I had something in draft a long time ago with a similar conceit, but not nearly as well-developed - particularly around "sYsTemiC RacIZmZ!!1!!". My proof was that every major cultural icon of the 80s was black - and it wasn't because they were astroturfed down our throat.
Eddie Murphy was GOD during the 80s. "48 Hours" was a movie about a racist cop (Nick Nolte) and a black con (Eddie) - and the con is unquestionably the hero. Try to imagine how that movie would be received today by Wokesters.
The biggest musical Act when I was in HS was unquestionably Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. (Not my cup of tea, honestly, but Michael could basically do anything - including marrying Elvis' daughter less than 20 years after Loving v. Virginia).
White kids who starred in HS football and wore their letterman jackets all worshipped one running back: Walter Payton (O He of the Effeminate Voice, but The Wicked Forearm Shiver).
Let me add in one other great movie and star from that time to punctuate all of this: Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines in "Running Scared" (with the inestimable Joey Pants as "Snake" the informant).
The 1980s were absolutely the pinnacle of civilization; we had it good and we damn well knew it. It wasn't broke, and it didn't need to be fixed.
I always appreciate your support, Angie! You rock! It means a lot, and I'm glad you enjoyed the article.
You know, I'm actually not sure how long this took me haha. I started it about halfway through the House Divided piece about Candace, but put it on the back burner because that one was already way behind. Not gonna lie though: especially because of my crazy, monkey mind demanding I add in every fleeting easter egg, humorous link, citation, and rambling digressive footnote that pops up, and then try and polish up the purple prose, these things take a veeeeery long time lol
And seeing as how I make [checks bank account and does some quick back of they napkin math] zero dollars from this, that is not a very good hourly rate! Hahaha
But that's why it really means a lot to get positive feedback, restacks etc... from people like you! It is really rewarding to see people enjoying or (God forbid, even learning!) something from these passion projects :)
What an article. So many places I could single out and have a convo about. Very Well done. So , how about Corey Taylor's vocal range? 🤔 I saw them the first time in Cleveland 25 years ago 😳
-
To keep it short, my wife and I have discussed this generational thing at great length. It seems to both of us, that society was getting close to being "colorblind" (as you said) and that was not good for engineers. So, by the mid 2000s it began to pick up in the media with racial schismogenesis and "Selma envy" just in time to elect a black president. The rest is history.
Although, even setting deliberate engineering aside, there is another factor I like to think about.
Technology is changing so fast, even at an accelerating rate, and culture changes with it as it is downstream. But the new culture downstream keeps arriving faster. In the past there was less environmental difference between generations, but now parents cannot relate to their children's world as it is foreign to them. (In general of course.. I know you respect nuance) They have less and less relevant life experience as opposed to previous generations could more easily describe the world to their kids. Perhaps that alone could have produced the "Selma envy" as kids seek an identity and something to struggle against. Either way, it also could have assisted the engineering because now everyone wants to be a victim as if mere existence was an affliction and life owes them something for it.
Fantastic points as always. I hate to sound like a broken record here, but I agree haha. We seem to pretty simpatico on this stuff :D I appreciate the read, the thoughtful reply, and the kind words as always. I quite like your use of "schismogenesis" here. Very apt description.
And, dude, Corey really was amazing! When I read "25 years ago," I thought, "That can't be right--" and then I realize yeah that was about when I saw them too, back at an Ozzfest at the Camden E Center. Those were great times!
Corey could scream bloody murder with the best of them, but he really did have a great voice and song writing ability as well. The range on some of the frontmen from that general era like Cornell, Maynard, Moreno (each to varying degrees) was something else.
As an aspiring drummer (in theory, even back then haha, haven't played in years), I was blown away by Joey as well. (May he rest in peace.) Watching him and separately Portnoy of Dream Theater live made me realize that my awkward clanking was not "playing the drums" in the same way that *those* guys were "playing the drums." Shouldn't even have been the same phrase; whooooole different level lol
How was the Cleveland show? Was it just them (and opener) or was that a festival sorta setup as well?
