Trigger warning: Artworks depicting injury and pregnancy loss.
Frida Kahlo wearing a plaster corset, which she decorated with the Communist hammer and sickle, c. 1951–’52. Photo: Florence Arquin.
Through a combination of recent family medical crises and my reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book The Lacuna (a novel from the point of view of a cook employed by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera), I became interested in reading more about Frida’s life and art. I have always liked her art and fondly remember a wonderful retrospective exhibit of her work I saw at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2008. The Lacuna brings her to life in vivid (and not always flattering) ways, highlighting her strong personality and marital infidelity (although, to be fair, Rivera was also frequently unfaithful). The novel also shows Frida to be a clever, passionate, and resilient woman and artist.
One aspect of Frida’s life and work that grabbed me as I read more about her life and looked at pictures of her work was the prevalence of pain and medical trauma. As is widely known, at age 18, Frida was a victim of a terrible bus accident that resulted in serious injuries to her pelvis and spine and condemned her to a life of chronic physical pain, numerous surgeries, and pregnancy losses. Even before her tragic accident, she had serious health problems, having contracted polio at a young age, which left one of her legs shorter than the other and withered.
My family going through numerous medical events in the past few years, my own growing awareness of my mortality now that I am 50, and the suicides of three people I know over the past year have led me to think about health and death quite a bit. These experiences have made Frida’s focus on her own pain and mortality more poignant to me.
My perception of several of Frida’s paintings depicting medical imagery is that creating these works simultaneously exposed her pain while providing her with a vehicle for processing and coping with it. Frida herself noted that painting was a solace to her: “I lost three children and a series of other things that would have fulfilled my horrible life. My painting took the place of all of this.” As she approached her death at the young age of 47, she also stated, “I’m not sick, I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.”
“Henry Ford Hospital” was painted in 1932, shortly after Kahlo lost a second pregnancy. The artist depicts herself lying naked on a hospital bed in a pool of blood. Frida’s bed is surrealistically placed in a desolate landscape to heighten her sense of isolation and vulnerability. She is shown as a small, naked, crying figure with six umbilical cords emanating from her body, connecting her to objects with personal meaning to her: a medical model of a female torso (referring to her inability to carry a pregnancy to term), a male fetus (her lost fetus), a snail (said to represent the excruciating slowness of the pregnancy loss), a machine (thought to indicate the technology that saved Frida but not her unborn child), a purple orchid (a gift given to her by Diego Rivera; the flower also resembles a uterus), and a pelvis (referring back to Frida’s debilitating accident).
Frida Kahlo, “Henry Ford Hospital” (1932).
Not surprisingly, many critics at the time recoiled from the graphic and shocking imagery in this painting. Frida showed courage and passion in making her personal and devastating experience public. This courage is needed in breaking down the secrecy and stigma that many feel in relation to medical trauma, particularly around birth-related traumas. Healing is often done in private; however, community, connection, and the ability to share one’s story on their own terms are often important aspects of moving forward after a tragic loss.
A lithograph from 1932, “El Aborto,” also deals with this pregnancy loss. Several similar versions were created by Kahlo. The artist’s naked body is central and once again is surrounded by symbolic forms: a fetus (whose umbilical cord is wrapped like a bandage around Frida’s damaged right leg), dividing cells, a crying moon, and growing plants. These images contrast burgeoning life with death. The heart-shaped palette Frida holds speaks again to the transformational power that creative expression held for her.
“The Broken Column” was painted in 1944, shortly after Frida had undergone a surgery on her spinal column. Although the original injury to her spine had occurred almost 20 years prior, it had a lifelong impact, frequently resulting in pain and disability and necessitating several surgeries. The 1944 operation left Frida bedridden and forced to wear a corset to help alleviate her chronic and intense pain.
“The Broken Column” by Frida Kahlo, 1944.
The classical column in the painting represents not just Frida’s actual spine but also the foundation of her body and spirit, which, while broken, continued to support her. As in other works, there is a dichotomy in the representation: Frida depicts herself as vulnerable in a barren setting, crying, split open, and riddled with nails. Yet, her posture, expression, and exposed breasts speak to her strength.
Like Frida, other professional artists, as well as amateurs, can find expression and solace in creating art. Those who do not make their own artworks can heal and process the pain of life through the shared experience of viewing art. There is something so powerful about the visual expression of emotion. It touches us in ways that words cannot always do. And, the bravery of those who choose to put their feelings and experiences on display can make us feel less alone, make us feel connected to others and to something larger than ourselves.
Hello, readers! It’s another “soundtrack” post. As I’ve said before, I am not sure how many of you, if any, enjoy these posts, but I love putting them together, so indulge me once again as I delve into the music that I liked in my post-college days. I’m focusing on my early 20s to mid-30s, so the time period is the early 1990s to the mid-2000s.
Right after college, when I was in my early 20s, I was living with my boyfriend/soon-to-be-fiancé. We were both influenced by hip hop, R&B/soul, grunge, singer-songwriter, and “college rock” (with closely related genres “modern rock,” “alternative rock,” and “indie rock”).
My love of dance music in college continued, morphing into a love for hip hop and R&B/soul. A few of my faves in the early to mid-90s were Deee-Lite, Arrested Development, Digable Planets, Jamiroquai, Soul II Soul, and De La Soul. And, living in Philadelphia, it was impossible not to like Will Smith’s “Summertime.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzoEK545j64
“Groove Is in the Heart” by Deee-Lite, 1990.
“Tennessee” by Arrested Development, 1992.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, “Summertime,” 1991, filmed in Philadelphia, both musicians’ hometown.
“A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays'” by De La Soul with Q-Tip, 1991.
Although Jamiroquai’s hit “Virtual Insanity” was mid-’90s, not early ’90s, I add it here because the style kinda fits, and the video is cool.
Another mid-’90s R&B dance favorite is “Scream” by Michael and Janet Jackson. Love the song, but love the video even more!
A very different genre, which I also loved in my 20s, was grunge. The music, and the culture and aesthetic of grunge, were big influences. The biggies, of course, were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice in Chains. Nirvana was by far my favorite, and I was devastated by Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994.
Nirvana’s classic grunge anthem, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” 1991.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS91knuzoOA
Disturbing grunge song “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam, 1991.
I was equally into alternative rock. The Pennsylvania band Live was a fave. I was very into “Lightening Crashes,” although later that song got kind of ruined for me by some bad personal experiences I won’t go into here. Thus, I include a different Live video, “I Alone,” which I also loved. I pretty much wore out my copy of the band’s Throwing Copper CD. Can’t say the dance moves and hairstyles in the video hold up too well today!
“I Alone” by Live, 1994.
