Symbols of the Me Generation
Mood Rings, Pet Rocks, and Other Egocentric 1970s Memorabilia
Have a nice decade! Here are some of the signs of the times that represented the over-the-top individualism of the 1970s.
The "Me Generation" was a term used to describe American culture in the 1970s. After the social unrest of the 1960s, many Americans were simply sick of politics. No, the social activism of the 1960s didn't go away when the calendar turned to 1970s. However, for many people, the 1970s served as an era of "cultural amnesia" to forget about social change and to have fun--and lots of it! The disturbing political climate of the 1970s, which included Watergate, the Iranian hostage crisis, and escalating gas prices, encouraged many people to retreat further away from concerns about public life and focus on individual enjoyment.
Thus, the 1970s became an era of individuality, filled with young people going on journeys to "find myself," and hedonist pleasures in the form of recreational drugs and the Sexual Revolution. Here are some of the popular culture trends of the Me Generation that best symbolized this retreat away from social concerns to individual pleasure.
The Smiley Face
Nothing symbolized the fun-filled 1970s more than the big yellow smiley face, which dotted bumper stickers, T-shirts, and everything else during this decade. As a symbol of the Me Generation, the smiley face replaced the much more socially significant (and also round) symbol of the 1960s-- the peace symbol.
The Mood Ring
These rings changed colors, and supposedly the color of the ring corresponded to the bearer's mood. This is scientifically questionable, of course-- but what better symbol of the Me Generation than a mood that lets you tune in to and display your deepest emotions?
The Pet Rock
In perhaps one of the strangest fads and ingenious marketing campaigns ever, people started purchasing packaged rocks and calling them pets. To the Me Generation, this was the ultimate pet. There's no need to feed it, clean it, or pay any attention to it when you lose interest.
1970s Fashions
The Me Generation clothing of the 1970s screamed, "Look at me!" The decade was a bit of an eyesore, with garish polyester fabrics, super-wide bellbottoms, mountainous clogs, obnoxious leisure suits, and lots of paisley. Adding to this "look at me" effect was the general nakedness of the 1970s, as micro-mini skirts and hot pants became standard attire for many young women. To add to this effect was hair-- lots of it-- in the form of Afros and killer sideburns.
Disco
Ah, disco. The 1960s was full of flower-child folk music encouraging us all to think of peace and change and all that other socially relevant stuff. In the 1960s, it was goodbye Bob Dylan and hello John Travolta-- and disco! The "message" of disco, if you can call it that, is simply to boogie down and have fun. And like 1970s clothing, disco is all about "look at me," with flashy dance moves like the Hustle. Of course, what made disco so popular was the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, which featured one of the most egocentric Me Generation protagonists ever to hit the screen.
The 1970s were a turbulent time in American history-- but you'd never know it by looking at the popular culture trends. And that's no coincidence. For many Americans, the social change movements had gone far enough, and now it was time to have fun and worry about me!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
