PERSPECTIVES The Michigan Daily Thursday, March 16, 1989 Page 5 The 70s weren't that bad at all BY TONY SILBER What did the 1970s mean to your life? Perhaps after a bit of thinking and reminiscing, the lost and in-, significant decade it is often consid- ered to be may reveal itself to be a little more special than you may think. I miss the '70s. It was my youth, my initiation into an intricate world. Life was simple then, but now, looking back ten years after its com- pletion, I regret that I didn't appreci- ate or relish the many wonderful things the '70s gave us at the time. It was more than Watergate and disco. The decade had an identity cri- sis as America emerged from the re- bellious, Vietnam-tainted '60s into a new, futurous decade. Let's look back on the lost decade for a moment and hopefully relive a spark of magic that was there for everyone to feel. Richard Nixon was President. George C. Scott refused the Oscar for Patton. The Beatles split. All in the Family redefined television. The in- vasion of Cambodia and the Kent State massacre alienated the nation against Vietnam. The Attica prison revolt took 39 lives. The Pentagon Papers were published. Inflation hit 5%, the deficit $25 billion. Nixon went to China and got re-elected as "plumbers" broke in at Watergate. Mark Spitz found gold in Munich, Israeli athletes found terrorism. The Guess Who, Jackson 5, Patridge Family, The Carpenters, Three Dog Night, Bread, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Neil Young, The Staple Singers (remember them?), Janis Joplin, and Tony Orlando and Dawn took the reins of popular music. And then there was the Theme from Shaft. The Godfather captivated the cinema. George Wallace was shot. The Arab Oil Embargo strangled the economy. Nixon resigned. And that was only the early '70s. The early '70s was the true disil- lusionment of the decade. America was a frustrated power, mad at the world and mad at itself. No goals were set, no dreams were dreamt. The nation was content to become stag- nant and revel in the glory days of the '60s. Watergate was the rude awakening the nation so desperately needed. It sent a shock wave through every facet of American life and re- vealed the true power of the Ameri- can people over their own President. The world of popular music was also stagnant after apparently peaking with the Beatles. America needed di- rection, and the mid '70s provided more than the early '70s. Hope was restored. The war was over. It was time to enjoy ourselves. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon changed progressive rock for- ever. Patty Hearst was nabbed, Nixon went free. Wide ties, lapels, and big collars dominated fashion. Hank Aaron hit his 715th, Evil Knievel hit the wall. TVs were turned to M*A*S*H, Little House on the Prairie, and Good Times. Saturday Night Live debuted. Gerald Ford slipped on the stairs, Squeaky missed. Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion. Jimmy Hoffa went for a long lunch. Consumers stood in lines for mood rings and pet rocks. Jaws changed going to the beach forever. Nadia and Bruce stunned the world in Montreal, Charlies Angles stunned television. Film gave us Cuckoo's Nest, Rocky, Chinatown, Rocky Horror, and Blazing Saddles. Vinyl gave us The Eagles, Peter Frampton, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Elton John, Electric Light Orchestra, Stevie Wonder, Steve Miller Band, The Doobie Brothers, and Disco. The Americans and Soviets linked up in space, but Sonny and Cher split on Earth. And then there was Jimmy Carter. The mid '70s set the stage for the true glamor era of the decade, the late '70s when America put on its danc- ing shoes and tuned in to new, glossy television series. We matured culturally and socially. It was a charming time for the nation. A flash-dash moment in history when, in between wars and economic crises, the '70s developed its true identity. This is the only part of the decade most of us really remember. A time when a nation could say together, "Nanoo! Nanoo" and have a "Reggie" bar. Americana nostalgia was at its peak in the years 1977-1980 and, de- spite the problems and strife around the world, the '70s drew to a close with flair. A nation loved to hate its Presi- dent. Saturday Night Fever burned the silver screen and Elvis burned out. Disco ruled the airwaves, the Steelers ruled football, The Fonz ruled television, and Luke Skywalker saved the galaxy. Everyone had a John Travolta or Farrah Fawcett poster while Shaun Cassidy and Eric Estrada became hearthrob-reserves. A pope died after a month, Morris after nine lives. Roots beat the Super- bowl and Spinks beat Ali, but Michigan lost the Rose Bowl three years in a row. Music rebelled and produced the Sex Pistols and Devo, and Bluto Blutarski became a collegiate role model. The Tigers had "The Bird" and Brooke had her Calvins and Jim Jones had bad Kool Aid. Iran took hostages and death took The Duke. Israel and Egypt made peace while Skylab fell to the Earth. Billy Carter went to Libya but no one went to Three Mile Island. Saturdays meant rollardisco, Love Boat, and Fantasy Island. And the decade ended with My Sharona. The 1970s have gotten a bad im- age, an image which it didn't deserve. It was a decade of highs and lows, of problems and solutions, of Lenny and Squiggy. We had gas lines and an oil crisis to go with our gas guzzling big cars, isn't that romantic? The '70s gave us memories to smile to and a Bicentenial to be proud of. The Womens and Civil Rights move- ments continued their growth from the '60s. Popular culture modernized our lives and technology continued to astound us. The '70s had a flavor and a per- sonality which are difficult to de- scribe. It had a sound to it, the '70s sound. It was like we were a nation unsure of what to do next. The '80s have been cold, but the '70s can be seen as warm. We were home then, growing up. Bash the '80s all you like, but find praise in my '70s. It was a time when we all learned to be ourselves. So the next time you watch a rerun of Chips or Starsky and Hutch, think back long and hard and come home again. Hvrhmo n & v toget {to sare. I ,} SUPPORT YOUR TEAM! Advertise for Any Sport Under 4C j0jjian Da iWf New Classification 764-0557 SPORTS! SCORES! SIGN-UPS! TRIPS! Chi r.. -,. :, 1. Buy a Macintosh. i x #' ter,....: i i _ m. n.: .M ,.: 2. Add a peripheral. """ .. O S; 3. Get a nice, fat check. When it's SPRING FORMAL time, there's only one place to go: BRIDES SHOWCASE For the Latest and Finest Selection in Formal Gowns come to Conlin's! Now through March 31, when you buy selected Macintosh*SE or Macintosh II computers, you'll get a rebate for up to half the suggested retail price of the Apple' peripherals you add on -so you'll save up to $800. Ask for details today where computers are sold on campus. Apple Pays Half Computing Resource Center