The "Me" Decade and the Third Great Awakening
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| - | {{Template}}Tom Wolfe is credited with introducing the terms "statusphere," "the right stuff," "radical chic," "the Me Decade," and "good ol' boy" into the English lexicon. He is sometimes credited with inventing the term "trophy wife" as well, but this is incorrect. | + | {{Template}} |
| + | "'''The 'Me' Decade and the Third Great Awakening'''" is an essay by American author [[Tom Wolfe]], in which Wolfe coined the phrase {{" '}}Me' Decade", a term that became common as a descriptor for the 1970s. The essay was first published as the [[wikt:cover story|cover story]] in the August 23, 1976 issue of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine<ref name="newyork"/> and later appeared in his collection ''[[Mauve Gloves & Madmen, Clutter & Vine]]''.<ref name="mauve"/> | ||
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| + | In one of the essay's most famous passages, exemplifying his style of description, Wolfe called [[Jimmy Carter]] a "[[Missionary Baptists|Missionary]] lectern-pounding Amen ten-finger C-major-chord Sister-Martha-at-the-[[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]]-keyboard loblolly [[wiktionary:backwoods#Adjective|piney-woods]] [[Southern Baptist Convention|Baptist]]."<ref name=mauve />{{rp|134}} | ||
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| + | ==Origin of the term {{" '}}Me' Decade"== | ||
| + | {{Quote box | ||
| + | |quote = ...The old [[Alchemy|alchemical]] dream was changing base metals into gold. The new alchemical dream is: changing one's personality – remaking, remodeling, elevating, and polishing one's very ''self''... and observing, studying, and doting on it. (Me!)... | ||
| + | |author = [[Tom Wolfe]] | ||
| + | |width = 25% | ||
| + | |source = The "Me" Decade | ||
| + | }} | ||
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| + | The term "'Me' Decade" describes a general new attitude of Americans in the 1970s, in the direction of [[atomism (social)|atomized]] [[individualism]] and away from [[communitarianism]], in clear contrast with social values prevalent in the United States during the 1960s.<ref name="perspectives" /> | ||
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| + | Wolfe asserts the disappearance of the socioeconomic class he calls the "[[proletariat]]", in parallel with the concurrent appearance of an American "[[American middle class#Lower middle class|lower middle class]]". He cites the [[Post–World War II economic expansion|economic boom of postwar America]] as affording the average American a new sense of [[self-determination]] and [[individuation]] associated with the widespread economic prosperity. Wolfe describes the resulting abandoning of [[Communitarianism|communal]], [[Progressive Era|progressive]], and [[Modern liberalism in the United States#New Deal|New Deal-style]] politics as "taking the money and running". He traces the preoccupation with [[self]] and [[self-development]] back to the [[aristocracy|aristocratic]] European [[gentry]]. Wolfe states that the "[[chivalry|chivalric]] tradition" and the philosophy behind "the [[finishing school]]" are inherently dedicated to the building and forming of [[personal development|personal character]] and conduct.<ref name="newyork" /> | ||
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| + | Wolfe believes that the [[counterculture of the 1960s]] and the [[New Left]] school of thought promoted a recovery of the self in a flawed and corrupt America, a philosophy extended in the 1970s with a spreading idea that use of the drug [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]], commonly known as "acid", would unveil a [[true self and false self|true and real self]]. He describes the revelatory experience of [[hallucinogen]]s as similar to, even competitive with, [[religious ecstasy]], transforming the religious climate in America. Wolfe chronicles the American periods of [[Christian revival]] known as the First and Second [[Great Awakening]]s, to which he analogizes the 1970s and their dominant social trends. He argues that the "Me" Decade of the 1970s is a "Third Great Awakening".<ref name="newyork" /> | ||
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| + | ==Criticism== | ||
| + | In his influential 1979 book ''[[The Culture of Narcissism]]'', cultural historian [[Christopher Lasch]] states that Wolfe "inadvertently provides evidence that undermines a religious interpretation of the "consciousness movement"" and quotes Wolfe as saying "most people, historically, have ''not'' lived their lives as if thinking "I have only one life to live". Instead they lived as if they were living their ancestors' and their offspring's lives".<ref name="Christopher Lasch 1979">{{cite book|first=Christopher|last=Lasch|title=The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7zhc7oT80SQC&pg=PA6|year=1979|publisher=W.W. Norton&Company, Inc|isbn=0393348350}}</ref> | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | * ''[[Mauve Gloves & Madmen, Clutter & Vine]]'' | ||
| + | * [[Counterculture of the 1960s]] | ||
| + | * [[Self-help]] | ||
| + | * [[Great Awakening]] | ||
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"The 'Me' Decade and the Third Great Awakening" is an essay by American author Tom Wolfe, in which Wolfe coined the phrase Template:" 'Me' Decade", a term that became common as a descriptor for the 1970s. The essay was first published as the cover story in the August 23, 1976 issue of New York magazine<ref name="newyork"/> and later appeared in his collection Mauve Gloves & Madmen, Clutter & Vine.<ref name="mauve"/>
In one of the essay's most famous passages, exemplifying his style of description, Wolfe called Jimmy Carter a "Missionary lectern-pounding Amen ten-finger C-major-chord Sister-Martha-at-the-Yamaha-keyboard loblolly piney-woods Baptist."<ref name=mauve />Template:Rp
Origin of the term Template:" 'Me' Decade"
The term "'Me' Decade" describes a general new attitude of Americans in the 1970s, in the direction of atomized individualism and away from communitarianism, in clear contrast with social values prevalent in the United States during the 1960s.<ref name="perspectives" />
Wolfe asserts the disappearance of the socioeconomic class he calls the "proletariat", in parallel with the concurrent appearance of an American "lower middle class". He cites the economic boom of postwar America as affording the average American a new sense of self-determination and individuation associated with the widespread economic prosperity. Wolfe describes the resulting abandoning of communal, progressive, and New Deal-style politics as "taking the money and running". He traces the preoccupation with self and self-development back to the aristocratic European gentry. Wolfe states that the "chivalric tradition" and the philosophy behind "the finishing school" are inherently dedicated to the building and forming of personal character and conduct.<ref name="newyork" />
Wolfe believes that the counterculture of the 1960s and the New Left school of thought promoted a recovery of the self in a flawed and corrupt America, a philosophy extended in the 1970s with a spreading idea that use of the drug LSD, commonly known as "acid", would unveil a true and real self. He describes the revelatory experience of hallucinogens as similar to, even competitive with, religious ecstasy, transforming the religious climate in America. Wolfe chronicles the American periods of Christian revival known as the First and Second Great Awakenings, to which he analogizes the 1970s and their dominant social trends. He argues that the "Me" Decade of the 1970s is a "Third Great Awakening".<ref name="newyork" />
Criticism
In his influential 1979 book The Culture of Narcissism, cultural historian Christopher Lasch states that Wolfe "inadvertently provides evidence that undermines a religious interpretation of the "consciousness movement"" and quotes Wolfe as saying "most people, historically, have not lived their lives as if thinking "I have only one life to live". Instead they lived as if they were living their ancestors' and their offspring's lives".<ref name="Christopher Lasch 1979">Template:Cite book</ref>
See also