In my 30s, after my divorce, I started to get more into hip hop and electronic music. A Tribe Called Quest and Q-Tip’s early solo stuff were hip hop favorites, along with Public Enemy, Black Sheep, and The Pharcyde. My top electronic loves were The Chemical Brothers, Portishead, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, and The Wiseguys. I also liked all of Del tha Funky Homosapien’s projects: his solo stuff, Deltron 3030, and Gorillaz (he was a guest performer).
A Tribe Called Quest’s 1992 hit “Scenario.” This one always got the dance floor jumping when Philly DJ Cozmic Cat (now in Toronto) was spinning at the 700 Club.
The Chemical Brothers had some very trippy and creative videos, including this one for “The Test,” 2003. While not one of my favorite Chemical Brothers songs, it was one of my favorite of their videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXWQQYZ8vck
Fatboy Slim, “Sunset (Bird of Prey),” 2000.
The frenetic “Firestarter” by the Prodigy, 1997.
Whether you want it or not, dear readers, I’ll post some more “soundtrack” columns to bring us from the ’90s to the present. I hope you enjoyed some of these videos!
As the finale of Game of Thrones approaches, I, like many fans, am waiting with a mix of excitement and dejection. Excitement because the show has been a wonderful fantasy and escape, with some thrilling highs. Each episode has been something to look forward to. Dejection because the series is ending, and also because this last season, Season 8, has on the whole been a big disappointment.
The level of anger and disgust displayed by many GOT fans this season over the writing and plot twists seems unparalleled. In fact, one disgruntled fan created a petition demanding that the show’s creators re-do Season 8 with better writers. I share some of the same feelings about the decline in quality of the show, particularly this final season. (And I did sign the petition, although I am not very invested or confident in the possibility of a rewrite.) Some GOT fans can even seek specialized therapy if needed, and sadly, some will need it. (Even the GOT stars are expressing disappointment in Season 8.)
But witnessing the GOT superfan outrage unleashed on Twitter and Facebook made me wonder, why do fans have so much stake in the show? Why, for some, does their investment in a fantasy TV series seemingly overshadow other, more important issues about which they could be expressing their anger and demanding change? Racism, for example. Abortion issues. Global warming.
What Is a Fan?
First off, how do we define fan? Short for fanatic, a fan, according to Merriam-Webster, is “an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art), usually as a spectator” or “an ardent admirer or enthusiast (as of a celebrity or a pursuit).” In some cases, enthusiastic is too mild a descriptor. For some, fandom can resemble addiction, with withdrawal, depression, and loss of motivation occurring when the person can’t access their obsession, or the TV show, movie, or sports season has ended. The “addicted” fan has a hard time separating their life and emotions from those related to the show (or sports season, book series, etc.). Defeats and disappointments, as well as victories and highs, from the object of their obsession are more powerful than those in the person’s real life.
In a world where people are more and more isolated from face-to-face contact and live much of their lives staring at screens, being a fan has increasingly become more than just showing appreciation for something enjoyable. For many, fandom is a way to live a heightened life and to share their lives with one another. What’s more, the preponderance of social media has allowed being a fan to become more of a participatory act than ever before. Fans not only watch, but they can write online reviews and fan fiction, create and share memes, and start online chat groups and forums. And, IRL, fans can participate in conventions, or “cons” (e.g., Con of Thrones). It’s a whole new world of fandom. For some, it’s just fun. For others who lack real-life connection with others and/or don’t derive enough meaning from their relationships, jobs, and hobbies, fandom can be an extremely important source of satisfaction, meaning, and identity.
Fandom Research
In 2016, researchers Samantha Groene and Vanessa Hettinger developed a psychometric test of fan identity (how strongly fans of particular shows or other phenomena identified with the object of their fandom) that they called the Fandom Measure. Through several studies looking at Harry Potter and Twilight fans, they determined that “media fandoms operate in a manner similar to other social groups, with members of average and above average levels of group identification demonstrating sensitivity to group categorization and the psychological benefits and costs of engaging with their chosen media fandom.” In other words, fandom can be both psychologically healthy and enriching but also damaging, depending on whether a person’s connection to the object of their adoration is reinforced or threatened.
This reminds me of sports fandom research. Just like media fans, some sports fans take it to the extreme. These superfans are so heavily invested in their team that it defines their identity. If you think about it, “the biggest fans are more devoted to their team than the players are,” says Daniel Cavicchi, an associate professor of American studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (Leitch, 2012).
Saturday Night Live‘s Chicago Bears superfans.
Some research on sports shows that extreme fans experience not only psychological effects from how their team is doing, but they can also undergo hormonal changes. When their team wins, they exerience an increase in testosterone levels; conversely, after a loss, they undergo a decrease in testosterone (Leitch, 2012).
Through watching sporting events and identifying with the culture of sports (especially violent ones), people tap into their violent instincts. As much as some of us don’t like to acknowledge those parts of human nature, they are there. All of us have a capacity for violence, and to be able to function in contemporary society, we have to repress many of our animal instincts. According to George Orwell, “Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules, and sadistic pleasure in violence. In other words, it is war without shooting.” While some research has emphasized the negative, destructive aspects of sports and sports fandom, other studies highlight the healthy outlet sports can provide for the violent parts of our nature (Kerr, 2005).
Final Thoughts
Fandom is a part of many of our lives. Some of us just dabble in being a fan: We enjoy certain celebrities, shows, sports, and books and gain pleasure from as well as connect with others around them, but they don’t define us. Others are superfans who base a large part of their identities on the object of their fandom. Fandom is a complex phenomenon.
As a GOT fan, I hope that I am more excited than disappointed tomorrow with the finale. Whatever happens, my life and identity will go on.
Further Reading
Groene, S. L., & Hettinger, V. E. (2016). Are you “fan” enough? The role of identity in media fandoms. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 5(4), 324-339.
Kerr, J. K. (2005). Rethinking Aggression and Violence in Sports. New York: Routledge.
I’ve been feeling pretty sick and hopeless about the number of school shootings that have occurred in our country recently. It seems like every week, there is another horrible account of young people killing and being killed. As of May 8, 2019, according to CNN, there have been 15 school shootings in the United States in which at least one person (not including the shooter) was hurt or killed. These shootings have occurred at elementary, middle, and high schools and on college campuses. FIFTEEN school shootings since January!
Why Does This Violence Happen?
There are no easy answers, but there are a number of factors that are related to adolescent violence. Tolan and Guerra (2002) state that four basic trends related to this violence are: 1) Violence is prevalent throughout our society and has been for a long time. 2) Much violence occurs among acquaintances (and thus young people are more likely to commit violence against their fellow classmates and teachers than against strangers). 3) Adolescence is a time of heightened violence and is also the stage of life with the greatest risk for victimization. 4) Certain young people are more at risk of violence than others: those who are poor, live in cities, are male, and are African American.