I think.. it might have been Mudvayne or Manson, I can't remember. It has always felt like it was fun, that is the impression i got from mental images. I was misbehaving as young people do. I have seen them several times since, even now my wife and I love going to shows and have caught them a few times. They are always energetic and the drumming especially then, was obviously next level. RIP Albiet, I am not up in the pit anymore, those days both mentally and physically are gone.
As far as Moreno, the Deftones are underrated, he is a live wire in concerts and his airy voice is remarkable. Maynard … this is going to sound weird, but I think you will get it. You can hear someone who sounds good on radio, but often when you hear them live you realize they had some assistance. This is particularly true with rockers. Some come out squeaking, others sound as you would expect. Then, one comes along that has something that cannot be captured. I once thought Celine Dion could sing, but was not overly special. That is until my wife and I saw her in Vegas. While not the biggest fan in general, it is undeniable the woman had a next level voice. Transcendental. Point is, I was never a huge Tool fan, but the first time I heard Maynards voice I was sold. Just special.
When children spend years being indoctrinated and groomed for social activism with nothing to be activists about, they bully each other, adhere themselves to anything anti American or anti anything, keep the hate and anger ignited about a past that no longer exists and and strive for a future they haven’t a clue what that looks like. The destruction of America has been achieved through our educational system, so many who can barely read or do math, have no idea what ideology means much less the ability to describe any of them and yet are intent on destroying, trained to believe they are doing the right thing. They even let them out of school to participate in protests. Training ground for minions with a false sense of their own importance. We have allowed this to happen, did nothing to stop it, feared any form of criticism, don’t want to appear “right-wing” gun toting, bible believing, backwards and uneducated, totally buying into the propaganda designed to groom the rest of us keeping us docile and impotent. We were lied to and fooled, led to believe social pressure was everything and unwilling to become targets. Well, now that we’re all targets, what have you got to lose? Other than our children, our Country and our ability to live a free and faithful life, not to mention becoming serfs to a small minority of Totalitarians.
This essay generated many emotions in me. The two things that stood out in my mind concerned the perverted sexuality of Generation Z. More than 20% of these basement dwellers actually believe that they are, personally, LGBTQ++++. It is evidence of the growing stupidity of our children and grandchildren & proof of the programming they receive in our Marxist public schools. One satisfying statistic I read yesterday in the Washington Examiner is the fact that in the three of Florida's most-populated counties, over 2,400 children left public schools in favor of charter schools, religious schools, and for home schooling. Maybe there IS hope for this nation.
Professor Chaos might be the light at the end of Amerika's march to fascism.
Last, but not least, as a form of reparations, all Hollywood movies should now feature only dwarves and midgets in every role.
“Last, but not least, as a form of reparations, all Hollywood movies should now feature only dwarves and midgets in every role.”
This would be AMAZING! haha And thank you for reading and for the comment. I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel too, and that the move away from public schooling is a positive trend.
The people they interviewed outside of the Star Wars Movie showings, was exactly how I remember the 80s.
Also, 80s movies had a "bigness" (for lack of a better term) about them. They were more believable, there seemed to be more seriousness and weight to the stories. It's hard to explain. There have been some newer movies that come off that way, but not many.
It was likely the most colorblind period in US history. You had Michael Jackson, everyone tried breakdancing, nobody cared about any of the annoying social nonsense of today.
I am right there with you. Exactly how I remember it as well, right down to trying to breakdance listening to Off the Wall haha
It is indeed hard to pin down a word for how the films felt, how the era felt, but it was so wonderful. Bigness and relaxed work for me! It wasn't perfect, of course, and I was younger, nostalgia yada yada sure all true. But still, it was so much better.
I shared one quote, and here’s another that caught my eye! “ Forget “Selma Envy.” These people have “Blade Envy.” And if they actually had any understanding of or respect for history, they’d have learned a valuable lesson from M.L.K., Jr., from the great flicks of the ‘80s, and from the Daywalker himself:”
Thank you for taking the timr to write a well curated savvy piece! There is much to unpack here and I have a little time today and tomorrow to check out some videos. Thank you again!
