The Demise of Pop Culture Icons

The untimely deaths of many of music’s best gifts have prompted great speculation in recent years.  However, such demise of an icon has been seen in decades since Woodstock.  The fueled craze of peace, love, and music was meant to prompt a revolution, but instead was met with great scrutiny as the world begin to see the ravishing unfold as such legends of the 60’s as Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin met their fate.  See what Woodstock gave the world was a better understanding of a culture deeply affected by the troubles of recreational drugs.  The movement prompted through equal right and love was brought on by popular beliefs of the time.  With a generation of baby boomers that revolutionized subcultures around the world, drugs symbolized and embodied everything the “hippies” believed in, good times, good music, and the power of liberation. 

            These cultural perspectives of the time can be more easily observed when key theories are in place that better analyze the thoughts of the decade.  Through observing such attributes in myths such as the American dream, and concepts of popular culture, myths, and icons; one can easily get a better understanding of why such a movement led to the attainment by celebrities to “fit” a stigma in which icons of the day had to live up to.  Popular beliefs of the time fueled such outrageous actions that no music notoriety of the decade was spared from.  While many legends continued to grace stages across the world many others where left hopelessly stuck in a drug culture rich in attainment; only further stimulating icons of the time to engross themselves into the hippy subculture. 

            While the deaths of such icons can be expressed as a life lost too soon, it can also be said that it did not end there.  While the 60s may have sponsored such drug induced activities, it certainly transcended music into a new catapult of expectancy.  With music rich in history and artist rich in talent; the demands placed upon such music icons only increased.  The stress to stay “competitive” and formidable has brought the limelight of fame once again into such scrutinizing deliverance.  In the past decade the world has lost not only many great music legends, but many other popular celebrity icons to untimely demise.  We all remember the ravishing Anna Nicole Smith, Britney Murphy, and Heath Ledger, and let us not forget The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and yes The Queen of the Night, Mrs. Whitney Houston; all of whom was taken from us way too early.  See what these concepts of popular belief, myths and icons have shown us throughout the years, is that the basic instinct to belong is felt universally.  Whether it’s the celebrities in the movies, music, or the greats of Woodstock universally we all have the same basic needs and desires to fit in.  What makes being an icon more difficult than others are the pressure to sustain, and the desire to remain happy in the face of their fans.  What makes being a part of societal culture more difficult is the knowledge of disconnect in such a troubled iconic spotlight and the remedy to do nothing about it.

The Contemporary Icons That Helped Shape The Era

  

The Grateful Dead

Contemporary music icons such The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix not only took the stage at one of history’s greatest music festivals ever, but they also helped shape the form of the revolution known as Woodstock: peace, love, and music.  While the Grateful Dead helped blend music cultures of country, folk, blues, Latin, and rock; Janis Joplin graced the stage with one of the most beautiful voices in music history, and Jimi Hendrix displayed to the world just why he was and still very much is one of the greatest guitar players in music notoriety.  These artists set the standard by which excellence and the “freedom movement” of their day took root.  Leaving nothing on the stage less than what Janis called a piece of my heart.

Janis Joplin

With an era bent on renewed love and the spirit of peace, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix have always been accredited in the success of the era.  Freedom was found to be just another word by Joplin and The Grateful dead most certainly embodied everything about the hippy subculture with Mama tried.  Jimi Hendrix, played his guitar with his teeth and left the nation and certainly New York always remembering his live performance of The Star Spangled banner, at a time when  peace was a way to come together. 

Jimi Hendrix

While their lights may have ended early, These three musicians rocked a culture spun into an evolutionary movement that forever changed the flavor of music history.  The followers of the Grateful dead can still be found wondering concert arenas in search of the next great Jerry Garcia, all while proudly representing a group known as the “dead heads”.  Woodstock defiantly defined music history and gave a realistic depiction of a culture heavily influenced by the ravishing of the drugs of the 60s and 70s.  While Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix brought the generation of their time to their feet, they ignited a fire within the spirit of America; and ultimately paid the price of a life lost to early when drugs took control.  The fire, well….it’s still burning strong and today we can all see a little Joplin in artists of this era; whether it’s the late Amy Winehouse, or the current singer Adele, whom prefers to set fire to the rain, they have all found comfort in the tones and legends of Woodstock.

“We hope the feeling of peace and pleasure that were in this place, will follow out into the streets so all can share them.” - Michael Lang (founder)

Woodstock: Popular culture and the way in which the music of the 60s and 70s shaped cultural values.

POPULAR CULTURE

1.      What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?

Popular Culture is the beliefs and values that shape and define the people that exist in society.  It represents what society does in their everyday life.  These activities begin to shape our norms and therefore our values over time, ultimately depicting what is socially acceptable.  

2.      Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?

The understanding of popular culture is so relevant to the understanding of the business practices internationally and globally in today's market.  This is especially true of market researchers who are currently reshaping the roll out strategies of many organizations today whom, like so many, are fighting to find their competitive edge in such trying economic times.  Music and the culture of the 60s and 70s clearly defined a generation of baby boomers, and as this generation of "hippies" and "yuppies" begin to reach retirement, their buying power seem to be a formidable force in staying competitive.  The understanding of such a generation and how their culture, and many before and after them, are the key to success in many other realms of business as well.  

3.       What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact?  And why did I choose it? 

The pop culture artifact that I felt strongly evoked the evolution of cultural acceptance and understanding was Woodstock 1969.  While there has been many famous composers and a wide array of talent that has helped to shape our culture, none compare to the revolution that was brought about by the peace, love, and music that was Woodstock. 

 

 A revolution that promoted a free spirit movement, Woodstock helped shape a culture that was lost, and quickly found in three short days.  Music will forever be influenced by the decades marked by Woodstock and the youth of the hippie.