Tolan and Guerra note that a large percentage of adolescent violence in the United States is situational, meaning that factors other than individual violent tendencies, individual pathology, or relationship difficulties (e.g., conflict, relationship abuse) contribute. Some of the factors that lead to situational violence are poverty, discrimination and oppression, timing (e.g., more violence occurs on weekends), availability of handguns, and alcohol and drug use.
Tolan and Guerra go on to say that at an individual level, adolescents are more likely to commit violence if they have impaired cognitive functioning and low academic achievement, poor peer relational skills, and biases and deficits in their thinking. Additional risk factors for committing violence are family problems (e.g., poor parenting skills, lack of emotional connection in the family, abuse, and inadequate family problem-solving and coping skills). Associating with violent peers and community and societal factors also play a big role.
What Does Not Work?
What works in preventing school violence? Well, research has shown that what doesn’t work are “violence prevention programs”: They produce no long-term decreases in violent behavior or risks of victimization in schools. In fact, in some cases, they cause nonviolent students to act violently (Tolan & Guerra, 2002). According to Johnson and Johnson (1995), the reason these programs don’t work is that 1) they fail to target the violent students, 2) they lack the follow-up necessary to maintain program quality, 3) they often use potentially violent “street tactics” in the classroom, and 4) they underestimate the power of non-school social forces.
What Works?
Then, what does work? Tolan and Guerra state that on an individual level, family therapy may be the most effective type of intervention. Cognitive-behavioral interventions, behavior modification, and social skills training also can be effective in preventing violence.
In looking at what may prevent violence among groups of young people, Tolan and Guerra say that trying to shift peer group norms, peer mentoring programs, and redirecting the activities of antisocial peer groups and juvenile gangs don’t seem to work. However, integrating young people who have prosocial norms with at-risk youth in groups that work to positive peer culture is one effective strategy.
Johnson and Johnson state that acknowledging that conflict will happen and teaching young people constructive ways to manage conflicts seems to be effective in reducing violence. So does creating cooperative, and not competitive, school environments. It is also vital that three risk factors for violence in schools be reduced: academic failure, alienation from schoolmates, and psychological pathology.
Smarter gun regulations are also necessary to reduce school violence, and I am proponent of better gun control. However, gun control alone is not enough. The underlying problems causing violence among young people–and in our society as a whole–need to be effectively addressed.
These ideas are not new. It’s tragic and disheartening that more of these strategies are not being implemented. When will the needless violence stop?
REFERENCES
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1995). Why violence prevention programs don’t work–and what does. 52(5): 63-68.
Tolan, P., & Guerra, N. (2002). What Works in Reducing Adolescent Violence: An Empirical Review of the Field. Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder.
Whether you are religious or not, the documentary Amazing Grace will touch your soul. The film shows a two-night live gospel performance that Aretha Franklin did in 1972 in Watts’ New Temple Missionary Baptist Church. Even as a non-religious person, I could not argue with a statement made by Aretha’s father, Reverend Franklin, that her voice was a gift from God. And, what a gift!
When Aretha did this performance, she was already a superstar, with 11 number one singles and five Grammys. With this show and live album, she returned to her roots a gospel singer. (The Grammy-winning album also became the biggest selling disc of Aretha’s entire recording career as well as the highest selling live gospel music album of all time.) Aretha sang with the incredible Southern California Community Choir (directed by Alexander Hamilton) and gospel legend Reverend James Cleveland. On both nights of filming, the church was packed with people, including a few celebrities such as gospel superstar Clara Ward, who was a primary influence on Aretha Franklin. Ward was introduced by Cleveland and given a seat of honor in the front row. The audience on night two also included Mick Jagger and Ron Wood, who sat anonymously in the back and clapped along with the rest of the fans.
Aretha Franklin singing with the Southern California Community Choir. Rev. Cleveland is behind Franklin and to her right. Still from the movie Amazing Grace.
Although the show occurred and was filmed in 1972, the movie was not put together for many years and was not released until late 2018. This is because the live footage, shot by Sydney Pollack and his crew, couldn’t be synced with sound due to a major technical mistake. So, the footage sat in a vault for 35 years before producer Alan Elliott decided to take a stab at making it movie-ready. With Pollack’s death in 2008 and legal delays, it took another 11 years for the film to be finished.
The History of Gospel Music
The friend who saw Amazing Grace with me noted how gospel is at the root of many forms of American music, yet the majority of influential gospel musicians never got much fame or fortune. Gospel has its origins in the music of Africans who were brought to North America as slaves and indentured servants in the 1600s: Africans’ emphasis on call and response, improvisation, polyrhythms, and percussion formed the basis of gospel (among other forms of music). George Leile established the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, Georgia, the oldest Black church in North America, in 1777. However, as early as the late 1600s, Africans were being converted to Christianity, and many were fond of British Christian hymns (especially those written by Isaac Watts).
By the 1800s, African American innovation in religious music began to distinguish itself in the forms of spirituals, shouts, lined-hymns, and anthems. After slavery was abolished in America, The Fisk Jubilee Singers (organized as a fundraising effort for Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee) went on an international tour and became the first African American religious singing group to become well known.
The early 1900s saw the birth of religious revivals, whose energetic music was key to the development of gospel music. Early gospel stars included Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the 1930s and ’40s and Mahalia Jackson and groups like Swan Silvertones, the Caravans, and the Original Gospel Harmonettes in the 1940s through the ’60s (The Golden Age of Gospel). Perhaps the most important group in popularizing gospel outside of churches was the Clara Ward Singers.
Mahalia Jackson, 1962, photographed by Carl Van Vechten.
Clara Ward, 1970.
“Oh Happy Day” was recorded in 1967 by the Northern California State Youth Choir (later dubbed the Edwin Hawkins Singers). This song almost single-handedly created the genre of contemporary gospel. Key figures in this movement included Walter Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Andraé Crouch and the Disciples, the Winans, and the Clark Sisters. Reverend James Cleveland and Mattie Moss Clark helped give rise to the movement by their tireless work composing, arranging, and recording for large choirs.
The Psychology of Music
Many have written on the psychological impact music has on our emotions and well-being. Some research has shown that the structure of music can effect how we interpret and feel about messages in the lyrics (Seidel & Prinz, 2013; Sinclair et al., 2007). Researchers have also found that listening to religious music can improve the mental health of older adults (Bradshaw et al., 2015). It seems that the structure, lyrics, and cultural and spiritual associations of music all have a great impact on our psychology. As neurologist Oliver Sacks wrote,
“Humans are uniquely able to produce and enjoy music—very few other animals can do so. But not only is music one of the fundamental ways we bond with each other, it literally shapes our brains. Perhaps this is so because musical activity involves many parts of the brain (emotional, motor, and cognitive areas), even more than we use for our other great human achievement, language.”