You have taken my predatory shallow mind and hit it with rerun. At first I fell in love with your vocabulary and now your mind has surrounded me with hope. A smile on my face after reading this……thanks Apollo
Wow, that is awesome, Stephen! It really means a lot to read such a kind comment, and I'm elated that my mad ramblings could have a positive impact on your day :D Thank YOU!
AL - Just to pile on and add more evidence to your excellent argument from the 80s, not just in movies.
Boomer Hall of Fame Candidates:
1A and 1B - Magic Johnson and (barely boomer) Michael Jordan (b. '63) both not only refused to engage in anti-white racism or fan the flames, but actively quashed that garbage. As a Celtics fan, Magic was The Enemy, but his friendship and public treatment (and defense) of Larry Bird gets me misty-eyed. (Lookin' at you, Zeke.)
Michael Jordan was courted and called out by the usual race-hustlers and he refused to be a part of it. He had a glib reply, "Republicans buy sneakers, too!" but the fact is, he simply didn't have that anti-white racism in his heart. (See, e.g., "Space Jam" - "Larry's not white; Larry's clear.") MJ's parents probably deserve the Boomer credit, as well.
Compare their actions to LeFlop (born 1984). LeCrybaby's incessant whining and shitty take on every divisive issue makes him a goat, alright, just not in the way he thinks. It's the perfect illustration of your point, really. Magic and MJ grew up in an era with real racism and rose above it. LeBron didn't and spends a good deal of his time making specious claims about every issue. And look at NBA viewership as a result.
2. Roller skating - A quintessentially Boomer activity, every roller rink had (at least) one Boomer black guy who could do miraculous shit dancing on skates and was getting white chicks like it was cool. Those of us watching took note... and tried to up our skating game.
Not much more to add that I didn’t already say in my restack haha. Thank you so much, truly, for taking the time to give my stuff and read and to add such thoughtful and insightful dimensions to the discussion. I appreciate you, my friend!
Great article! Love the Thelma & Louise analogy too. Yep, they’ve got their collective foot pressed hard down on that gas pedal and headed for that cliff, sure enough!
John! Few things on Subtack make me as happy as seeing that classic, badass profile pic show up in my comments, sir :) Thank you as always for the read and the reply.
And yeah, the Proggy Wokemobile has no breaks! I could even live with that... if they didn't weld us all into the car with them lol
I specifically remember being a kid and sort of "wishing," for lack of a better word, for, or feeling bad that I didn't have, struggles. It's real. And this was a good counter to that.
Peak boomer here(b. 1950). I remember watching black and white WWII movies on TV and playing Army with my friends, to the point of digging foxholes in the woods beside our yard and wishing that I could play Army for real (in spite of breaking my arms 5 times before I got out of 1st grade. But that was before I went camping in the rain or saw any real blood. I am reminded of the pro Hamas protesters protesting the lack of Uber deliveries where they were trespassing. Even bigger pansies than the mostly peaceful arsonists of the summer of 2020.
This is just straight facts.
I had something in draft a long time ago with a similar conceit, but not nearly as well-developed - particularly around "sYsTemiC RacIZmZ!!1!!". My proof was that every major cultural icon of the 80s was black - and it wasn't because they were astroturfed down our throat.
Eddie Murphy was GOD during the 80s. "48 Hours" was a movie about a racist cop (Nick Nolte) and a black con (Eddie) - and the con is unquestionably the hero. Try to imagine how that movie would be received today by Wokesters.
The biggest musical Act when I was in HS was unquestionably Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. (Not my cup of tea, honestly, but Michael could basically do anything - including marrying Elvis' daughter less than 20 years after Loving v. Virginia).
White kids who starred in HS football and wore their letterman jackets all worshipped one running back: Walter Payton (O He of the Effeminate Voice, but The Wicked Forearm Shiver).
