It might have been the strangest decade of the twentieth century, but it is also one of the most misunderstood. It’s easy to look back at the 1970s and simply be stunned by the hair and the platform shoes, by the mood rings and ‘da Fonz’. But underneath all that was a sign of deep turbulence. The fact is, the ‘70s was one of the most fascinating periods of the last century, and nothing provides a more vivid lens on the day than the pop culture it produced.
Led by Curious Minds favourite Geoff Pevere (Rebel Cinema, Starstruck: Fame and Celebrity in the Modern Age), “All That Glittered” is a six-part rollercoaster ride through the decade, exploring movies, fashion, music, TV and politics. It will stare straight into some of the weirdest and most tasteless emanations of the day, but it will also look past them into what was really going on: what people were thinking, what they feared and desired, how they felt about the future and the past. If you were there, and even if you weren’t, you probably think you know what the ‘70s were all about. Prepare to be surprised. And maybe a little embarrassed.
This course is led by Geoff Pevere, who has been writing, teaching and broadcasting about movies, media and popular culture for more than 30 years. A former film critic with The Toronto Star and regular contributor to The Globe and Mail, he has led 7 wildly popular series at Curious Minds and is currently completing a follow-up to his best-selling book Mondo Canuck: A Canadian Pop Culture Odyssey.
May 15: Uneasy Riders: The Origins of New Hollywood
How the most surprising, dynamic and unprecedented decade in Hollywood history rose from the ashes of the old studio system.
May 22: I Am Not a Crook: How Richard Nixon Created the 1970s
For better or worse, and sometimes both, the decade – in politics, popular culture and historical legacy -- was shaped inexorably by Richard M. Nixon.
May 29: No Safe Place: Paranoia and Pop Culture
There were shadows everywhere, and they contained shadowy figures. Fear and anxiety were growth industries in the 1970s, and paranoia became the only reasonable response.
June 5: All That Glittered: Pop Music
Ziggy’s stardust sprinkled across the spectrum of pop music during the decade, which began with an ocean of eyeliner and finished with a war between disco and punk.
June 12: The Towering Inferno: Disaster Culture
Planes crashed, skyscrapers burned, earthquakes rattled and rollercoasters rocked. The world was falling apart, and we couldn’t get enough of it.
June 19: Zipless: Feminism, Gender and Sexuality
It was post-feminist, post-sexual revolution, post-Stonewall, post-Playboy, and post-Deep Throat. Deliriously dirty times.