When I was a little girl, I would think about the year 2000. I would scrunch up my brain, do the math, and think, "In the year 2000.....I'll be.....46!!!!!!!!!!" It seemed impossibly far away, and 46 seemed impossibly old. An 8 year old has a hard time believing she will ever, really, be that old. Here it is, New Year's Day, 2012. And 46 doesn't seem that old at all.
I was born in 1954. Walt Disney opened Tomorrowland, part of Disneyland, on July 18th, 1955. I wasn't aware of it at the time, of course. But, by the age of 8, I would have totally believed we would have the world it showed. Alas, I never got to visit the original Tomorrowland. I was in my 30's when I first visited Disneyland. Once was enough, actually.
I was born in 1954. Walt Disney opened Tomorrowland, part of Disneyland, on July 18th, 1955. I wasn't aware of it at the time, of course. But, by the age of 8, I would have totally believed we would have the world it showed. Alas, I never got to visit the original Tomorrowland. I was in my 30's when I first visited Disneyland. Once was enough, actually.
But, take a look: the TWA Moonliner was taller than Sleeping Beauty's Castle!
Of course we would have vacations on the Moon!
Below, see the House of the Future.
Of course we would have vacations on the Moon!
Below, see the House of the Future.
The Monsanto House of the Future. Everything pretty much made of plastic. Of course it was! Monsanto sponsored it! Today, we see that the design is mid-Century modern. They thought it was futuristic. President Kennedy declared in 1961 that we would land on the Moon! I figured that would be pretty soon. And, in 1962, we met George Jetson.
Of course, the Jetson's was the futuristic version of the Flintstone's. The Hanna-Barbera animation quality didn't come close to Disney's. They didn't even try. This was animation on the cheap, for TV. Crappy, compared to Disney, but it was revolutionary for its time. Both Flintstone's and Jetson's began their first run on Prime Time TV. Today's TV animation is leaps and bounds better. But, hey. It's 2012, not 1962.
What "housewife," as they were called then, wouldn't have wanted Rosie the Robot Maid?
What "housewife," as they were called then, wouldn't have wanted Rosie the Robot Maid?
 I figured we would surely have her by now! And she wouldn't have looked like the image on the right: |  The LG robot vacuum cleaner is on the market. But, it doesn't have nearly the functionality! It can't cook! It can't do laundry or wash the dishes! Dang! Its artificial intelligence can't match Rosie's. |
In 1965, another robot came to television, in the series "Lost in Space." And the alarm, "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!" with wildly waving arms entered our culture, becoming a meme, altho we didn't use the word, then.  |  Compare and contrast Judy Robinson's "Lost in Space" costume with the original costume of "Seven of Nine," introduced in 1997 on "Star Trek: Voyager." |
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Speaking of "Star Trek".... The original series debuted in 1966. It lasted a short 3 years, with so-so ratings, developed a cult following, and ended up spawning 5 more television series over the years and 11 movies. I adored the show. Mankind has learned to live in peace on a united Earth. The show never explains how this happens, since, really, given the history of humanity, the prospect seems dubious. Best leave it as a fait accompli, a done deal. Leave it to the imagination. |  |
In 1965, the Byrds covered Pete Seeger's song "Turn! Turn! Turn! To Everything There is a Season." It became a huge hit record. The lyrics are taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes, in what Christians call The Old Testament. As Wikipedia helpfully points out, "The Byrds' rendition of the song easily holds the record for the number 1 hit with the oldest lyrics."
So, a time for everything. Time to bring this back to art, somehow. To the left, see Salvador Dali's famous work "The Persistence of Memory," painted in 1931. I always assumed it was a monumental painting. When I saw it in person, I discovered it is actually only 9.5 x 13 inches. What does it mean? Beats me. And never trust a Surrealist to give you the right answer.
So, a time for everything. Time to bring this back to art, somehow. To the left, see Salvador Dali's famous work "The Persistence of Memory," painted in 1931. I always assumed it was a monumental painting. When I saw it in person, I discovered it is actually only 9.5 x 13 inches. What does it mean? Beats me. And never trust a Surrealist to give you the right answer.
So, here we are. New Year's Day, 2012. Traveling through time, from birth to death. Never stepping into the same river twice. "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."
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