Fact vs. Fiction: Misunderstandings of the 1970s

Every decade has defining moments and the 1970s was no different. It was a time of turmoil, a decade that saw numerous social movements, marked by political and social upheaval. In a time of rapid change, there were significant social movements, from civil rights and women's rights to activists protesting the Vietnam War and the political turmoil marked by the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Inflation was high, which led to severe economic challenges, and the decade is often described as a time of disillusionment. Yet, many today see the 70s as an upbeat, light-hearted time where everyone was a hippie, dressing in bright colors and patterns were the norm, and people were all about peace and love. This was not the reality; fact vs. fiction is often hard to separate as we romanticize different eras. These are some of the misunderstandings of the 1970s.

To create a list of common misunderstandings of the 1970s, 24/7 Tempo consulted various entertainment, fashion, and history sources. We used sources like the History Channel, Vogue, Elle, the Central District of California, and PBS. (Click here to read how the 1950s was a far different world than today.)

Here are common misunderstandings of the 1970s:

Many people assume the 1970s was a time just for hippies. But that can't be further from the truth. While anti-war and peace-filled hippies were common during the 70s, there was also a rise in young adults entering the punk subculture.

In the U.S. and U.K., the punk subculture bloomed in the mid-70s. It was a time for experimental fashion, spiky colored hair, dark and bold makeup, and body modifications.

People love to say that the best movies come from the 21st century, but this isn't entirely true. The 1970s produced some of the best movies and TV shows ever seen today, movie classics like "The Godfather." This dark and gritty movie is just one of many.

In this decade we were also given classics like "Halloween," "Rocky," "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." TV shows that came from this decade include "The Muppet Show," "Happy Days," "Wonder Woman," and "Charlie's Angels."

While disco music was popular during the 1960s and 1970s, it isn't the only genre of music. Instead, the 1970s also gave us incredible artists in genres like J-pop, punk rock, glam rock, roots and soul, and smooth jazz.

Artists that thrived in the 70s are Stevie Wonder, the Ohio Players, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Labelle, Van Halen, and Journey.

Although every household is different, we did start to see a more even distribution of housework during the 1970s. More men were helping their wives with housework as women entered the workforce in large numbers.

While movies and TV shows from the 70s make housework seem easy, this wasn't the case. There was also a lot more help. It was way more common for middle to low-income households to pay housekeepers and cleaners.

Technology has evolved a lot in the last few decades. Even in the 1970s, technology was quickly developing. Arcades were very popular in the 70s and 80s because of inventions like Pong. Email was also invented during this decade. There are a few theories as to who really invented emails, but typically, the credit is given to Ray Tomlinson.

Also invented in the 70s was the first cell phone, but it wasn't commercially sold until the '80s. Martin Cooper produced the first successful prototype and called on it in 1973.

It is a common belief that the 1970s was a safe decade. Although we hear all about how children during the '70s could safely play outside, there were still kidnappings. Crimes were a lot more common in larger cities in the 1970s as well. In Los Angeles, the homicide rate during the 1970s was 23 per 100,000 population. Between 1970 and 1979, Los Angeles saw an 84.0 increase in homicide.

Are you interested in learning about more misconceptions? Click here for the biggest misconceptions about the 1960s.