Chapter 3: Culture

The Culture of Nostalgia

There is no more popular culture. Rather, there is customizable culture. If the world was
Philosophy, it would be niche. People have more entertainment choices now, yet that doesn’t
mean things are necessarily better.

Popular culture refers to widely shared traditions or entertainment. People certainly don’t have
this now, at least not like previous eras of American history. In fact, it could be argued that the
1970s, the era of Greg Brady and his Bunch, was the last great era of real popular culture. When
Happy Days was the number one show in 1976 to 1977, it was watched by over 30 million
people per week. Now, shows like American Idol garner about 12 million to earn that same
accolade with modern TV. It might amaze American Idol fans to know that the failed television
show The Brady Bunch Variety Hour of 1976 to 1977 earned better viewer numbers, 15 million,
than their affectation. In the 1970s, American Idol might not have been on the 20 most watched
show list.

Today, The Brady Bunch, whose best Nielsen number was #34, would be on the best 15 list.
While the last episode of MASH was watched by 120 million people in the early 1980s, the best
Friends could do was 55 million.

Besides smaller audiences, everything is niche. Even shared traditions are now themed. It’s a
Build-A-Bear Society. People don’t share traditions like wedding experiences because those are
now themed. While people customize what is on their iPods, they also customize other aspects of
society. Want to watch Star Wars during 1977? There was one version available only at theaters.
Now, Star Wars could be watched on DVD or online, on demand, and in a variety of versions
from the original theatrical version to the revised special editions or yet another 2004 DVD
version. Who is the favorite Who, Doctor Who that is? Which version of Star Trek is the best?
With the new Star Trek films there is a choice, Shatner or Pine, Nimoy or Quinto, Which actor is
the preferred Kirk or Spock.

The technology of entertainment is mostly the reason for the change from popular to
customizable culture. With three networks of broadcast TV in the 1970s, the next decade would
see the common utilization of VCRs and Cable, walkmans and CDs. The 1990s the Internet and
DVDs, TiVo and computerized television. There are social gains to this, with more choice of
entertainment and news. The competition has lead to more variety of television shows and films.

Yet, there is a problem with this customization or niche society. People don’t share much in
common. Gone are the days of everyone at school talking about a previous evening’s popular
entertainment. Gone are shared references to commercials (sorry, Mr. Whipple people don’t
watch the same commercials now except for the SuperBowl) or shared phrases. Fans who
experienced Happy Days during the 1970s probably know what “Aaayyyy” or “Sit On It”
references. “Mom always said, don’t play ball in the house” is a shared phrase from The Brady
Bunch. Yet the argot of shared phrases is not possible in a niche society. People don’t watch the
same things, don’t experience the same traditions, don’t experience things at the same time, and
therefore don’t have much in common. This is no trivial matter. Pluralistic societies depend on
shared myths and culture to unite.

There is one source of hope however. The two decade or 20 Year Nostalgia Cycle. Americans
are generally nostalgic for the past in twenty year cycles. This could help bring together as
generations could share the same or similar kinds of entertainment and popular culture. The
1970s for example had many 1950s themed popular culture examples. Grease, MASH, Happy
Days,and Laverne and Shirley were all 1970s sitcoms or movies set during the 1950s. That 70s
Show was made during the 1990s about the 1970s. Perhaps the entertainment of previous
decades could help despite the customizable nature of society.