What were the 70s like?

[Mitchapalooza]

To any of the older guys here, what were the 70s like? Are the stereotypes we see on TV true? A lot of hippies, everyone smoking weed, experimental drugs, etc.? Also, how was racism back then, compared to how it is now?

Obviously I can just watch a documentary or read stuff on it, but I just want to know what you guys observed in the 70s. Just general thoughts about the 70s, if you don't mind sharing.

 

[bearmick]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind knowing either. I had just turned 3 when 1980 hit so I can't really say I remember much of it either. Maybe OP or BB will tell us.

 

[malcore]

It was before Reagan's "Just say no".


Bags of Colombian for $25 FTW. The stuff that made you laugh, not feel paranoid.

 

[bearmick]

So many bands I'd have liked to have seen in the 1975-1979 era. Queen, the Clash, Talking Heads, Sex Pistols, Kraftwerk, Motorhead. Damn.

 

[Tjodalv]

[video=youtube;rLPdcCbj2Hk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLPdcCbj2Hk[/video]

 

[malcore]

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

Yes, even though it was pre-Reagan, Bush was where it was at.

 

[Omeletpants]

From a drug standpoint, I think more use drugs now.

 

[malcore]

So many bands I'd have liked to have seen in the 1975-1979 era. Queen, the Clash, Talking Heads, Sex Pistols, Kraftwerk, Motorhead. Damn.

Not quite old enough for that myself, although I did catch the Heads in the mid 80s prior to the Little Creatures drop off.

 

[Crystallas]

It was much more social. You didn't go to someone's house to watch TV. I was still a pup, but I remember a few things. Walking was still the dominant means of transportation.

 

[malcore]

And you wouldn't freak out if a friend knocked on your door unannounced.

 

[Mitchapalooza]

I walked everywhere as a kid and knocked on doors too. Im the last generation of that. Technology kind of sucks in someways

Sent from Cuba

 

[number51]

I graduated high school in 1975. Maine West Des Plaines IL

Weed, much weaker/cheaper. Pretty much everybody smoked, 80%?

Other recreational drugs, LSD (acid) $2 a hit and much stronger than now. Coke was a joke, too expensive, not a strong high. A few years later coke was everything.

We (born in 1957) were the first guys that didn't have to register for the draft, so no threat of Viet Nam.

The people a few years ahead of us really opened things up, sex and drugs and rock & roll. The 80's was all about AIDS and the "free sex" thing screeched to a halt. 1972 to 1980 was after the revolution and before sex could kill you. Perfect time to be a horny teenager, everybody got laid. Maybe the bottom 5% of messed up geeks left HS as virgins.

Great time to be a teenager, like I said, sex and drugs and rock & roll. I banged more different women in those 8 years than the 34 years since. Got married in 1981, about the time AIDS started, so good timing.

 

[Mitchapalooza]

Numbers you're my mom's age. She's from the East Coast though. Man the 70s seemed fun as hell. Were girls just easy or was sex just not a big deal back then? And acid was stronger back then?

Sent from Cuba

 

[Omeletpants]

It was much more social. You didn't go to someone's house to watch TV. I was still a pup, but I remember a few things. Walking was still the dominant means of transportation.

Yup! People were more friendly and spent more time with friends. It was a usual thing to sit on your neighbors front porch.

Also, there was a lot less outside stimulus like the internet, phones, videos, games. Back then people had to plan their fun. These days there are too many choices

I think people read less today

Also, there are less serious discussions these days. Life is a lot more superficial now

 

[bearmick]

Less corporate domination of general life too, I would guess.

 

[Omeletpants]

Less corporate domination of general life too, I would guess.

Yeah, when you left work for the day or weekend no one could get hold of you. I remember when pagers and cell phones came out. Companies didnt want to pay for them but then found out they more than covered the cost of them with the extra work people would do in the off hours

 

[Mr. Cub]

I don't know much about it, but I would probably rather have spent the prime of my life in the 60's and 70's than right now. Blah.

 

[Sunbiz1]

Ah, the 70's...skinny chicks, bell bottoms, cool attire, and some pretty good music.

[video=youtube;u0iuaxvkXv4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0iuaxvkXv4[/video]

 

[number51]

Numbers you're my mom's age. She's from the East Coast though. Man the 70s seemed fun as hell. Were girls just easy or was sex just not a big deal back then? And acid was stronger back then?

Sent from Cuba

I really don't think of the women back then as easy. The only bad thing that could happen was getting pregnant, there was no stigma associated with screwing. Everybody was fucking and is was fun as hell. Oral and anal were a huge deal, very little of that compared to now.

I haven't dropped acid in decades but yes it was much more potent back then. Now people drop three hits, back then 3 hits and your spending some time in a room with soft walls. I do know people that messed themselves up long term with that shit. So there were some down sides to that era.

You guys also asked about race. I went to HS with about 7000 people, one year there were 2 black kids, Lilly white 'burbs. I think we were more racist then, based on ignorance. My kid (23) and her friends are way more open minded about race than we were. For me things changed in college, less ignorant, more open minded.

 

[Crystallas]

One thing I also want to add. When someone in the neighborhood got a new toy(from stereo equipment to a billiards table), everyone knew about it and came over to mess with it. You knew that, and made big purchases based on social reaction. People were nowhere near as envious and territorial as they are today.