Counterculture

Wallace Nutting was a purveyor of a past that fit his own conservative ideas. A charismatic salesman of history, he constantly sought to challenge the status quo. Thomas Denenberg uses Wallace Nutting’s brand of colonial idealism as a parallel with an American society on the precipice of social change at the turn of the century. Nutting successfully provided the middle class an escape from the adversity of the “machine age”. Using Wallace Nutting as a tool to discuss anti-modernism, Denenberg…

John Updike is well known as one of the most accomplished writers of his time. Spawning over fifty books, many of them novels; poetry collections, and numerous short stories. In his later years he went on to become an esteemed literary critic. Many of his works emphasized the idea that the common man does have a rightful place in fiction. His use of imagery is unparalleled as he seamlessly invites the reader in, taking them on a journey through his stories whose content would probably otherwise…

A single person is unlikely to protest in a sea of Nazi supporters but one might voice his/her opinion if they are surrounded by people with similar ideas. These individuals were the counterculture to the Nazis. They rejected the Nazis values, beliefs, and what the Nazis saw as norms in their society. An even more interesting theory that still exists today is the idea that resistance did not happen in Germany against Hitler. According to…

1.Introduction 1.1 Cultural Phenomenon In the past few years, America superhero movies such as Spider-Man, Captain America and X-Men have swept around the world. People in different countries show great preference in them. In the past 12 years from 2000 to 2012, there have been 67 movies about superhero on the big screen, the market share of which is more than 10% in the movie market worldwide. In the future 5 years from 2014 to 2019, 22 more sequels of them and new superhero movies will be on…

Introduction The term “utopia” is a Greek neologism coined by Thomas More in 1516 for his book Utopia that describes a fictional ideal society, which consequently is referring to the ideal community that possesses perfect qualities and egalitarian principles for citizens. The desire of pursuing such ideal realms has diversely manifested in the history of architectural development while entering the twentieth century when the modern movement has peaked, the popularity of utopian…

It was 1920 in New York City, a certain ineffable aura pervaded the musty city air, an aura that would allure dreamers for the decade to follow. The nouveau riche flocked to New York, where they could live out their dreams with other idealists. This sparked what is now known as the Roaring Twenties, a romantic period characterized by its optimism and nonchalance. Concurrently, the city also saw one of the most important movements in African American history: The Harlem Renaissance. This was the…

Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song (1971; Sweetback hereinafter) is a low-budget, 97-minute-long independent film written, directed, produced and scored by Melvin Van Peebles (b. 1932). Its production is considered a watershed in the history of US filmmaking. Sweetback’s firm stand on racism in the movie industry and the wider US socio-political context is still pertinent today as the racist ideology is disturbingly still with us today. Hence, the importance of revisiting Sweetback to unpack its…

Most people recognize cannabis as a recreational drug. However, this diverse genus of flowering plants has unique properties that make it an extremely versatile plant for humankind. The flowers of the cannabis sativa and cannabis indica species have medicinal applications and are used in religious and cultural settings. The stalk of the cannabis ruderalis species is used to manufacture hemp fiber. Cannabinoids, a diverse group of compounds, are synthesized by all three species of cannabis.…

In 1986, The Smiths released their third studio album which featured the song “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”. The song was written by The Smiths’ lead singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, featuring a variety of instruments, studio effects, and exemplifying an intimate tone. Since its release, the song has been covered by numerous artist as a symbol of their appreciation and influence from it. One artist in particular, Citizen, covered the song in 2012 and presented the same…

Introduction The popular entertainment of a given time period is a direct result of the political, social, and cultural climates. In particular, investigating popular culture provides historians with a window into the values and ideologies of those without a voice. Popular culture, such as music, proves to be a major influence and outlet amongst disenfranchised and minority groups, who are able to find solidarity with one another through a mutually understood message in musical expression.…