Media about 80s OR 50s-era United States

The_Ink_Goddess said:

Hey! I was thinking about writing a story about the daughter of a pair of deep-cover Soviet agents in America, as she finds out what her parents are doing. I was thinking about Reagan-era or the mid-1950s - around the time of the Rosenbergs and the Red Scare. I've studied this era in history but actually don't know much about people's day-to-day lives, the most I've ever seen is Mad Men :. Any recommendations for books or media about USSR spies in the US, the 1950s or the 1980s? And any personal opinions on which era would work best?

Thanks!

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Mad Men is set in the '60s.

There's tons of media showing daily living in the U.S. in the '50s and 80s. We call it 'television.'

As to Russian spy media, the fab Nelson Demille book, Charm School, which is set in the '80s, iirc.

See if you can find TV shows from the '50's online: "Leave It to Beaver", "The Andy Griffith Show" (AKA "Andy of Mayberry", and others.

'The Donna Reed Show' and 'Father Knows Best' from the 1950's would also be good to watch. They will show you what the 'typical' middle class mom wore, and the Dad, the kids, etc. My own mother used to make fun of these women, wearing pearls while they vacuumed, but my mother did dress the way those women did. She never wore 'slacks' unless she was outside planting tulip bulbs or something, and her hair was always perfect, from the moment she got up in the morning until she went to bed. She would never think to go out anywhere, even to the mailbox, without being properly dressed. She called her routine of getting up, fixing her hair, face, etc., 'getting ready' and she still uses this phrase today. (She is 90 and in a nursing home.) I once said, what do you mean, 'getting ready?' Getting ready for what? Her reply, 'for the day.'

One car for most middle-class families. Lots of deliveries to the house: we had a milkman, bakery man, vegetable and fruit man, and even a cookie man. There were lots of door-to-door salesman. Moms stayed home; dads worked. (But if one of the moms 'had to work,' we felt sorry for her. If she was divorced, wow, look out. If she was a widow, we'd give her cookies at Xmas. If she was just single with kids, we weren't allowed into her house.)

I could go on forever. I was a child of the 50's and early-to-mid 60's, becoming a teenager in 1966.

Why not just ask your grandparents? Or anyone over 70?

Jeff

The Goldbergs is a sitcom about a family in the 80s, which might help with your "day to day" info.

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-goldbergs

I've only watched one episode, but it did a decent job of contrasting life in 2013 with life during the show.

The Cosby Show is another good 80s show for 'typical' daily life. Yes, the clothes and hair were that horrible (worse, usually).

I do remember a lot of worry over the US and Russia and all those nukes in the mid-80s, and I was a definitely child of the 80s (I was in 6th grade in 1980, college in 1989). There's a Sting song called "Russians" that was really popular about nuclear war, and I remember learning about MX missiles in 10th grade government current events (and being fascinated and horrified). There was also a TV drama called "The Day After Tomorrow" or something like that (can't remember its exact title) that was SUPER POPULAR about the aftermath of nuclear war. Mom insisted that my brother and I watch it and I do kind of remember it. (I also have since learned that while it was pretty accurate, it was really mild to what a real nuclear war aftermath would be like. But they probably couldn't show really icky stuff on TV back then.) I don't know if that helps you at all, though, just that even a fairly clueless middle/high schooler in the mid/late 80s was aware of a lot of international tension that really did feel like we were all going to die horribly at any moment. Then we got a little older and became gen-X slackers for some reason.

Try US newspapers eighties archives. Watch a bunch of Spielberg family set 80s movies (or similar).

My advice: Do the Reagan era as there will be more reader interest in something set in the 80's than something set in the 50's. 80's nostalgia is a "thing" now, 50's nostaglia, not so much.

I agree that Nelson Demille's "Charm School" is a must read. It may be out of print, but you should find a used copy on Amazon.

There's also a current TV show about Russian spies living in the U.S. in the 80's called "The Americans"

http://www.fxnetworks.com/theamericans

I haven't seen it, but you should try.

As to watching movies and TV shows set in the 80's as a guide, be careful, as many of the clothes and styles are exagerated for TV/Movies. Yes, there were some pretty out there outfits, but not everyone dressed like Madonna all the time, or Don Johnson from Miami Vice, etc. Don't overdo it.

I think all Demille is in pretty constant reprints. I know Charm School is, as I replaced my old copy not long ago, all 'oooh, I remember Charm School, that was awesome!'

TV shows aren't necessarily going to portray the way most people really lived back in the 80s (or 50s) any more than they do now. What they do show is what was idealized or satirized.

Some popular contemporary sit coms from the 1980s era include Family Ties, the Cosbies, Roseanne etc. Some popular drama shows include LA Law, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere.

With reference to the 1980s, if you're interested in learning what sorts of things people worried about socially and politically, hunting down archived Newsweek and Time magazines from the era might help. I'd guess your local library might be able to help you there. If you're interested in which celebrities (and celebrity gossip) was hot, old People Magazines would be of interest.

