Reflections on a Golden Age: The 1920s vs. the 1960s

Reflections on a Golden Age: The 1920s vs. the 1960s

As a twenty-year-old in 1980, my perspective on the 1920s was not as romantic or idealized as one might assume. I find the term ldquo;primitiverdquo; to be not only insulting to the object of that description but also toxic to the one who uses it. By and large, culture is never primitive but rich and fully developed. The habit of thinking of others as ldquo;less thanrdquo; and the snobbery associated with it are indeed toxic.

Childhood Recollections: A Golden 60s

When I was a child in the 1960s, that era truly felt like a golden age. The same could be said for the 1980s, which also had its share of cultural richness. However, this perception is not an unqualified endorsement of the 1920s, which I considered a remote era that my parents experienced but rarely revisited.

The 1960s: A Rich Legacy

Contrary to the 1920s, the 1960s are not nearly as distant a period for me. There are several reasons for this:

Music: The music from the 1960s has managed to survive almost intact. When I was in the process of disposing of my LPs from the 1960s, my Millennial son eagerly took them off my hands. He was not only interested in the music; he knew the work of bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors. Movies: Most films before 1929 were in black and white, and the first film with sound, The Jazz Singer, was released in 1927. These films were largely relics. My son and his contemporaries are familiar with the movies of the 1960s, including those by Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and even the spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood. Automobiles: In the 1960s, one rarely saw cars from the 1920s on the road. However, Volkswagen cars similar to the ones we drove in the 1960s are still in daily use and have not been out of production recently. The first Corvette of the 1960s retained a remarkable modernity compared to the 1923 Ford, which was the year my mother, who is still a driver, was born. Technology: While the internet and cellphones were non-existent before the 1990s, many technologies from the 1960s are still a part of our lives today: dishwashers, microwaves, FM radios, calculators, power mowers, chainsaws, and snowmobiles. None of these existed when my parents were young and facing the Great Depression of the 1930s. Clothing: Once blue jeans became acceptable wear, they paved the way for more cyclical fashion trends. I know people who have been wearing polo shirts and jeans every day for over five decades.

Cultural Evolution: A Cycle of Rewriting and Rewinding

The 1960s were not primitive but were a reflection of a cultural evolution that has the capacity to preserve and rebuild. What we often fail to recognize is the persistence of cultural legacies that transcend time and space. The 1920s and 1960s can be seen as parallel paths of cultural development, with the 60s building upon and sometimes preserving elements of the 20s. This process of cultural evolution is a constant cycle of rewriting and rewinding, where every era reinterprets and renews the past.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 1960s were a rich and vibrant period, not just a distant past. The preservation and adaptation of cultural elements across generations ensure that each era remains connected to the ones that precede and succeed it. By appreciating and recognizing the continuities and evolutions between different periods, we can better understand and value our collective cultural heritage.