Final Thoughts
Music is a powerful form of expression that taps into our emotions and can stir our soul. If you love music, love Aretha Franklin, love gospel, or just want to be inspired and moved, you should definitely see Amazing Grace. It’s an experience.
References
This post references the USC Libraries Digital Library website for its Gospel Music History Archive, including a timeline of the history of gospel.
Bradshaw, M., et al. (2015). Listening to religious music and mental health in later life. The Gerontologist, Volume 55, Issue 6, December 2015, Pages 961–971.
Seidel A., Prinz J. (2013). Sound morality: irritating and icky noises amplify judgments in divergent moral domains. Cognition 127, 1–5.
Sinclair R., Lovsin T., Moore S. (2007). Mood state, issue involvement, and argument strength on responses to persuasive appeals. Psychol. Rep. 101, 739–753.
OK, readers, my “Soundtrack” series continues. I attended college from 1986 to 1990, and this post highlights some of my favorite songs from that time, as well as some songs that were influential to me during college.
Me (center) with two of my college pals freshman year (1986–1987), Lisa and Adam.
New Musical Influences
In the fall of 1986, I left my small town in northeast Pennsylvania to attend college in the big city of Philadelphia. Surprisingly, although I was a fairly sheltered teen, I adapted to urban life pretty quickly. One exciting thing about starting school at the University of Pennsylvania and being in a city was that I met people from all over the country (and world), who were more ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse than I’d been used to. That said, a large number of the fellow frosh I met at Penn were from the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic: Many were from Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Although I liked a lot of the same music as my peers, those from urban and suburban locales who were able to see live music in city clubs often had a wider range of tastes than me.
One of my frosh dorm-mates who grew up in the New York City area was into some bands I didn’t know too well. He introduced me to bands like The Specials, The English Beat, and General Public. I also remember that he was in love with Spandau Ballet’s “True,” which had come out in 1983 but was still well-loved in 1986 when we started college.
Like many of my peers, I was in love with General Public’s song “Tenderness,” which had come out in 1984, a couple years before my freshman year. (R.I.P. Ranking Roger.) I had probably heard the song before college, but I remember listening to it a lot during my early Penn days. I got a copy of The English Beat’s 1983 greatest hits album What Is Beat? around that time and must have worn it out playing it so often. All their hits were amazing, but “Mirror in the Bathroom” was a top fave.
Rock Influences
My freshman roommate had very different musical tastes than I did. To be honest, at the time, I didn’t really like much of the vinyl she spinned in our little dorm room. But, some of it did grow on me. One of her all-time favorite bands was The Allman Brothers. At the time, the Allmans seemed old-fashioned and not cool enough to me–I wasn’t much into classic rock. I can now appreciate great songs like “Layla” (released in 1970). I can also appreciate how my roommate stayed true to herself and her music loves. I was a lot more easily influenced by what my friends were listening to.
My sophomore year in college, I started dating the man I’d later marry (and even later, divorce). He also loved music that didn’t really do it for me. His fave band was Steely Dan (as well as Donald Fagen’s solo work). I tolerated listening to this music because I loved my boyfriend and wanted to be open minded about music I hadn’t listened to before, but I can’t say I ever really got into Steely Dan. I did love the fact that my ex was a musician himself. He played keyboards in several bands during college and sometimes sang. He had a surprisingly deep voice for a not-very-tall strawberry-blonde German. One of my ex’s best-loved Steely Dan songs was “Josie.” The music is pretty good if you like mellow rock, but I always thought the lyrics were rather silly. You can judge for yourself.
Major Faves
Freshman year, I got really into U2’s album The Unforgettable Fire. Although this album had come out in 1984, I hadn’t listened to it all the way through before. (I’d heard the singles, “Pride” and “The Unforgettable Fire” on MTV.) I hadn’t yet developed my obsession with U2. One of my freshman hallmates got me into this album: I’d hang out in his room chatting or studying, and he’d play the The Unforgettable Fire cassette on auto-repeat. Oh, Bono, you were so cool and also so full of yourself (see 2:34, for example).
In March of my freshman year, U2 released The Joshua Tree album, which was critically acclaimed and also massively popular. “With or Without You” was one of my all-time favorite songs from college. I was quite pleased with Bono’s ponytail and leather vest in the video as well. Watching the video now makes me realize that Bono was never a great dancer. But, the musical crescendo at 3:04 may be one of the best of all times! Admit it, you belted this out in the shower, car, and alone in your room. U2 remained one of my favorite bands through the ’80s and ’90s. I still like a lot of their music, although I have to admit I don’t play it too often.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSdTa9kaiQ
Early in college, I also started to get really into The Cure and Depeche Mode. One of my all-time favorite songs by The Cure was “Just Like Heaven” from the 1987 Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album. Lisa, one of my college best friends, and I would listen to that song over and over again.
I can’t remember now if Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me or The Head on the Door was my first Cure album. It was probably one or the other, since both came out in the mid-’80s, and that’s when I remember really getting into The Cure’s music. I collected many of their other albums my first few years at Penn. “In Between Days” from The Head on the Door was another favorite song of theirs.
Another fave song that always got me and Lisa dancing was Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough.” (Although the song came out in 1981, we were super into it in 1985 and 1986, probably because we had another D.M. album, Black Celebration, which had just come out, on heavy rotation.) “Just Can’t Get Enough” and Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It to My Heart” were our top dance songs. Every time “Tell It to My Heart” came on the radio, we started squealing and dancing.
Lisa and I had so much fun dancing together at frat parties freshman year (“Blister in the Sun” by Violent Femmes, released in 1983, was always a crowd-pleaser) and at Korean Cultural Club parties frosh and sophomore years (Lisa, a Korean-American, was a member; at these parties, we always loved “Happy Song” by Baby’s Gang, from 1984, the appeal of which was that the lyrics and laughing child were so dumb). We also danced a lot in our room when we lived together sophomore and junior years. Depeche Mode’s name (which means “fashion update” in French) was fitting–they were a stylish band! But, Taylor Dayne, what the f is going on with your hair in that video?!?
Lisa and I were also both obsessed with New Order. We had so many faves. One was “Bizarre Love Triangle.” Another was “Blue Monday.” I loved all their songs and probably had all their albums. It was so disappointing to see them live on campus at U Penn’s Irvine Auditorium: They barely spoke to the audience and seemed surly and pissed off. Not sure if this was typical for them–I don’t remember seeing them perform any other time.
Short-Lived Faves
Another album that was very popular with me and many of my college friends freshman year was Singles–45’s and Under by Squeeze. Although that “greatest hits” album had come out in 1982, the reformation of the band in 1985 and release of a new album, Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, also in 1985 had brought them a resurgence in popularity in the mid-’80s. I had the Singles album and played it over and over. I loved many tracks by Squeeze (such as “Tempted,” “Annie, Get Your Gun,” and “Pulling Muscles”), but “Black Coffee in Bed” (released in 1982) was one fave. However, unlike U2, Squeeze was a passing fancy.
