90's TV

Seinfeld, Friends and Simpsons were the three main shows we watched in class. Personally, Seinfeld is the best, which was heavily influenced by the fact that I watched it with my dad all the time growing up. However, I enjoy Seinfeld because it mixes slapstick and situational humor along with a varying cast. Seinfeld has an array of characters with Kramers hippie style and Costanza's competitive personality combined with dozens of side characters that are involved. Seinfeld also featured several plot lines that each character followed. By comparison, Friends has always seemed like a cheap rip off of Seinfeld with less diversity of plot and characters. Friends has a linear plot that is similar for most characters and revolves completely on the main characters. Also the portrayal of the characters was interesting, with Elaine working for a prestigious publishing company while the women of Friends are unemployed or are waitresses. The final show was the Simpsons which is difficult to compare to the other shows. The Simpsons provided a similar plot to Seinfeld with a mix of slapstick and situational comedy, but added an aspect of satire. I enjoy the Simpsons because of the array of comedy, but the low level of quality of the show does take away from the value of the show. Overall I would say Seinfeld was the best with the Simpsons and then Friends. 

Impeachment

The Whitewater investigation does not seem like a serious proposition for impeachment, but the role of perjury and obstruction of justice do. Though Bill Clinton repeatedly lied to the media, I do not think that he could be impeached on perjury. First, he was not under oath when he made the statements and the technicality of the wording did mean that his statements were correct . His actions were extremely negative, his relationship with Lewinsky and the perjury charges of the case do not seem worth of impeachment. The second charge of obstruction of justice does make more sense however. The continual manipulation of documents by the Clintons both had a negative impact of public opinion but made it seem like they were conducting shady dealings. However, I believe that the "not guilty" vote was right because there was never concrete evidence to prove that Bill Clinton obstructed justice personally. I believe that the event had a major effect on Americans because it exhibited the partisanship of Congress and the trustworthiness of public figures ranging back to Nixon. Though the case most likely did not change peoples political views, as seen in the 2000 elections, it probably brought more skepticism similar to what was seen with Nixon. 

90's Topics

- Interventions: Balkans, Iraq, Panama 

- Rise of Terrorism

- Gardner Museum Heist 

- OJ Simpson case

80's Movie

The movies we watched in class were Platoon, Ferris Buellers Day Off and Breakfast Club. 

The Break fast Club represented five stereotypical teenagers in detention, who argue/bond with one and other along with their advisor. The movie interestingly portrayed the the 1980's, especially the Cold War and consumerism. In the movie, one of the girls exhibits the booming consumerism of the decade, with a fancy car and clothing. The ending of the movie provides commentary on the decade as well. Due to the rising rhetoric of Reagan, many feared the Soviets even more, which the movie commented on when they portrayed the Jock dating the weird nerdy girl. Just like the how the jock perceived the Girl as an odd and extreme person, many viewed the Soviets in a similar light. By having the two opposites attract, the movie provides Americans the belief that friendship with the Soviets is possible. 

Ferris Bueller fell in to a similar genre with a focus on three teenagers and their fight against authority. The movie, like the Breakfast club, continued to reflect the role of consumerism in the decade. Within the movie, a friend of Bueller has a garage which has an array of classic cars. Also the movie includes a scene of depicting high class life in America. 

The final movie, Platoon, portrays men in the Vietnam war, and the real toll it took on people. The movie demonstrated the willingness to admit the wrongs made during the Vietnam War. By portraying the grueling scenes of destruction, Platoon placed blame on everyone and no one. It made people hate the soldiers for their atrocities yet sympathize with them for the hell they lived with everyday. The movie represented a transition to a period of healing and acceptance for many americans. 

    I enjoyed the movies of the 1980's, especially Platoon since it gave an interesting and more realistic portrayal of Vietnam war. 

80's Music - Reflection of Decade

Though the 1980's did not interest me in a music sense, the messages behind the music did. A major message of the music was that violence, such as the Cold War, was pointless. The anti-war message could be clearly seen through the songs, "Russians" and "99 Balloons". These songs demonstrated the staunch positions held by most individuals, which was that nuclear war and rhetoric served no positive purpose. While the Cold War was a major theme, domestic issues, such as the changes of desegregation, were prominent in various groups including the hip-hop group, NWA. They brought up issues like racism and gang violence occurring in California. They frequently used racial slurs in their songs, as they were not afraid to be controversial or confrontational. NWA’s willingness not to shy away from controversial topics and express their opinions was a new and interesting approach. I believe that they captured the mood of some people during the decade since inequality was still a major problem in the country at the time, which they helped bring attention to.

80's TV

Bill Cosby is a well known and hilarious comedian so I enjoyed watching his show.  For the time, the show served as a new precedent because it featured a well to do African American family that ran directly against racial stereotypes. The show developed its humor from the familial interactions it portrayed and the typical banter that developed in a growing family. The show developed an array of struggles that appealed to all ages, such as peer pressure and parenting. The clean and familiar humor provided for all age groups to watch.

Miami Vice was more enjoyable than the other shows as it provided an interesting plot line that was relatively realistic. From the 70's and 80's there was a significant change in violence. Explosions were used for the first time and were more frequent though not developed with as much drama as modern media. Violence ,such as the shooting of various people, was more prevalent though, like explosives, less dramatic as those found in modern media. 

 

Cheers was interesting especially since we live in the Boston area, which added to the entertainment of the show. The single setting seemed odd at first but eventually revealed the interesting premise of following some at work, rather than following them on odd journeys, which most people would not relate to as more white-collar jobs required people to stay in one place for hours. 

70's Movies

The 70's movies continued a theme of conflict and struggle similar to those seen in the 60's culture. Jaws, Star Wars and Apocalypse Now all featured violent struggles, which often originated from the Cold War. 

Star Wars featured a storyline that was highly influenced by a Cold War mentality. The premise outlined an evil empire conquering the galaxy and destroying planets. On the other side was a underdog force fighting for freedom. The plot resonated with Americans due to the similarities between the two sides, with the US being the rebels/freedom fighters while the USSR is an evil empire that aims to destroy planets. By having the rebels(USA) win, the movie serves as a morale booster for Americans when doubt was everywhere (Watergate, Saigon). 

Apocalypse continued the theme of Cold War conflict. The movie featured a rugged portrayal of the Vietnam war. The movie served as an outlet for the anger felt by many american towards their inept government. The movie exhibited the crazy and impractical nature of the war.  By blaming the failure of the war and loss on the crazy leader, movie could be viewed as closure for those who lost their children and family to the war. However, the movies rugged take on the war could easily be viewed as insulting due to the recent nature of the war and personal toll taken. 

The final movie was Jaws, which continued the theme of conflict. The shark of the movie symbolically represented the USSR, as well as communism in general. The shark was a mysterious and deadly force that the citizens feared and wanted to destroy. Similar to the shark, the USSR and communism represented a foreign presence that served to destroy the American way of life. The storyline also served as a commentary on the Vietnam War. Through the movie, various people foolishly go out searching for the shark before ultimately dying. The shark is not finally killed until the citizens wait for it to strike. The movie could serve to remind Americans that the US should fight Communism at home rather than search it out in foreign lands. 

The movie Star Wars represented the 70's the most accurately. The movie connect an unrealistic and interesting story line with a more relatable topic, never ending conflict, such as the Cold War.