomena across sciences. Although the roots of these were laid in the ] and ], the seventies saw the blooming of these ideas especially with the rise of ] through the works in ] by ] (]) and the establishment of the first ] department in the world at ] in ]. The fields of ] and ] went through a renewed vigour with symbolic modeling of semantic knowledge while the final devastation of the long standing tradition of ] came about through the severe criticism of skinner's work in ] by the cognitive scientist ]. |
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In ] the idea of ] by ], took hold of the scientific community and redefined the foundations of evolutionary thought. |
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===The Seventies in sports=== |
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{{Seemain|List of 'years in sports'#1970s|}} |
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] ], which earned him a '']'' headline: "Never Get Against This Man!" Another woman tennis player, Billie Jean King, would challenge him four months later and win.]] |
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The 1970s was known for two renegade sports leagues that challenged older, established organizations in need of an energy boost and fresh perspective on their respective sports. The ] (ABA), founded in 1967, was well-known for its faster, up-tempo style of play, its multicolored red, white, and blue ball, and the introduction of the three-point shot. In ], the ] took in four former ABA teams when that league folded. The NBA also adopted the three-point shot and many star ABA players who would go on to star in the NBA. The ] (WHA), which lasted from ] through ], brought four new franchises to the ] and the player who would come to dominate the sport itself in ]. |
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The infamous "Battle of the Sexes" ] match between ] and ], who proclaimed the women's' game to be inferior, was a turning point in sports during the decade. Playing a ] card, Riggs originally challenged ], whom he beat soundly on ] ]. Riggs took this as an invitation to challenge all female players, and ] took the opportunity to accept his challenge. Highly publicized and nationally televised, the "Battle of the Sexes" match was held on ], ], at the ] in ]; King defeated the 55-year-old Riggs 6–4, 6–3, 6–3. The match was heralded as a major victory for women in athletics. |
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====The Olympics==== |
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<div class="boilerplate" id="seemainarticle"> |
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''Main articles: ], ], ], ]'' |
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</div> <!--seemain--> |
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During the 1970s, the Summer Olympics took place twice, with ] hosting the games in ] and ] playing host in ]. The 1972 Summer games became victim to both ] and international controversy with ties to the ongoing ] situation. During the games, Palestinian terrorists killed 2 Israeli athletes and took 9 hostage. After a failed rescue attempt, all hostages and all but three of terrorists were killed. The ]-] basketball game was also embroiled in controversy. The U.S. basketball Olympic winning streak, which started in ], was ended by the ] team's close victory in the final game. The U.S. complained about errors in officiating but the victory by the Soviet Union was upheld. Among the 1972 Summer Olympic highlights was the performance of swimmer ], who set seven World Records to win a record seven gold medals in one Olympics, bringing his total to nine. Other notable athletes at the 1972 games were sixteen-year-old ], whose success in women's gymnastics earned three gold medals for the ], and ] athlete ], who took home the gold in the women's ]. |
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] was the first gymnast ever to receive perfect marks.]] |
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The 1976 Summer games in Montreal marked the first time the Olympic games were held in ]. Mindful of the tragedy during the 1972 games, security was high during the Montreal games. Due to its policy on ], ] was banned from the games. Even so, twenty-two other African countries sat out to protest South Africa's treatment of blacks, mainly because ] was allowed to compete, despite their rugby team touring South Africa earlier in the year. |
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The 1976 Summer Olympics were highlighted by the legendary performance of ] female gymnast ]. The 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci of Romania scored seven perfect 10s and won 3 gold medals, including the prestigious All Around in women's gymnastics. The performance by Comaneci also marked the rise of legendary women's gymnastics coach ], who went on to coach the U.S. team in both the ] and ] summer Olympic games. The 1976 Summer games also featured the strong U.S. ] team, which consisted of ], ], ], ] and ] The team won five gold medals and was arguably the greatest Olympic ] team ever. In ], ] won the gold medal in the 149-pound weight class without having a single point scored against him. Amazingly, this was done with a painful shoulder injury. |
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The Winter Olympics were held in ], ], in ] and ], ], in ]. Originally, ], was supposed to host the '76 games, but voters rejected a plan to finance the venues needed and the ] chose Innsbruck instead; the city had already had venues from hosting the ]. |
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===The Seventies in technology=== |
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The birth of modern computing started in the 1970s. The world's first general ] - the ], came out in november ]. The ] was developed early in the decade with the ] ] being rewritten into it in ]. With "large-scale integration" possible for ]s (microchips) rudimentary ]s began to be produced along with ]s. Notable ]s released in North America of the era are the ], the ], the ], and ] and the ] in Japan. The availability of affordable personal computers led to the first popular wave of ] with the first ]s. |
