The late 1970s were a time of tough choices, with a host of opposing forces contending for the social, cultural, and political soul of the nation.
Punk versus disco. Polyester versus denim. Resurgent conservatism versus battered liberalism. Sunbelt versus Rustbelt. Cheryl versus Farrah. Certainly, these were all influential conflicts of the era, but the question that really cuts to throbbing heart of the late 1970s zeitgeist could be found in the pages of the October 1978 issue of Pizzazz Magazine:
Sanitized pre-fab pretty boy pop versus mediocre hard rock calculatedly dressed to transgress? That’s a tough call. I’m guessing the breakdown of the votes closely mirrored the male-to-female ratio of Pizzazz‘s readership. (The real winners were, of course, the merchandising people.)
The polling stations remain open. Feel free to cast your ballots in the comments. The whole world is watching.
Recommended Reading: Retro Hell: Life in the `70s and `80s, from Afros to Zotz
Recommended Listening: Have A Nice Decade: The ’70s Pop Culture Box Set
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November 18th, 2008 - 2:18 pm
KISS? “Cute”?
November 18th, 2008 - 3:03 pm
“Cute” in the knowing, patronizing way an adult speaks to a kid.
“Oh, he’s trying on his daddy’s loafers! How cute!”
November 18th, 2008 - 4:57 pm
Yeah, I’d be a little alarmed if anybody really thought Kiss was cute in a fluffy-bunny kind of way.
November 18th, 2008 - 5:48 pm
oh comeon! Paul Stanely is absolutely adorable! I definitely vote for KISS.
November 18th, 2008 - 6:33 pm
I’d go for Parker Stevenson.
He always rocked the Hardy Boys more than Shaun.
As a straight sub-teen i had the biggest man-crush on him.
November 18th, 2008 - 6:54 pm
I had a crush on Shaun Cassidy as a child — my babysitter wore a shirt with him on it, and I liked what I saw — and Kiss always scared the crap out of me. (They still do, but for entirely different reasons.) Some things just don’t change.