Back in 1997 I was very involved with Toastmasters, which is a public speaking organization. I was going through some old speeches and thought this one was a good one. I gave it back in 1995, and in my opinion, one of my best - even if it makes me sound like a dirty fucking hippy:
I was born in 1968 – the year Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In began; the Vietcong launched the TET Offensive; Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated; Hair opened on Broadway; Simon & Garfunkel scored number one with Mrs. Robinson on the music charts; Robert Kennedy was assassinated; poor people marched on Washington; Richard Nixon was nominated for President by the Republican Party; the Soviets invade Czechoslovakia; there were riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago; Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis; Richard Nixon was elected President; The Beatles White Album was released; and the Apollo 8 circled the moon.
This may not have any significance to my growing up, but is does. What ever happened in the late sixties when I was born had a great impact of what was to come in the seventies where I was growing up – learning about life from people who had lived through that period. Whether it be television, radio, music, politics, or world events, they had a great impact on what I am today. I really never gave it much thought until I actually started writing this speech.
The 1970’s were different times from what we are seeing today. As opposed to the 1960’s when we were involved in a war which we had no business in – and ignoring the troops when they came home, we tuned in–turned on–dropped out, we envisioned peace and love through rose colored glasses. The 1970’s sort of left us wandering around in a haze of smoke left over from the hippie generation, which in turn, gave us a nation of greed in the 1980’s.
Our world back then was skimming along politically. We had three Presidents during that time, and the only significant event to come out of their combined terms was the end to the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975. But the question on everyone’s mind at the time was (and still today) – who really won the war?
Richard M. Nixon was involved in one of the greatest scandals of the century involving any US President. His involvement in Watergate was, in any effect, an abuse of his power as President. Mr. Nixon resigned in the office of President, in disgrace, on August 8, 1974, to be effective as of August 9, 1974.
Gerald Ford was sworn in as President as Richard Nixon left Washington, DC. Ford, in essence, was our only president to hold office without having gone through the electorate process. Mr. Ford could be considered a Lame Duck President. What he did, that people in America will never quite forget, is pardon Richard M. Nixon in September, 1974, for any wrongdoing, which may have occurred while he was in office. Former President Ford saw the pardon was in the best interests of the nation. In any event, pardoning Richard Nixon cost him the next election.
Former President Jimmy Carter could also be considered a Lame Duck President, seeing that he had no support throughout his term of office. When he ran for President, he won the Democratic ticket by popular vote – but had little or no support from members of his own party. He often zigzagged on many issues, also. But behind this quiet man, there could be found no dirt.
Also during this decade, we had the Apollo 13 disaster. This happened in April 1970. It has been made into a major motion picture in 1995. One aspect of the decade we’d like to forget is the hostage crisis in Iran, where they held our people for 444 days.
Musically, there was a diverse selection to heard from, also. Easy Listening, Bubble Gum, and a mix of Folk Music were topping the charts, while Hard Rock and Heavy Metal were in their early stages. (Later on, John Travolta’s Urban Cowboy would give Country Music the limelight for a short time). And, who can’t forget Disco?!?!! But there were many achievements made in the 1970’s that we tend to overlook.
There are many things to look at when you’re researching music of the Seventies. There are awards, charts, and individual artists. Much of what I’ve learned had my head spinning, knowing I actually owned a great deal of the record breakers. Of the top ten albums sold of all time, six of them were release in the Seventies – the other four were from the Eighties. Of the six, one was Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours LP – this album not only was one of the best sellers of the decade – it was formerly in the Guinness Book Of World Records® for most sales (until 1982’s release of Michael Jackson’s Thriller LP), selling in excess of 14 million copies worldwide. Also on this list was Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon LP. This album was released in 1973 and stayed on the Billboard® Top 200™ for the next twenty years (or a total of 741 weeks) – finally falling off the chart in early 1994, but still appears there occasionally to this day). And again making resurgence because someone decided that the music fits in with what’s going on during The Wizard Of Oz. Another interesting fact was a record set by the group Boston – their self-entitled album was the biggest selling debut album, until 1985’s release of Whitney Houston’s self-entitled album. The biggest selling single for the decade was You Light Up My Life by Debbie Boone in 1977.
The top film for the 1970’s was Star Wars. The film to win the most Oscars® for the 1970’s was Cabaret, winning a total of eight awards (in 1972) – but the film to win best picture that year was The Godfather.
On television, we had All In The Family bringing forth a new dimension into our homes. Sure, we had Science Fiction, Westerns, Police Dramas, but we didn’t have Archie Bunker. What All In The Family brought into our homes was a strange bite of reality. All In The Family broke new ground when they actually used taboo words and discussed forbidden subjects, thus changing they way in which we all watched television. All In The Family can boast by being the first video taped show. It was also the first show to actually have the sound of a toilet flushing. Archie and his brood was the highest rated shows from 1971-1975. Another award winning show to come out of this decade was M*A*S*H, depicting life during the Korean War by Army doctors and nurses in humorous ways.
On the Las Vegas front, 1973 saw the purchase of the Golden Nugget by Steve Wynn. Summa Corporation owned the majority of hotel/casinos in the valley. Without Mr. Wynn as a major catalyst in the gaming industry, there would be no modern day Golden Nugget, no Mirage, no Treasure Island, or any other major strip resort – just a lot of desert and a grind joint with a very big neon sign hanging overhead (which, while standing, was the most photographed sign in the world).
It’s all in one’s perception. Regardless of how one pictures the Seventies, there are going to be critics of it, and there are going to be people who loved it. I lived through it, and I am quite happy with most of what came out of those ten years.
But to look back in perspective, it wasn’t all that bad.
Since then, the Berlin wall has come down, giving world wide democracy a chance to live and breathe. There’s no longer a United Soviet Socialist Republic, no more Czechoslovakia (who separated peacefully), and no more Yugoslavia (but has been war torn in the name of religion). The only major communist power that are left are China, Cuba, and North Korea. The US is trying to have diplomatic ties again with Vietnam. The only wars or invasions we’ve been involved in had to do with the protection of Big Business for US corporations having foreign subsidiaries.
In comparison, there were good times back then. Down-sizing was not an issue, unions were strong, and people were not afraid to leave their house. Lovers didn’t have to be fugitives of the bedroom – AIDS was not in existence.
People make fun of the music that came out of the Seventies, but fail to realize that a good proportion of the hits on the charts now are synthetic – the synthesizer was in its early stages, but it never replaced a real musician.
If there was a choice for me to live in any decade, it would be the Seventies – sure people were for themselves, but they were much easier to get along with.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from the 1970’s, it would be to simply say to you — “Have a nice day!!!”
No comments:
Post a Comment