What is now called the culture wars, as well as the roots of the current Republican/Democrat divide re economics, had its roots in the 1980s, with the election of Reagan. He campaigned on an anti choice, anti environment, anti tax, anti feminism, anti affirmative action, pro prayer in schools etc. platform, and he was amazingly (and to me, distressingly) popular. The Moral Majority was a thing back then, as were Jim and Tammi Bakker, Oral Roberts, Pat Buchanan, Pat Robertson etc.

Sony Walkmans and portable stereos (boom boxes) were popular for a while. I was in college in the 80s, and it was still normal, though, to get together with friends and listen to music and watch videos together. Almost no one had personal computers in the beginning of the decade (still typed my college papers on a typewriter--ew), but macs became popular, and gradually more affordable, later in the decade.

For spy related stuff, Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum's books were popular in the 1980s, but of course, those were fictitious books about cold war era intrigue and spying.

Two (non fiction) books popular in the 1980s were A Day in the Life of America, and A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union.

There was a lot of popular fear about nuclear war, and there were several TV shows and movies that explored the theme of what might happen after a nuclear war or bomb attack. The Day After, Threads (a British series), Testament, When the Wind Blows, Special Bulletin etc.

I was born in 1978. While I don't remember much of the early 1980s, I did eventually start watching "World News Tonight" with my dad. ABC came in the clearest in our house, so Peter Jennings was "my" news anchor. I also loved that theme music!


Anyway, it might be helpful to watch some old news broadcasts from the 1980s to get a sense of the political climate. Here are a few to get you started:


the election of Pope John Paul II - October 16, 1978 - This was two days before I was born. John Paul II probably deserves half of the credit for ending the Cold War, but, at the time, he was a surprise choice, and there was speculating as to what sort of political message that the Church was sending.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSmOp-ns6Yw


the fall of the Berlin Wall - November 9, 1989 - This is the special report. The regular newscast from later that evening doesn't seem to be available.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnCPdLlUgvo


Primetime Live - November 9, 1989 (November 10 in Berlin) - live celebration at the Berlin Wall


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjZ2z0mNGvI


more of the same broadcast, featuring former President Reagan's remarks


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyfqx24O3k4


World News Tonight - November 10, 1989 - This is the first few minutes of the newscast from that night.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snsdDb7KDkg


Nightline - November 10, 1989 - a summary of the day's events, focusing on East Berliners visiting the West...and then returning home


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oanmD3HHv4M


Berlin Freedom Concert - December 25, 1989 - Leonard Bernstein conducts a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. At each mention of the word "joy", "freedom" is substituted.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xPuSzvCSQA

The_Ink_Goddess said:

Hey! I was thinking about writing a story about the daughter of a pair of deep-cover Soviet agents in America, as she finds out what her parents are doing. I was thinking about Reagan-era or the mid-1950s - around the time of the Rosenbergs and the Red Scare. I've studied this era in history but actually don't know much about people's day-to-day lives, the most I've ever seen is Mad Men :. Any recommendations for books or media about USSR spies in the US, the 1950s or the 1980s? And any personal opinions on which era would work best?

Thanks!

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Go to your public library, and look at Time, Newsweek, Life magazine and newspapers for the era. Ask the Reference librarian to help you.

The_Ink_Goddess said:

Hey! I was thinking about writing a story about the daughter of a pair of deep-cover Soviet agents in America, as she finds out what her parents are doing.

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On your specific subject matter, you might want to check out a film from 1983 called Daniel which I saw in the mid-80s and remember being pretty good. It's the fictionalised story of the Rosenbergs' son.

It's not on DVD in the UK but is in the USA. It's based on a novel by E.L. Doctorow called The Book of Daniel (which I haven't read) and Doctorow wrote the screenplay.

If you set your story in the 80's it had better be pretty accurate in portraying both the facts and "feeling" of the era. if you set it in the 50's you'll have a little more latitude since a smaller segment of the audience will have strong memories of the era.

I graduated from college in 1986. If you wanted to know something you had to ask somebody or look it up in a book or go to the library.

Random facts:

1) Lots of people had answering services where live people took messages. You would call in several times a day to see if you had messages. Of course you had to call from a pay phone. This was especially true for actors, journalists, musicians or anyone who might have an assignment or audition crop up at any time.

2) You could lie more. My friend went to her 10th high school reunion and told everyone she lived in Paris where she was a poet. She said she was married to a French diplomat and had twins. Everyone believed her because there was no option to google or facebook her to check up on the story.

3) People lost touch of one another. big time. You literally would have NO idea what happened to your friends from grade school who moved away or your former college roommate. There was simply no easy way to find someone if they didn't keep in touch.

4) People read more magazines and newspapers than they do now. They also actually read newsletters and alumni magazines cause it was the only way to find out what people were up to.

