Throughout history there has always been a defining pop-culture moment or moments. Billy Joel’s song and video “We Didn’t Start the Fire” encapsulates the events starting at the end of the 1940’s through the 1980’s. The chorus, “We didn’t start the fire. It was always burning since the world’s been turning. We didn’t start the fire. No, we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it.” (Joel) sets the premise of the video. The lyrics in the song are rapid fire historical moments while the video shows the evolution of the American family with many of each decade’s top historical events influencing the changes within family dynamics. The most poignant images within the video are of political, military and civil moments. The images express there
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The image on fire to conclude this decade in the video is the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald. Mr. Oswald, was accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy was very popular with many constituents and his assassination was stunning. Though this image was from the 1960’s, it gives the point of what actions will take when in the times of adversity which carried over to the next decade. The family kitchen has evolved once more with an earthy feel to it. The family also now has a more political appearance. The children, a daughter and a son, are now teenagers or young adults and begin expressing their political views. The daughter begins the social consciousness by burning her bra representing the continued fight for women’s rights. The video then transitions showing the daughter dressed in the decade’s style of hippie clothing. People identified as hippies presented the image of anti-war and a drug using culture as the daughter is seen smoking; but it is not clearly defined as to what she is smoking. The son, who is also wearing the hippie style of clothing, then displays the political beliefs by burning the draft card that was received. During the 70’s the United States was involved in the Vietnam war, which was heavily protested, and led countless young men of the decade to do, as the son did, and burn the draft cards. By burning the cards, the younger generation presented a strong anti-war political
The image on fire to conclude this decade in the video is the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald. Mr. Oswald, was accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy was very popular with many constituents and his assassination was stunning. Though this image was from the 1960’s, it gives the point of what actions will take when in the times of adversity which carried over to the next decade. The family kitchen has evolved once more with an earthy feel to it. The family also now has a more political appearance. The children, a daughter and a son, are now teenagers or young adults and begin expressing their political views. The daughter begins the social consciousness by burning her bra representing the continued fight for women’s rights. The video then transitions showing the daughter dressed in the decade’s style of hippie clothing. People identified as hippies presented the image of anti-war and a drug using culture as the daughter is seen smoking; but it is not clearly defined as to what she is smoking. The son, who is also wearing the hippie style of clothing, then displays the political beliefs by burning the draft card that was received. During the 70’s the United States was involved in the Vietnam war, which was heavily protested, and led countless young men of the decade to do, as the son did, and burn the draft cards. By burning the cards, the younger generation presented a strong anti-war political