re: Explosion Of Creativity In the Sixties And Seventies

Sounds like a question that the book 'Outliers' would have addressed.

Technology was available for the first time that allowed mass distribution, which leads to more inspiration.

The economy had taken off to an extent that allowed A) people the leisure time to enjoy art, B) have the money to spend on art C) make a good living off of selling art.

TV opened communication and added a median to share and bring ideas in light.

There were a lot of baby boomers.

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Why did this not help Rodney King in the same way?

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It's racist along with everything else

Humans have been creative and artistic from the dawn of time. The only "explosion" is due to the changing nature of "mass communication" and getting what has always been out to much larger audiences in a much quicker manner.

That and the inherent narcissism of the generations that came of age in the United States of the 1960s and 1970s. Their parents were prosperous...yes, I'm generalizing...and they had their fair share of whatever they wanted, and yet "rebelled" anyway.

Recorded music, I.M.O. has killed some creativity, as before recorded music came along, people and families all had someone to play or sing as a means of family entertainment, now, our society is much more of an "entertain me, I'll listen" society. If you don't sing good enough, you shouldn't sing at all is a very strong dynamic, emotion in our time. It was not always a dominant thing.

Here's how.

Creativity is a nicer way of saying against the grain, anti-establishment, system bucking, non-conforming - pretty much every sign of the time by which most would attribute to the 1960's. The question in your OP was why. Why so much of it in the 1960's.

To answer that question, look first at those through which all of that creativity manifested. By and large, young folks. Then, look at who raised, molded, and shaped those young folks - a generation born during an economic depression, and maturing during World War II. They've come to be known as The Greatest Generation (I believe the moniker is deserved).

So, what was it about the "the Greatest Generation" that made them raise children that were ultra creative, expressive, and non-confirming? By and large, the fact the many of the GG spent the first 25 years of their collective lives seeing nothing but pain, suffering, death, and hardship made them, in many people's opinions, raise children with no discipline, limits, or hardships to face. The GG was determined to never let their children experience the hardships they suffered in the past. In giving them everything, making them want for nothing, and insulating them from every worldly pain, they (understandably) removed the very catalyst that made them great.

The result? a generation of people that think they are owed everything, but short of thrash a guitar, dress goofy, have sit ins, be ins, and other mindless gatherings, really can't do much of anything.

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LSD had more to do with it than a lot of people might imagine. For one thing, the acid available back then was extremely potent, made mostly by underground chemists who were more interested in establishing themselves as kings of psychadelia than making money. Owsley, the Eternal Brotherhood of Love--these guys simply relished the fact that they were psychadelicizing substantial numbers of under-30 Americans. And we acid heads were the beneficiaries. Even today, at age 62, I'd risk a coronary for a tab of honest-to-God Orange Sunshine. I'd sure go out in a blaze of glory.

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interesting history lesson right here

Owsley and Tim Scully's product was 99.9% pure. That's a fact. Kids these days are taking stuff that isn't even the chemical it purports to be at all, much less 99.9% pure.

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Kids these days are taking stuff that isn't even the chemical it purports to be at all, much less 99.9% pure.

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Not surprised. That also could be said for all drugs brought in the country these days.