Another band I briefly loved was Crowded House. Their hits “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong” (both from 1986) were faves. You can hear some of the same influences in their songs as in Squeeze (organs, soul, new wave).
Although it had come out 6 months to a year before I started college, I got Mike + the Mechanics’ cassette Mike + The Mechanics my freshman year at Penn, and this was also on heavy rotation in my boombox. The song All I Need Is a Miracle, unlike U2’s hits, doesn’t really hold up for me today.
Around the same time I listened to Mike + the Mechanics, I got the album Play Deep by The Outfield, another heavy-rotation cassette that was a transient fave. Can’t really remember now which song I liked the best, but it may have been “Say It Isn’t So.” Geez, this album kinda sucked, now that I listen to some of these songs again.
Late College Faves
I continued liking New Wave and alternative music later in college, but I also got more into R&B, dance music, rock, and pop. Some of my favorite artists and bands in the late ’80s to early 1990 were fairly musically respectable, such as David Bowie, Sting, Janet Jackson, Prince, the B-52’s, Tracy Chapman, and U2. Others now make me cringe (e.g., Milli Vanilli). I also got into the Grateful Dead and The Sugarcubes, two bands I learned about from one of my close friends. A few favorite songs from this era were “Desire” by U2 (1988), “Nasty” and “Control” by Janet Jackson, “Love Shack” by the B-52’s, “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, and “Tomorrow People” by Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers. “Birthday” may or may not have been one of my favorite Sugarcubes songs, but I do enjoy the video. Sadly, I did indeed have Milli Vanilli’s album Girl You Know It’s True and was a big fan of both their music and their model-handsome looks (they were models and dancers, not singers, after all). It wasn’t just me: M.V. was extremely popular until the whole lip-syncing scandal occurred.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zoA0L2u-JQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edmDN11BxCY
Throughout college, I continued to like dancing and dance music. Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance,” Technotronic’s “Pump Up the Jam,” De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I,” Madonna’s “Vogue,” and Prince’s “Alphabet Street” were some fave dance grooves.
Live Shows
College was also a time I started to be able to see more live bands. Living in a major city for the first time, I got to go to concerts around Philadelphia (at venues such as The Spectrum, JFK Stadium, The Mann Music Center, and The Chestnut Cabaret), as well as a few on campus. Favorite live shows from that era included U2, Big Audio Dynamite, New Order (despite their afore-mentioned bad attitude), Sting, Ziggy Marley, David Bowie, The Cure, and Depeche Mode.
I could go on, but that’s enough for today! You all may be tired of these “Soundtrack” posts, but, like an amateur guitar soloist, I enjoy this navel-gazing and metaphoric noodling, so I may continue with a post-college music post (or two). Stay tuned.
As promised, I am writing a post on favorite songs from my high school years. I’m not sure anyone was really waiting with bated breath for more “soundtrack” posts from me, but I enjoy the reminiscing. So, here goes!
At a cast party for a play I was in my sophomore year in high school (1983–1984) with my friend Laurie in the background.
The Birth of MTV
In my early teens, I was into a mishmash of musical genres. As I said in my most recent blog entry about my childhood music favorites, I had started getting into some classic rock (thanks to my older brother) and power pop (Pat Benetar) and a little New Wave (The Go-Go’s) by my pre-teens. MTV started in August 1981, the year I turned 13. This was a super-exciting event, as it meant that I was exposed to a broader range of music than was previously available in my small town. At that time, the local radio stations played a lot of soft rock and pop and some rock but not much (if any) alternative, punk, New Wave, or electronic music.
MTV opened up a whole new world. I can’t remember now if my family already had cable at the time MTV started (I think we did) or whether I watched that original MTV broadcast (I probably didn’t), but MTV soon became a big part of my early teenage life. See below for MTV’s debut (and sorry for the poor video quality).
Through MTV, I discovered “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles (the first video ever aired on MTV!), got more into Pat Benetar, and first heard music by The Pretenders, Split Enz, Elvis Costello, and many others. It’s hard to remember which of those early music videos had the biggest impact, but I do recall being very into “I Ran” by A Flock of Seagulls my freshman year in high school. Even though FOS was pretty much a one-hit wonder, “I Ran” and that FOS hairstyle (not featured in the “I Ran” video but seen in “Space Age Love Song,” which I also liked) had a big impact on teens in 1982! “I Ran” was also a very popular song at our high school Friday night dances in the early ’80s.
Another early-’80s fave was “Rock the Casbah” by The Clash. Like “I Ran,” “Rock the Casbah” got heavy play at the high school dances my freshman year and was probably a song I first heard on MTV. Wikipedia tells me that the song lyrics were inspired by the ban on Western music in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. I don’t think the lyrics seem too politically correct today, but as a fairly clueless 14-year-old in rural Pennsylvania, I thought they were great. (And I still do love The Clash.)
One of my all-time favorite songs, then and now, is “Melt With You” by Modern English. This song, which came out in 1982, still makes me happy. Oh, how I love it!
A memorable event was the 1982 release of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, an extended version directed by John Landis. I recently went to see an MJ tribute band called Foreverland, and I was telling the friends I went with how exciting it was when the “Thriller” video came out. One of my high school pals had a “Thriller” viewing party. The 14-minute short film revolutionized the music video genre. Hailed as the greatest music video of all time by MTV, VH1, Rolling Stone, and others, it is the only music video included in the Library of Congress’ prestigious National Film Registry.
While MJ is a controversial figure today, I still love his music. He was so talented and driven as an artist, and of course, his songs from the ’80s have a lot of nostalgia value for me now.
Boom Boxes and Stereos
I had an old stereo that I inherited from my dad when he got a new one, but around 1981 or 1982, I also got a boom box, which I loved. It was easier to play cassette tapes on the boombox than vinyl on my turntable. Of course, the sound wasn’t as good and you had to fast forward or rewind to find a particular track. I can remember waiting breathlessly, finger on the “record” button to try and tape my favorite songs as they played on the radio. It took skill to hit “record” at the right moment and then to turn off the recording before the DJ started talking over the end of the song or a new song started playing. If you were lucky, the DJ was quiet and you got (almost) the whole song on tape.
Making “mixtapes” was fun for me and many teens in the ’80s. Whether it was recording a cassette of your own favorites to play in the car or making a special tape for a friend or love interest, mixtapes were awesome! I don’t think I made too many in high school, just because the technology I had wasn’t super, but I did make a ton of them in college.
At some point in my teens, I got my own brand-new stereo system. How exciting! It was huge. It included a receiver, turntable, and tape deck. All this was held in a massive fake wood cabinet (probably 4 feet high), and two large speakers took up floor space in my bedroom. Who could have imagined then how tiny music technology would become in the future?