Let me add in one other great movie and star from that time to punctuate all of this: Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines in "Running Scared" (with the inestimable Joey Pants as "Snake" the informant).
The 1980s were absolutely the pinnacle of civilization; we had it good and we damn well knew it. It wasn't broke, and it didn't need to be fixed.
100% truth!
Blade is a criminally under-appreciated movie. ❤️💯❤️
Preach! It is seriously one of my favorite films. I could perform a one man stage version from memory.
I still aspire to be a grizzled badass like Kris Kristofferson. I love the scene where he is pumping gas while he is smoking.
The funniest part is the old white guy, who starts pumping the gas--before he sticks it in the fill neck on the car--all while smoking!
Of course, in real life it was water, because it was beading up on the car.
Blade was definitely a really good movie. I remember going to the theater to see the one with that blood god dude in it. They were all pretty good.
How long did it take you to put together this masterpiece? Congrats as always, a fan.
I always appreciate your support, Angie! You rock! It means a lot, and I'm glad you enjoyed the article.
You know, I'm actually not sure how long this took me haha. I started it about halfway through the House Divided piece about Candace, but put it on the back burner because that one was already way behind. Not gonna lie though: especially because of my crazy, monkey mind demanding I add in every fleeting easter egg, humorous link, citation, and rambling digressive footnote that pops up, and then try and polish up the purple prose, these things take a veeeeery long time lol
And seeing as how I make [checks bank account and does some quick back of they napkin math] zero dollars from this, that is not a very good hourly rate! Hahaha
But that's why it really means a lot to get positive feedback, restacks etc... from people like you! It is really rewarding to see people enjoying or (God forbid, even learning!) something from these passion projects :)
What an article. So many places I could single out and have a convo about. Very Well done. So , how about Corey Taylor's vocal range? 🤔 I saw them the first time in Cleveland 25 years ago 😳
-
To keep it short, my wife and I have discussed this generational thing at great length. It seems to both of us, that society was getting close to being "colorblind" (as you said) and that was not good for engineers. So, by the mid 2000s it began to pick up in the media with racial schismogenesis and "Selma envy" just in time to elect a black president. The rest is history.
Although, even setting deliberate engineering aside, there is another factor I like to think about.
Technology is changing so fast, even at an accelerating rate, and culture changes with it as it is downstream. But the new culture downstream keeps arriving faster. In the past there was less environmental difference between generations, but now parents cannot relate to their children's world as it is foreign to them. (In general of course.. I know you respect nuance) They have less and less relevant life experience as opposed to previous generations could more easily describe the world to their kids. Perhaps that alone could have produced the "Selma envy" as kids seek an identity and something to struggle against. Either way, it also could have assisted the engineering because now everyone wants to be a victim as if mere existence was an affliction and life owes them something for it.
Fantastic points as always. I hate to sound like a broken record here, but I agree haha. We seem to pretty simpatico on this stuff :D I appreciate the read, the thoughtful reply, and the kind words as always. I quite like your use of "schismogenesis" here. Very apt description.
And, dude, Corey really was amazing! When I read "25 years ago," I thought, "That can't be right--" and then I realize yeah that was about when I saw them too, back at an Ozzfest at the Camden E Center. Those were great times!
Corey could scream bloody murder with the best of them, but he really did have a great voice and song writing ability as well. The range on some of the frontmen from that general era like Cornell, Maynard, Moreno (each to varying degrees) was something else.
As an aspiring drummer (in theory, even back then haha, haven't played in years), I was blown away by Joey as well. (May he rest in peace.) Watching him and separately Portnoy of Dream Theater live made me realize that my awkward clanking was not "playing the drums" in the same way that *those* guys were "playing the drums." Shouldn't even have been the same phrase; whooooole different level lol
How was the Cleveland show? Was it just them (and opener) or was that a festival sorta setup as well?
