Disneyland's Magic Kingdom: A Symbol of 1950s America

          Last post, we investigated the history of Walt Disney World, partly because of its status as an American iconic symbol and partly because WDW is a personal favorite vacation spot.  However, this is a blog about pop culture and its importance as a part of American history.  While WDW is a part of Americana, its relationship to the time period of its initial construction is important in understanding that era in history.  Magic Kingdom in Florida's Walt Disney World  opened in 1971, as the Vietnam War was winding down and the decade of the Counterculture was coming to an end.  Family values were once again coming to the forefront after the generational conflicts that accompanied the unstable 1960s.  The Counterculture and the Vietnam War protests had torn the generations apart throughout the previous decade.  The new decade brought with it new hope - Woodstock and Altamont, Kent State, and the violence of the Civil Rights protests had ushered out an impassioned end to the 1960s, but also marked a time for hope for a passive and restrained 1970s with the promise of the restoration of "law and order" with the Nixon administration. (More on the failures of the Nixon administration in that department in a later discussion.) The opening of Magic Kingdom, a family oriented amusement park, provided an escape from reality and offered a place where families could have fun together - a much needed place in the early 1970s.  But, WDW was really an extension of the original Magic Kingdom, that of Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  Since Disneyland came first, we should look at the importance of that Magic Kingdom in its socio-political atmosphere.  Construction began in the former Orange Grove in Anaheim in July 1954, right in the middle of the post World War II era of consumerism, suburbia, and the image of the perfect family life of 1950s America.  The idea of a family amusement park fitted this era perfectly.  Post World War II also brought an air of nostalgia for happier pre-war times.  Walt used this idea for the entrance to his amusement park - Main Street USA where visitors would be brought into a turn of the century American city.  In his own words, Walt's connections to the past were important to the success of Disneyland:

"For those of us who remember the carefree time it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. For younger visitors, it is an adventure in turning back the calendar to the days of grandfather's youth."

 Disneyland was successful largely due to the time period in which it was constructed.  The 1950s were not only conducive to the idea of family and consumerism, but the decade was a perfect fit.  Disneyland easily became a part of Americana and it spread to Florida and eventually overseas including EuroDisney and Tokyo as well as the various Disney Destinations vacation packages around the world.  But Walt Disney began at the right time and promoted his dreams in the right way to not only succeed, but to become a part of both American history and America itself.

Walt Disney World - The Happiest Place on Earth

“WALT DISNEY WORLD is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney and to the talents, the dedication and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place...a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn -- together."

Plaque dedicated October 25, 1971, by Roy O. Disney, rededicated Oct. 1, 1996, by Roy E. Disney

Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 with a single amusement park and two resort hotels.  Who knew how big Disney would become?  Today, Disney World sports four amusement parks, two water parks, and twenty one resort hotels.   That doesn’t even include the six golf courses and the Downtown Disney shopping area as well as the town of Celebration which was constructed next to the Disney World property.  In fact, Magic Kingdom is currently under expansion with a “New Fantasyland” opening new portions of this area including new restaurants and rides in 2013.  Disney has become such an iconic symbol of Americanism as Walt Disney realized his dreams of creating the ideal family amusement park that he could enjoy with his children.  Walt did not want to sit by and watch his children enjoy the ride experience, but he wanted to embrace the experience with them.  With this in mind, Walt first created Disneyland – the original Magic Kingdom – in California.  Then he envisioned a larger, vast park and resort area which he planned to build in central Florida. Unfortunately, Walt died before Disney World opened in 1971, but his spirit and his dream not only came to fruition, but exploded on the scene encapsulating the American experience of family fun.  Through Walt and his vision of a family oriented amusement park experience, people come from near and far to forget about the stresses of everyday life and enjoy “the happiest place on Earth,” if only for a few days. 

The 27 Club

          The 27 Club, as it has been dubbed, included many "genius" but troubled rock n rollers who all died at the age of 27. Coincidentally, or not, a majority of these members were from the 1960's Counter Culture era where drugs and rock n roll were originally linked.

         Included in this infamous club is Brian Jones, the original founding member of the Rolling Stones, who was increasingly alienated from the band as the band's fame grew. As he was shunned from the Stones, he became more and more dependent on drugs and alcohol. His first arrested for drug use was in May 1967 according to Biography.com, but this was merely a drop in the bucket compared to his troubled young life.  Only a few months after he was officially asked to depart the Stones, Jones was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool and his death was ruled accidental, though suspicions still surround his death even today. A movie was made, ironically named "Stoned," which portrays the life of Jones, including the sex and drugs which surrounded the rock scene, as well as speculation regarding the circumstances of Brian's "accidental" drowning. The trailer can be seen here: http://youtu.be/TzYTheLQjVA

        Jimi Hendrix, famous for his unique guitar style including his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1969, is also an unfortunate member of The 27 Club. Hendrix died on September 8, 1970 from "drug related complications" according to Biography.com. The video for his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner is linked here. This really highlights his unique style which eminated from the psychadelic era.  As a matter of fact, Hendrix is symbolic of Woodstock which, again, was symbolic of the 1960s Counterculture.  Watch Hendrix's famous guitar rendition here.   http://youtu.be/XnMLHTKcH50

Janis Joplin, who was remembered as the "lady who sings the blues" in Don McLean's "American Pie," also found her tragic end at age 27 due to a drug overdose. Her drug use, including a "speed habit," kept her from a successful music career in the early part of the 1960's.  Her fame in the early part of the decade was relinquished to a small part in the Monterey Folk Festival in 1963. She was so impressive at the Monterey Pop in 1967 that she caught the audience's attention with her incredible vocals and also offered a record deal which led to successful album sales. Unfortunately, with success, Joplin fell harder into the drug scene could not overcome her addiction.  She died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970 at the age of 27. Her full biography is posted on Biography.com and her famous "Piece of My Heart" is on Youtube here. http://youtu.be/-7JVxE2SYxo

