The paper intends to discuss the role of pop-art in the evolution of American culture after the Cold War, particularly. Music has played a significant role in accompanying the cultural evolution during the period of American wars. The Cold War has influenced the American Society dominantly because of the rising issues of antagonist values between the USA and the Soviet Union. The Cold War was particularly aimed at targeting the military engagement in the communist expansionism that was intervened in the form of Vietnam and Korean Wars by the Americans. More specifically, it was Cold War that has impacted the cultural and economic condition of the state. In this regard, the paper analyses the song “Pleasant Valley Sunday” by The Monkees in 1967, driving pop beats.
“Pleasant Valley Sunday” seems to reflect the idea of mass consumerism in the post-cold-war period in America. Its lyrics focus on the status symbol in the society that mainly reflects social commentary. The reason for targeting the mass consumerism in the society was the widespread abundance prevailing in the society. Artists of 1960s used to target a countercultural approach that is reflected in their artworks. The overall society had received terrible impacts of the wars that had affected their living standards to a great extent. Certain measures were required to be taken at the government level, but the society was increasingly facing the intercultural issues based on the economic decline. According to Chapman & Ciment (2015), the social disparities were not identically spread among the people, but people poverty was at its peak as the abundance was not universal. More specifically, the condition of intercultural communication was extremely terrible as merely 0.05 percent of the national income was earned by the 20 percent of the population, and particularly the people from racial and ethnic differences. On the other side, still people were enjoying extraordinary favors of the economic growth that yielded the development of ideological and economic climate resulting in progressive legislations and social reform campaigns. In this regard, among various efforts of artists to revive cultural awareness, like “Malvina Reynolds’s-Little Boxes” and “Simon &Garfunkel’s-The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine”, the Monkees’ “Pleasant Valley Sunday” has served as the successful tool for social reform.
Consequently, such efforts of the artists of the post-cold-war reflect their concern, anger, and empathy transformed into poetries and popular music that has made them unique antagonists due to the impacts of war. The unique historical conditions of the society include the involvement of America in Vietnam. It resulted in the demonstration of disrespectful attitudes of the American representatives towards human life and accomplishment. Therefore, the reaction of youth to those anti-human acts in the America was demonstrated in their experimentations of music and songs. It was intended to promote the elements of making a good society rather than appreciating the social norms of discrimination among different cultures.
Conclusively, pop music has served as the successful element in dealing with the post-war conflicts in the society. It reflects the anti-war campaign entailing the political and cultural aspects in a way that the soundtrack and the lyrics expressed all the emotions of melancholy on the worsening conditions of the society along with sarcastic and enraged emotions for presenting the demoralizing effects of war. It’s intended agenda has made it successful in affecting the audience with respect to the entitled themes of social reforms.
References
Chapman, R., & Ciment, J. (2015). Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints and Voices. New York: Routledge.
Donnelly, M. (2014). Sixties Britain: Culture, Society and Politics. New York: Routledge.