I think.. it might have been Mudvayne or Manson, I can't remember. It has always felt like it was fun, that is the impression i got from mental images. I was misbehaving as young people do. I have seen them several times since, even now my wife and I love going to shows and have caught them a few times. They are always energetic and the drumming especially then, was obviously next level. RIP Albiet, I am not up in the pit anymore, those days both mentally and physically are gone.
As far as Moreno, the Deftones are underrated, he is a live wire in concerts and his airy voice is remarkable. Maynard … this is going to sound weird, but I think you will get it. You can hear someone who sounds good on radio, but often when you hear them live you realize they had some assistance. This is particularly true with rockers. Some come out squeaking, others sound as you would expect. Then, one comes along that has something that cannot be captured. I once thought Celine Dion could sing, but was not overly special. That is until my wife and I saw her in Vegas. While not the biggest fan in general, it is undeniable the woman had a next level voice. Transcendental. Point is, I was never a huge Tool fan, but the first time I heard Maynards voice I was sold. Just special.
When children spend years being indoctrinated and groomed for social activism with nothing to be activists about, they bully each other, adhere themselves to anything anti American or anti anything, keep the hate and anger ignited about a past that no longer exists and and strive for a future they haven’t a clue what that looks like. The destruction of America has been achieved through our educational system, so many who can barely read or do math, have no idea what ideology means much less the ability to describe any of them and yet are intent on destroying, trained to believe they are doing the right thing. They even let them out of school to participate in protests. Training ground for minions with a false sense of their own importance. We have allowed this to happen, did nothing to stop it, feared any form of criticism, don’t want to appear “right-wing” gun toting, bible believing, backwards and uneducated, totally buying into the propaganda designed to groom the rest of us keeping us docile and impotent. We were lied to and fooled, led to believe social pressure was everything and unwilling to become targets. Well, now that we’re all targets, what have you got to lose? Other than our children, our Country and our ability to live a free and faithful life, not to mention becoming serfs to a small minority of Totalitarians.
Some hard truths there, but great points nonetheless. Thank you for sharing!
I watch Predator and Aliens each at least twice each year. Never forget…
Mostly they come at night…mostly….
GET TO DA CHOPPA!
As long as you don't forget those things, you got a chance haha! If it bleeds, we can kill it. Otherwise, it's game over, man. Game over!
I miss Bill Paxton. Legend.
This essay generated many emotions in me. The two things that stood out in my mind concerned the perverted sexuality of Generation Z. More than 20% of these basement dwellers actually believe that they are, personally, LGBTQ++++. It is evidence of the growing stupidity of our children and grandchildren & proof of the programming they receive in our Marxist public schools. One satisfying statistic I read yesterday in the Washington Examiner is the fact that in the three of Florida's most-populated counties, over 2,400 children left public schools in favor of charter schools, religious schools, and for home schooling. Maybe there IS hope for this nation.
Professor Chaos might be the light at the end of Amerika's march to fascism.
Last, but not least, as a form of reparations, all Hollywood movies should now feature only dwarves and midgets in every role.
“Last, but not least, as a form of reparations, all Hollywood movies should now feature only dwarves and midgets in every role.”
This would be AMAZING! haha And thank you for reading and for the comment. I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel too, and that the move away from public schooling is a positive trend.
The people they interviewed outside of the Star Wars Movie showings, was exactly how I remember the 80s.
Also, 80s movies had a "bigness" (for lack of a better term) about them. They were more believable, there seemed to be more seriousness and weight to the stories. It's hard to explain. There have been some newer movies that come off that way, but not many.
It was likely the most colorblind period in US history. You had Michael Jackson, everyone tried breakdancing, nobody cared about any of the annoying social nonsense of today.
People were just MUCH more relaxed.
I am right there with you. Exactly how I remember it as well, right down to trying to breakdance listening to Off the Wall haha
It is indeed hard to pin down a word for how the films felt, how the era felt, but it was so wonderful. Bigness and relaxed work for me! It wasn't perfect, of course, and I was younger, nostalgia yada yada sure all true. But still, it was so much better.
Very insightful rendition.
The only major thing disappointing about Boomers is when the Internet and Freeware arrived they proceeded to ruined it.