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The 1970s was also the beginning of the ] era. ] established itself as the dominant force in home video gaming, first with its home version of the ] ] and later in the decade with the ] console (originally called the Video Computer System). |
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==National issues== |
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=== In the Middle East === |
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].]] |
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Political ] in Arab and Middle Eastern states, combined with the ] of the ] by ], led to a major increase in ]. The ] terror group ] was involved in plane ]s and a deadly ] incident at the ] in ]. |
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In ], tensions between ] and ] factions in ] brought that country to ], which would continue sporadically for 20 years. |
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The ] of ] transformed Iran from an autocratic pro-west monarchy under Shah ] to an ]ic, ] ] under the rule of ]. Distrust between the revolutionaries and Western powers led to the ] on ], ] where 66 diplomats, mainly from the U.S., were held captive. In ], ] began to rise to power by helping to modernize the country. One major initiative was removing the western monopoly on ] which later during the high prices of ] would help Saddam's ambitious plans. On ], ] he assumed the ] cementing his rise to power. His presidency led to the breaking off of a ]n-Iraqi unification, which had been sought under ] and would later lead to the ] starting in the ]. |
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''See also: ], ]'' |
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===In Africa=== |
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], the fall of ], ], ] in ] (death of ]), etc. |
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===In India and Pakistan=== |
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* ]/]/] (relates back to culture) |
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===In Southeast Asia=== |
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The ] came to a close in the early Seventies with the ]. Opposition had increased in the United States which led to U.S. withdrawal in the early part of ]. However, in 1975 North Vietamese forces invaded the South and quickly took over the goverment breaking the treaty. |
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In] the communist leader ] led a revolution agains the American backed government of ]. On April 17, 1975 his forces captured ] the capitol, two years after America had halted the bombings of their positions. His communist govermnet ,the ], moved the citizens into communal housing which led to starvation. The estimated death toll in the ] ranges between 800,000 and 2.3 million. Vietnam invaded the country in 1979 which led to an long ensuing war between the nations. |
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=== In Japan === |
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] |
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Due to financial support from the ] and much hard work, ]'s economy surpassed the rest of the world in the Seventies. The country expanded on the economic growth it received from elaborate building and job growth as a result of the ], which were held in ]. '']'' profiled the Japanese work ethic in a ] ] cover story entitled "Those Successful Japanese!" |
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With a rise in technology and a more urgent need to commute for salaried jobs, the ] became an efficient tool for people to travel cross-country in a rather inexpensive and quick manner. The first "bullet train" was opened between ] and ] in ], with further extension to ] in ]. The Tokyo-Osaka line was key in transporting visitors to ] in Osaka, where Japan showcased its newest technological achievements. |
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In ], Prime Minister ] negotiated with President ] to hand over the island of ] on ], ]. The compromise for the handover was that the ] were still allowed to maintain military bases on the island after Okinawa officially became part of Japan. To celebrate the handover, ] was held at Okinawa, with an ] theme: "The Sea We Would Like to See". |
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In ], Sato, who was Prime Minister since ], decided not to run for a fourth three-year term. He was succeeded by ], whose term as Prime Minister would become one of the most infamous in Japan's modern era. |
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] |
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Just as Richard Nixon was resigning from office in the United States, Tanaka was facing a scandal of his own. The Diet was concerned about his business practices (specifically, he used the name of a ] he frequented on land deeds). The first witness to be called was his secretary, with whom he had a romantic affair. To save face, he resigned his post late in ], and was replaced by ]. When news of Tanaka's embezzlement of the ]'s funds reached Japan in ], Prime Minister Miki pushed for Tanaka's arrest. Tanaka, who had become a Diet member, responded in kind by removing support from his government, causing him to lose his spot as Prime Minister. Tanaka would spend the rest of the decade endorsing and later removing support from Prime Ministers when he felt his best interests were not served. |