Last, but not least, of the 4 members of this infamous club who came out of the Counter Culture Rock era of the 1960s was Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors. Morrison performed on stage obviously intoxicated more than once. His most famous, or infamous, performances included one in Miami in 1969 which actually led to warrants issued for his arrest for attempting to incite a riot. An earlier incident which led to his arrest happened in New Haven, Connecticut on December 9, 1967, when Morrison was confronted backstage by police for his intoxication and indecency, which in turn, caused him to incite a riot on stage, which seemed to become a habit with him. Morrison was a genius with his poetic lyrics,but, like Joplin, he struggled with acceptance which led him to addiction. On July 3, 1971, at the age of 27, Morrison was found dead in his bathtub. An autopsy was never performed confirming the cause of death, but speculation persists that Morrison's death was drug-related. The following link is Val Kilmer's performance as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's movie "The Doors."  Although this is not Morrison himself, Kilmer's performance has been critically acclaimed as a true reflection of Morrison's behavior on stage. http://youtu.be/LfmcX9-KdQs

With The Doors, it wasn't only Morrison himself heavily involved in drugs.  Interestingly, there is a drug connection to the band's name. Aldous Huxley is most famous for his distopian novel Brave New World which sports a society predestined and controlled by a totalitarian government which uses controlled substances to bring a facade of happiness to the people.  Huxley also experimented with mescaline in its early pre-LSD days and wrote his famous essay "The Doors of Perception" based on his experiences under the hallucinogen. Jim Morrison borrowed from the title of this essay for his rock band, The Doors.  Naturally, Morrison admired Huxley, especially since they both perceived a better life under the influence of hallucinogens.

The 27 Club, unfortunately, is not unique to the 1960s Counterculture.  The most recent victim of to enter the infamous 27 Club is Amy Winehouse, whose soulful musical style combining jazz, r&b, and soul, and her unique vocal sound propelled her to fame with a song entitle, ironically, "Rehab."  Winehouse lived a troubled
life, also struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, and succumbed to her addiction almost two years ago to the date, on July 23, 2011.  She was 27.  Amy's legacy lives on, however, through the Amy Winehouse Foundation which was created to help others struggling with addiction, for at least her death may be able to help others.

It is sad to see such talented musical artists lost so young, but it seems a bit paranormal that they all struggled with addiction and all were lost at the age of 27.  We may even be able to say that 27th year is cursed, taking such talent from the throes of musical world, denying us, the listeners, the fans, the public, the future of these musical geniuses.  But it is also merely a part of the relationship between music and addiction and coincidentally, the music succumbed to the addiction in the 27th year.  Either way, these talents are gone, but they will live forever through their music.

Independence Day

I cannot let the day pass without acknowledging the importance of July 4th. Of course, Americans know that today is Independence Day, the day set aside to honor our freedoms gained when our forefathers rose up against what they deemed to be infringements upon their personal liberties by the royal governance an ocean away. The colonies thus gained their independence from Mother England after a fiercely fought revolution, creating the United States of America. Today is set aside to thank those brave men and women who stood up against tyranny, but we should also take the time to reflect on those freedoms and how we came to enjoy them. Granted, America is not perfect, but, then who really is?  The freedoms we enjoy should not be taken for granted.  We enjoy our freedom because of the countless number of brave men and women who fought to secure them. Today, as we celebrate with fireworks and barbecues, we should also take a moment and realize how wonderful it is to live in America as well as thank those who made American freedoms possible. Freedom is never free and should not be taken for granted.  Happy Birthday America and thank you to all those who made this birthday celebration possible. 

1950s: A Decade of Conformity - The Heroes Who Brought About Change

     The 1950’s was a decade of conventional attitudes regarding expectations of society’s roles regarding race, gender, and age.  Those who portrayed individualism were condemned for their non-conformist stance.  Rabbit from Updike's Rabbit, Run is seen as a selfish, immature person for leaving his family and job in search of his own happiness and self-fulfillment.  Society expects him to sell the MagiPeel Peeler and support his wife and child regardless of how this makes him feel.  The fictional Younger family of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun was chastised for purchasing a home outside of their racial position.  Television star Ricky Nelson was expected to be the perfect son he portrayed on his family’s hit television show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.  This pressure caused Ricky to rebel and become the opposite of his television persona, eventually triggering his criminal behavior.  Disc jockey Alan Freed refused to yield to racial expectations and lost his job even though he was a highly popular radio personality.  Emmett Till paid the ultimate sacrifice for defying the insubordinate racial class defined by the unwritten Jim Crow laws inflicted upon African Americans in the Deep South.  Fahrenheit 451’s futuristic society went as far as eliminating any means to provide for individual thought thereby making everyone “equal” in their “perfect” society.  

     Some of these examples are people who lived the conformist decade of the 1950’s and suffered real consequences for their actions.  Others are fictional characters portrayed in stories written during the 1950’s, however, the consequences they faced for their individuality within their story is a true reflection of the time in which these pieces were created.  Individuality was mistrusted and discouraged.  This was a result of Cold war paranoia including McCarthyism, ultimately causing people to fear any thought or action that defied the norm.  This fear and paranoia caused undue harm to each of those who chose to express their individuality and defy expectations.  Although each of these individuals suffered due to their non-conformist ways, they each were successful in opening the eyes of society as to the dangers of forcing conformity.  They laid the groundwork for the following decade which brought about changes for both women and minorities in seeking equal rights.  These novel ideals by our heroic individuals were able to ultimately allow a shift in views away from forcing expected roles at the expense of individual happiness and fulfillment.