Now, they're ruining the block chain (Web3 and so forth), as we speak.
I shared one quote, and here’s another that caught my eye! “ Forget “Selma Envy.” These people have “Blade Envy.” And if they actually had any understanding of or respect for history, they’d have learned a valuable lesson from M.L.K., Jr., from the great flicks of the ‘80s, and from the Daywalker himself:”
Thank you for taking the timr to write a well curated savvy piece! There is much to unpack here and I have a little time today and tomorrow to check out some videos. Thank you again!
I just wanted to get back to this comment to say thank you so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts. Always appreciated!
... don't waste your time on shills.⚠️
Well written, my friend. I laughed audibly at work while reading this. I believe there will be hope for the future.
Thank you, my friend. And remember...
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/9e5ad2a1-3d1e-4bdb-8e7a-133479201fb7
You have taken my predatory shallow mind and hit it with rerun. At first I fell in love with your vocabulary and now your mind has surrounded me with hope. A smile on my face after reading this……thanks Apollo
Wow, that is awesome, Stephen! It really means a lot to read such a kind comment, and I'm elated that my mad ramblings could have a positive impact on your day :D Thank YOU!
AL - Just to pile on and add more evidence to your excellent argument from the 80s, not just in movies.
Boomer Hall of Fame Candidates:
1A and 1B - Magic Johnson and (barely boomer) Michael Jordan (b. '63) both not only refused to engage in anti-white racism or fan the flames, but actively quashed that garbage. As a Celtics fan, Magic was The Enemy, but his friendship and public treatment (and defense) of Larry Bird gets me misty-eyed. (Lookin' at you, Zeke.)
Michael Jordan was courted and called out by the usual race-hustlers and he refused to be a part of it. He had a glib reply, "Republicans buy sneakers, too!" but the fact is, he simply didn't have that anti-white racism in his heart. (See, e.g., "Space Jam" - "Larry's not white; Larry's clear.") MJ's parents probably deserve the Boomer credit, as well.
Compare their actions to LeFlop (born 1984). LeCrybaby's incessant whining and shitty take on every divisive issue makes him a goat, alright, just not in the way he thinks. It's the perfect illustration of your point, really. Magic and MJ grew up in an era with real racism and rose above it. LeBron didn't and spends a good deal of his time making specious claims about every issue. And look at NBA viewership as a result.
2. Roller skating - A quintessentially Boomer activity, every roller rink had (at least) one Boomer black guy who could do miraculous shit dancing on skates and was getting white chicks like it was cool. Those of us watching took note... and tried to up our skating game.
Not much more to add that I didn’t already say in my restack haha. Thank you so much, truly, for taking the time to give my stuff and read and to add such thoughtful and insightful dimensions to the discussion. I appreciate you, my friend!
Tip o' the cap, sir. Great writing.
Great article! Love the Thelma & Louise analogy too. Yep, they’ve got their collective foot pressed hard down on that gas pedal and headed for that cliff, sure enough!
John! Few things on Subtack make me as happy as seeing that classic, badass profile pic show up in my comments, sir :) Thank you as always for the read and the reply.
And yeah, the Proggy Wokemobile has no breaks! I could even live with that... if they didn't weld us all into the car with them lol
I specifically remember being a kid and sort of "wishing," for lack of a better word, for, or feeling bad that I didn't have, struggles. It's real. And this was a good counter to that.
Peak boomer here(b. 1950). I remember watching black and white WWII movies on TV and playing Army with my friends, to the point of digging foxholes in the woods beside our yard and wishing that I could play Army for real (in spite of breaking my arms 5 times before I got out of 1st grade. But that was before I went camping in the rain or saw any real blood. I am reminded of the pro Hamas protesters protesting the lack of Uber deliveries where they were trespassing. Even bigger pansies than the mostly peaceful arsonists of the summer of 2020.
Some of these pansy protestors wouldn't even survive 10 minutes of playing in the woods like we did as kids! They'd need an app for it lol