Friday Night Videos
MTV was not the only source of cool music videos in the 1980s: The TV show Friday Night Videos started in 1983 to capitalize on MTV’s popularity (and to allow those without cable TV to see videos, too). I often had a friend sleep over on Friday nights, and we would stay up late watching videos, playing Atari (“Frogger,” “Pitfall!,” “Haunted House,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” were my favorite games), and being silly teens. I was pretty wholesome at that age, so we didn’t get into much trouble.
SONY DSC
While MTV stuck more to “Top 40” songs, Friday Night Videos played a wider variety of genres. In the beginning, the show ran 90 minutes long and aired music videos introduced by an off-camera announcer. Classic artists of the 1960s and 1970s occasionally appeared in “Hall of Fame Videos,” major stars were profiled in “Private Reels,” and new music videos made their network debuts as “World Premiere Videos.” The most popular feature was “Video Vote,” in which viewers could call in and vote (for a small fee) for one of two videos that were played back to back. I can’t remember me or my friend calling in, but maybe we did?
I may have watched Friday Night Videos all through high school, but I mainly remember it from my sophomore year, 1983 to 1984. This was the era of Madonna, and I was a fan. “Burning Up” was one of my faves, partly because of the hot ’80s fashion and dance moves. These videos seem very low-tech today, but at the time, they seemed pretty amazing and creative.
In 1983 or 1984, I got into Bananarama. They were a fun pop/New Wave band that I probably liked because of their similarity to The Go-Go’s and cool fashions and hairstyles. The first song of theirs that I remember was “Cruel Summer.”
As a pretty mainstream girl at the time, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of Billy Idol’s sneer and punk aesthetic, but everyone loved “Dancing With Myself,” and I was no exception. The video is actually pretty elaborate and cinematic for 1983.
More Favorites
There were a few bands and albums I got into in the early and mid-’80s not solely because of watching music videos. One was Cheap Trick. Although this live version of “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick came out in the United States in 1979, I didn’t get into the band until the mid-’80s (influenced by my high-school boyfriend). I became a huge fan and had all the Cheap Trick albums (on cassette). I actually preferred the studio version of “I Want You to Want Me,” but this live version from the live album Cheap Trick at Budokan, recorded at their 1978 concert at Nippon Budokan (in Tokyo), has remained a classic.
I must have worn out my copy of Genesis by Genesis, which came out in 1983. One of my favorite tracks was “Mama.” I think it was Phil Collins’ passionate singing that got me, as well as the strange laughing and groaning in the middle of the song. I still like a lot of music from my teen years, but not Genesis. Sorry, Phil Collins.
Another Phil Collins song I loved as a teen was “In the Air Tonight” after seeing the movie Risky Business. I also developed a major crush on Tom Cruise.
I became a big fan of The Police, mainly due to the influence of some cooler kids in high school who had better musical taste than me. My first Police album was Synchronicity–another album I must have worn out. I loved all the songs, so it’s hard to choose a fave, but “King of Pain” and “Every Breath You Take” were up there. I’ll share the video for “King of Pain,” since it’s much more interesting and avant garde than the one for “Every Breath You Take.” Actually, I’ll share “Every Breath You Take” as well, since both the song and the video are classics. The video is quite lovely. (I also had a big crush on Sting.)
A group I got very into in my teens was INXS. I am pretty sure I must have heard their 1982 hit “Don’t Change” and their 1983 single “Original Sin” around the time they were released, but I didn’t fall in love with the band until 1985, when they released “What You Need.” That song became one of my top faves, and I bought all of their albums (again, on cassette, although I may have had one or two on vinyl).
Poor Michael Hutchence (INXS’s lead singer). Not only did he die young (at age 37, in 1997), but there were widespread rumors that he died by either suicide or autoerotic asphyxiation. As a mental health professional, I don’t want to add to the stigma of either reason for his death, but I do remember that the media had a field day with the story that he died performing a sex act. Rest in peace, Michael, and thanks for the music.
Who can forget the clever and classic video for “Take on Me” by a-ha, released in 1985? I also had a crush on the lead singer, although I didn’t know his name. In fact, I probably never knew his name until I Googled it just now–it was Morten Harket, from Norway. I had so many celebrity crushes in my teens.
At the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, the video for “Take on Me” won six awards—Best New Artist in a Video, Best Concept Video, Most Experimental Video, Best Direction, Best Special Effects, and Viewer’s Choice—and was nominated for two others, Best Group Video and Video of the Year. The video was also nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Video at the 13th American Music Awards in 1986. It’s still fun to watch.
Another 1985 fave was “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds. I can’t remember if I liked the song first or got into the song because it was in the movie The Breakfast Club. This film came out during my junior year in high school and was a big influence on me (and most teens at the time). Unlike some other John Hughes films, The Breakfast Club still mostly holds up to the test of time. But, I digress. This post is about music, not movies.
Late High School
My junior and senior years in high school (1984 to 1985 and 1985 to 1986), I continued to like lots of pop, New Wave, and rock artists. There were also some soft rock and R&B songs in my heavy rotation as well, including those by Peter Cetera, Billy Ocean, and Lionel Ritchie. There were so many blockbuster artists at the time: Michael Jackson and Madonna continued to dominate, plus Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Van Halen, Tina Turner, Wham!, Bon Jovi, Duran Duran, Sade, Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Sting. Aretha Franklin was making new hits.
The music video for Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” came out in 1986. It caused quite a stir. The video ranked at number 3 on VH1’s Top 20 Videos of the 1980s. It was much loved and also much mocked. Classic ’80s!
I have a clear memory that someone held a microphone up to a boom box at my high school graduation ceremony to play Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” (I guess our school didn’t have a better way to play music at an event?) I can’t remember now if I liked the song that much, but the memory of graduation does stick, despite my not having a single photo from that night! (Our planned outdoor ceremony got rained out and was held in the high school auditorium, although I am not sure why that resulted in no photos?)
The summer after my senior year in high school was when Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” came out. I didn’t actually like the song as much as I’d liked his earlier hit “Shock the Monkey,” but the video was so creative. It’s worth a re-watch now.
Last Thoughts
There are so many other songs, artists, and albums from the 1980s that I loved–too many to post about here. I’ll post again to list my college faves, and maybe even beyond.
We all have favorite songs. Some of them remain magical for all our lives, or at least for many years, but some are more short-lived and situational. I want to share a few of the faves from my childhood and early teen years. I’ll probably post another time to share high school and college faves and beyond.
Me in some funky ’70s overalls, age 8, 1976.
Early Childhood
I’m not sure why, but as a kid, I really loved B.J. Thomas’ “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.” I can’t remember any particular memory related to it, and as a kid I did not see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which featured the song, so that’s not the reason. I think I just heard it on the radio and liked it. The song came out in 1969 when I was only 1 year old, but I feel like I was probably 4 or 5 when I listened to it. I didn’t know this until now, but the song was written for the movie and won an Oscar (Best Song From a Motion Picture at the 1970 awards).