5) Before caller ID you could call your crush/exboyfriend/mortal enemy on the phone and wait to hear their voice and then hang up on them. That's how we knew if they were home. If you met a guy/girl you liked and you hoped they would call you--you actually had to wait until you got home to see if they left a message on your machine--or you could call your machine obsessively from work. OR--you would just try to put it out of your mind and show up at the bar they hung out in hoping to see them there.

6) People made plans. "Let's meet at the coffee shop at 4 pm next Saturday." Then you wrote it in your book and showed up next Saturday at 4. You did not check in 3 times during the week to make sure your plans were still on. You did not cancel at the last minute unless you were deathly ill. You did not fail to show up and leave them waiting for 2 hours until they knew for sure you weren't coming unless you had a VERY good reason or you were a jerk.

7) There were bike messengers everywhere because letters, memos, contracts, prescriptions, blueprint, photographs all had to be delivered in hard copy form since there was no working internet that was widely used.

8) I did not get to see a picture of my new niece until she was 6 weeks old because that's how long it took my brother to send me a picture through the mail. I was DYING to see what she looked like and when I got the package I cried I was so excited to finally see her.

9) I don't have very many pictures of my high school friends--and literally NOT ONE of my best friend and me from high school. You'd have to actually bring a camera, have film in it and then take it to get developed.

10) There were pay phones everywhere. And our home phones had cords--often long ones that got tangled because you'd drag the phone into the bathroom or closet or anywhere you could get some privacy to talk away from the prying ears of your family.

11) People smoked. Everywhere. Any they rarely asked permission to light up in a home or an office.

Wow. I got a little carried away there. That was fun. I could go on, but I'll spare you my memories!

You shouldn't worry too much about getting all of the details right. Most people have forgotten, if they ever knew some particular, and if the novel lasts a long time people will think that you were writing from contemporary knowledge, and in a few thousand years you might be regarded as one of the sources of information about the 1950's, and everyone, except for time travellers, will think that you are completely right. That's what happened with the ancient Greeks, Persians, Romans, etc.

King Neptune said:

You shouldn't worry too much about getting all of the details right. Most people have forgotten, if they ever knew some particular, and if the novel lasts a long time people will think that you were writing from contemporary knowledge, and in a few thousand years you might be regarded as one of the sources of information about the 1950's, and everyone, except for time travellers, will think that you are completely right. That's what happened with the ancient Greeks, Persians, Romans, etc.

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I sincerely hope this is sarcasm.

Cath said:

I sincerely hope this is sarcasm.

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It is in part, but that is what happened with many ancient writers. Then there were the times when what was taken as a fable turned out to be literally true, as with Sohrab and Rustum.

Considering this part of AW is dedicated to research to support getting the details right, I can't recommend repeating that too often. Some people do care about accuracy and detail.

King Neptune said:

You shouldn't worry too much about getting all of the details right. Most people have forgotten, if they ever knew some particular, and if the novel lasts a long time people will think that you were writing from contemporary knowledge, and in a few thousand years you might be regarded as one of the sources of information about the 1950's, and everyone, except for time travellers, will think that you are completely right. That's what happened with the ancient Greeks, Persians, Romans, etc.

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This fails as both witticism and sarcasm.

If publishers didn't care, if editors didn't care, and if readers didn't care, publishers wouldn't hire me to fact check fiction and non-fiction.

Cath said:

Considering this part of AW is dedicated to research to support getting the details right, I can't recommend repeating that too often. Some people do care about accuracy and detail.

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I just wrote a lengthy and worthwhile reply, but it disappeared.

About the 80s....

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280966

Movies:

The Falcon and the Snowman
Gorky Park
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

There's a show on F/X called "The Americans" about Soviet spies in the US that's pretty interesting. Season 1 might be on Netflix soon.

As for 80s culture, yeah, the Cosby show is good, or Family Ties. Or for dramas, Hill Street Blues.

For the 1950s, you might want to examine these two history books: Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era by Elaine Tyler May; and American High: The Years of Confidence, 1945-1960 by William L. O'Neill. Both of these works provide a lot of info about American society and culture during the early Cold War years.

I'm not aware of any outstanding studies of U.S. cultural history during the 1980s, but Covert Cadre by S. Steven Powell is an interesting examination of Soviet espionage operations in the U.S. near the tail end of the Cold War. I think it's a very poorly-written work -- it seems to be a selection of brief reports Powell wrote for various right-wing magazines and newsletters, randomly strung together in book form. But it provides some documentation on the connections between Soviet or Cuban intelligence agencies and their alleged (note: alleged) sympathizers in the American media, academia, and in Congress. It's also a fine example of the anti-communist "neo-McCarthyism" that gripped many Americans at that time.

And here's a movie that you just gotta see: "No Way Out", a 1987 political thriller starring Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. Without giving away any spoilers, I will tell you that it's about a highly-placed Soviet spy in the United States during the Reagan years. Check it out, if you haven't already done so!

No Way Out is a good one.