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The ] and the rest of his family were not well-received when they made public their intentions of their first ever state visit to Europe in the autumn of ]. When he arrived in ] in ], he was granted an audience with ], and in a semi-public appearance, Hirohito stopped short of a full apology for Japan's role during ]. Instead, he pledged solidarity with the ] in the new era. The reason Hirohito did not fully apologize was due to factions of opposition in Japan, who believed the nation should become ] once more and close its borders to the West. After the ] of writer ] in ] ], a vocal opposition emerged, shaking Japan's ruling post-war elite. Therefore, it was in Hirohito's best interests not to make a full apology, which would have been the only solution that would have appeased hostile opinion against Japan in ]. Hirohito's statement was subsequently seen as a slap in the face by many war veterans. Hirohito received an equally unfavorable response when he visited ] in ] in ]. |
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===In the Soviet Union=== |
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] |
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The Seventies in the Soviet Union were in a distinct cultural and economic era known as the ]. The ], at this time, was ], who had been at the helm in the USSR since ]. The Soviet Union became the world's leading producer in ], and ]. During this period wages were doubled which led to more focusing on personal lives rather than the traditional "Communist ideal". Despite this growth, inflation continued to grow for the second straight decade, and production consistently fell short of demand in agriculture and manufacturing. The USSR began to import grain from the United States, which expanded production "fence row to fence row". Consumer goods remained hard to get. |
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===In the United States=== |
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] |
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At the start of the decade, President ] proved to be popular with the American people, in that he sent the last American troops from Vietnam, and took the first steps to normalizing relations with ] and the ], which he both visited in ]. Nixon started the process known as ] when he joined the ] talks and eventually signed the treaty with ]. His high approval ratings led him to be overwhelmingly re-elected in the ] against ]. However, the ] erupted soon after which put the entire Nixon administration in jeopardy. Nixon became the first President to resign his post, in ], and received a ] for his involvement in the scandal by new President ] later that year, a move which was seen by many as unfavorable. |
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] |
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Ford's pardoning of Nixon, coupled with economic troubles felt by nearly every segment of the American population, cost him the 1976 election, in which he was soundly beaten by ], a peanut farmer and former ]. One of the key events that turned the tide in Carter's favor was an embarrassing blunder on Ford's part, in in which he said during a live, televised ], that ] was not under the domination of the ]. Carter's more personable style resonated with the majority of voters. |
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Carter did not have any more luck than Ford had in curbing ], as economists had termed it. Carter tried to address the price of imported oil and the subsequent energy dilemmas by creating the ], but his efforts were largely unsuccessful, leading to the ], which was also felt in other parts of the world. Carter's leadership was also challenged abroad, with the most infamous event taking place on ], ]: 66 Americans were captured at the ] in ]'s capital, ]. After two weeks, the women and ]s in the group were released, leaving only 52 men in confinement. The ] was arguably the biggest blow to Carter's administration, and the hostages were only released when ] took the oath of office on ], ], succeeding Carter. |
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===In the United Kingdom=== |
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] was the first time a woman had been chosen to lead a political party in the ].]] |
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In ], the ] was brought to power under the leadership of ]. In ], Heath lost a ] in the ], which led to October elections. ] was voted back in again, under ], who had led the country from ] to ]. When Wilson retired from the post in ], former ] ] took over the office. However, failure to assuage the growing energy problem, coupled with rising inflation and unemployment, paved the way for a Tory win in ], under ]'s guidance. The world first took notice of Thatcher in ] when she became the first woman leader of the Tories; she was subsequently featured on the cover on ''TIME''. Thatcher's rise to Prime Minister, at the tail end of the Seventies, ushered in a new era of changed that would become the trademark of what the Eighties represented throughout the world. |
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During the Seventies, support for the ] was thought to have dwindled, but the ] in ] assuaged the family's fears of being irrelevant in a more modern Britain. Elaborate parades and street parties were thrown in the Queen's honour, and the Queen met with millions of her countrymen on a tour throughout the ]. In spite of such widespread support, an emerging class of people voiced opposition to the monarchy, epitomized in the ]' song "]". |
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About two thousand people died in political violence between the ], ] and ] groups during the seventies. |
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==See also== |
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*NBC's ] miniseries '']''. |
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==References== |
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Crosby, Alfred W. (1995). "The Past and Present of Environmental History". The American Historical Review 100 (4), 1177-1189 |
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] |
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