I also liked Sly and the Family Stone around that time. My parents had a couple of their albums, and I liked playing them on the hi-fi. “Everyday People” was one of my favorites. I also remember loving the parts of “Dance to the Music” when Cynthia Robinson talked or sang. And, I recall that my parents had a double album of Sly, and one time when I was looking at the album cover, one of the records fell out and landed on my toe, making the toenail turn black. Funny what you remember!
Another childhood favorite band was The Jackson Five. I loved all their songs, but “The Love You Save” stood out. Ah, back when little Michael Jackson was innocent and cute. I have to admit my memories of the Jacksons are a bit tainted now with all the allegations of abuse against Michael. Still, the Jackson Five music takes me back to happy memories of childhood. Here they are lip-syncing on The Ed Sullivan show in 1970. Look at those bell-bottoms and dance moves! I was only 2 at this time, but I got into the Jackson Five when I was a little older. I watched their cartoon, which ran from 1971 to ’72, when I was 3 and 4 years old.
Middle Childhood
In my mid-childhood, I got really into Donny and Marie Osmond. They had a TV show from 1976 to 1979, and I was a big fan! I was 8 to 11 when the show aired. I had one of their albums on 8-track. I was obsessed with “Deep Purple,” which Donny and Marie covered in 1975. I didn’t know until now that the song was originally written in the ’30s as a piano tune, then performed as a big band number. The lyrics were written in 1938, and several artists covered it before the Osmonds. Oh, how I loved it when Marie spoke those lyrics. So romantic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROOFYmpvHYM
I also remember being very into Olivia Newton-John. I loved her music and of course did a lot of lip-syncing with a hairbrush to her tunes. I think that one of her albums was my first vinyl. Her super-romantic ballad “I Honestly Love You” was a favorite. I must have really been into sappy ballads as a kid, because I also recall having little performances with my friends where we sang Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life.” The drama! The pathos! “NEVER AGAIN TO BE ALL ALONE!!!!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac24COCKTVM
Next, I started getting into the “teen idols.” Shaun Cassidy was my top fave. Even now, listening to “That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll” gives me a little thrill. I was 9 and still very innocent, but my hormones were about to explode. Shaun gave me a preview. I didn’t know or care that the song was written just a year earlier by Eric Carmen. Shaun’s 1977 version was all I needed to hear.
The Pre-Teen Years
When I was 10, 11, and 12, I inherited some albums from my older brother, so my musical tastes expanded a bit beyond soft rock and kid stuff. I ended up with some albums by Kansas, Styx, Bad Company, Queen, and Boston. Don’t get me wrong–I was probably still listening to Shaun Cassidy and Olivia Newton-John. But I was also getting into rock that was slightly more grown up. Who can forget stomping and clapping to Queen’s “We Will Rock You?”
Styx’s “Come Sail Away” was another fave.
(As an adult, Cartman’s version was pretty entertaining, too. Maybe even better than the original.)
Pat Benetar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” from 1980 was a classic pop rock song and one that my friends and I tried (pretty unsuccessfully) to belt out like Pat. I did have one friend, Staci, who came pretty close. Staci had an awesome voice!
Early Teens
Words can’t really express the love I had for Journey’s “Open Arms.” This song, released in 1981 when I was 13, was an opus to all the feels that were happening at that age, as well as my first insane crush. That opening piano riff brings it all back, even now. I sang that song and cried so many times.
Fortunately, my early teen favorite songs were not all wrapped up in heartbreak. I was obsessed with “Beauty and the Beat,” the first full album by the Go-Go’s, which also came out in 1981. It’s hard to choose which song I liked more, “Our Lips Are Sealed,” or “We Got the Beat.” (I still love the Go-Go’s!) So, I am sharing the original, punkier version of “We Got the Beat” from 1980. And, no, at 13 I wasn’t cool enough to know any of the Go-Go’s music from before “Beauty and the Beat” came out.
The year 1981 also brought Joan Jett into my world. I got the Joan Jett & the Blackhearts album “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” and fell in love with the title song. I can still rock out to Joan.
That’s all for now. As I said, I may post another time with later favorite songs. I hope you enjoy the videos I shared here. It was fun to think back on some of the music that had an impact on my youth.
The recent, untimely death of Luke Perry, 90210 heartthrob and, more recently, actor in Riverdale, sparked a wave of nostalgia and also fear about my own mortality. It also got me to thinking (probably as a way to stop thinking fearfully about my mortality) about my youth. Specifically, I was thinking about the events, media, and entertainment that shaped and defined Generation X, my generation.
BEVERLY HILLS, 90210, Luke Perry, 1990-2000, (c)Spelling Television/courtesy Everett Collection
Gen X Got a Bad Rap
The zeitgeist was cynicism and disenfranchisement. I remember as a 20-something reading countless articles saying my generation would “be the first to do worse than their parents.” We were disparaged by Baby Boomers and the media as “slackers” and told we were lazy, aimless, and self-involved. It was difficult to feel positive about the future when these were the constant messages. But, despite our apparently dismal prospects, we still managed to embrace our dark-color-clad youth. (We also proved the naysayers wrong: Gen Xers ended up being quite entrepreneurial and ambitious, helping to create the high-tech industry that fueled the 1990s economic recovery.)
Our generation was shaped by changes in the economy and workforce, such as more women working. Divorce had become more prevalent. These forces and others, such as a lack of affordable childcare, contributed to the “latchkey kid” phenomenon and less adult supervision.
We were the first generation to play video games (remember Atari??), see shows “on demand” (with the invention of VCRs), watch cable TV (on 24 hours a day!), and have home computers. Gen Xer Justin Hall invented blogging. We were the first to have MTV. In fact, in addition to being called Generation X, we were also called the “MTV Generation.” It’s no wonder so many of us grew up to create tech startups and most of us adapted fairly easily to a digital future after our analog childhoods.
The Culture That Shaped Us
The entertainment trends of the late ’80s and early ’90s reflected the complexities of the times and of our young psyches: independence, antiestablishmentarianism, cynicism, creativity. The fashion aesthetic tended toward minimalism, casualness, and subdued colors, as well as tattoos and piercings. Punk was a big influence, as was grunge, alternative rock, riot grrls, and hip hop. Britpop and goth were also part of the mix in the mid to late ’90s, as was the growing rave culture.
Nirvanariot grrrl, a zine created by Molly Neuman of the band Bratmobile
The ’90s saw an explosion of Gen Ex indie film directors, such as Spike Jonze, Richard Linklater, Sofia Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, and Kevin Smith. Although he was a Baby Boomer and not a Gen Xer, John Hughes was known for mainstream movies, such as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Sixteen Candles, that shaped the adolescence of Generation X.
Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Television also took a turn toward the quirky and independent, with unusual and sometimes subversive shows like The X-Files, The Simpsons, Northern Exposure, and Twin Peaks. Even more mainstream shows were becoming more creative: Think Ally McBeal, Quantum Leap, and Seinfeld. We saw more shows featuring African Americans, including The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Martin, A Different World, Roc, and In Living Color. There were also the popular and increasingly gritty dramas like ER and NYPD Blue. We also saw the birth of the reality TV trend, set off by The Real World. Shows like Friends, Beverly Hills 90210, and Melrose Place set fashion trends and created sex symbols. Admit it: Some of you got a “Rachel” or “Dylan” haircut or tried to model your outfits after Kelly or Donna or Amanda.
Jennifer Aniston as “Rachel” on Friends“Mulder” and “Scully” from The X-Files
Fashion
Speaking of hair and fashion, there were so many different influences in the 1990s on both. As mentioned, many of the music, movie, and TV trends shaped what we wore and how we wanted to look. There was punk and “alternative” that sparked us to get piercings and tattoos, wear black, and color or spike our hair. The grunge movement showed up in ripped, baggy jeans; flannel; earth tones and puce green (“brown is the new black”); dark lipstick; beanie hats; Doc Martens; and vintage sweaters. There was hip hop, which led to an explosion of Adidas, gold chains, sweat suits, baggy jeans, bright colors, Kangol bucket hats, bike shorts, and gold door-knocker earrings.
Run DMC. Getty Images.
Looking Back
Nostalgia. You don’t truly understand it until you start to get older. When you’re young, you may be living in the moment or looking ahead to what’s next. Now, at 50, I find myself looking back a lot more. It’s been both fun and bittersweet thinking back to my younger days and what it meant to be Gen X in the 1990s. I feel sad at the loss of Luke Perry and others close to my age who are gone before their time. A reminder to appreciate the now, even while looking back.
When I lived in Oakland, from 2005 to 2010, there was a decent amount of street art, but nowhere near as much as there is now. When I visited West Oakland and downtown this past weekend, I was blown away by the explosion of murals and graffiti. I used to frequent these areas when I lived in Oakland, but in the past few years when visiting, I haven’t spent much time in these neighborhoods.
Downtown Oakland street art.
Downtown Oakland street art.
Changes
I used to hang in West Oakland a lot because my partner was a metal artist who worked out of a large co-op in that neighborhood. Back then, the neighborhood was a mix of industrial and low-income housing, as well as blocks of dilapidated houses, abandoned buildings, and trash. It was an interesting place and not a very safe one: There were many break-ins and robberies, and there were bullet holes in the walls of buildings. On the plus side, people without a lot of money could still afford to live there–both long-time neighborhood residents and many struggling artists and “makers.” The influx of money was creeping along slowly then, with a couple condo buildings going up here and there but very few new businesses in the area.
When I drove through West Oakland yesterday, and I could hardly believe the changes since 2010. There were street art murals everywhere–too many to count. The sidewalk along Mandela Parkway was all fixed up with nice landscaping and fancy streetlamps. What used to be deserted streets were full of joggers and walkers (mostly white). There were new condo and apartment buildings as far as the eye could see, as well as coffee shops boasting organic coffee and WiFi.
Downtown Oakland street art.
Downtown Oakland street art.
Feelings About Gentrification
I have mixed feelings about the changes to West Oakland (and the whole Bay Area). On the one hand, I love public art and organic coffee. I’d rather live in a clean and safe apartment than a dilapidated hovel or an illegal warehouse. I like being places with vibrant business and people out and about. I have had a lot of privilege that has allowed me to live in places like these through most of my life.
But, that said, I wish that a neighborhood could grow and evolve without getting so expensive that the former residents (particularly low-income residents and people of color) can’t afford to stay. I’m not an expert on economics, but I imagine that federal, state, and local governments have to put specific programs in place to make this happen–leaving it up to the free market typically results in the wealthy winning out.
I did a little research on gentrification in Oakland and West Oakland in particular. After World War II, West Oakland became a thriving arts district and cultural haven for African-Americans, boasting many blues and jazz venues, as well as other businesses. However, economic changes starting in the 1950s and intensifying in subsequent decades led to the gradual deterioration of the neighborhood. Public projects damaging to the area’s fabric (such as the razing of homes to build the train station) also contributed to the area’s decline.
Regarding more recent changes to West Oakland, according to one article, “[Long-time residents] say newcomers are “Columbusing” Oakland—appropriating the city without any regard for the people who were here building community long before Oakland was the “it” place to move to. Others are happy to see changes, such as bike lanes, street repairs, and new businesses, come in. However, one thing that I can’t imagine anyone is happy about (except landlords) is the price of rent. A search of Craiglist revealed that rents in West Oakland are generally $2000 to $4000 for a one bedroom. Rents in the Oakland neighborhood where I lived, near Lake Merritt are similar, having doubled and tripled in the past 10 years. I would not be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment there now.
… Back to the Art
I could go on about gentrification. But to go back to the art: I was thrilled to see so much public art in West Oakland and downtown, and that inspired me to read more about that, too.
The Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) has been around since 2005 and has been a major force in the creation of murals around Oakland. The nonprofit aims to beautify and cultivate healthy communities through public art.
The History of Mural Arts
An article on CRP’s website gives a fascinating history of mural art. The article chronicles the art from the earliest-known murals in France (created in 30,000 B.C.) to the early 20th-century Mexican mural arts movement associated with Diego Rivera to the Chicano art movement and African-American community mural movement of the 1960s to the 1970s and 1980s graffiti culture of Philadelphia and New York to contemporary aerosol and mural art.
Commodification of Street Art
One thing I hadn’t thought of (brought to my attention by another article on the CRP website) is the commodification of street art by private sponsors. Some developers see graffiti and other street art murals as “must-have amenities” for their properties. On the one hand, I think it’s great that these artists get paid for their work. But, I can also see the problem pointed out by CRP: Private mural sponsors may promote a gentrification agenda that displaces low-income residents, including artists, and fail to engage the community in creating the art.
More Mural Projects in Oakland
I saw several articles about the Oakland Mural Festival in 2018, which resulted in several new public works in the Jack London Square area. The Festival’s website says the event was planned to “use mural arts to engage East Bay youth, local Bay Area artists, and the Oakland community through beautification and placemaking activities … and to call attention to social issues, honor the legacy of Oakland’s historically industrial waterfront, and celebrate Oakland’s cultural identity.”
West Oakland street art.
West Oakland street art.
West Oakland street art.
Future Goals
I’ve always been drawn to public art, particularly graffiti art. I’ll have to make some more trips to Oakland to take more photos of these beautiful creations.
