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Education

People in the 1900s made some wild predictions about the future—but they weren't all wrong

11 fantastical predictions too outlandish to be true. And 3 that totally came true.

upload.wikimedia.org

French drawing series on scientific progress about the year 2000

Do you ever wonder what the future used to look like?

I mean back in the day, before we all walked around with glass bricks in our pockets that contained every piece of information that's ever been available and allowed us to connect with anyone anywhere in the world in real time. What did people from more than 100 years ago think our future might look like?

That was the question posed to French commercial artist Jean-Marc Côté in 1899. Côté and his team were commissioned to create a series of cards to commemorate the 1900 world's fair, "Exposition Universelle," in Paris, featuring images of how the world might look in the then-distant future of the year 2000. Sadly, the company that commissioned the project (which was likely either a toy or cigarette manufacturer) went out of business before the cards could actually be distributed, and the images remained out of print until author Isaac Asimov rediscovered and published them with accompanying commentary in 1986.

But now that we've lived through that fantastical future, how did these predictions turn out? Let's just say there was, um, a lot of creativity on display. Which is enough to make even the most flawed of these forecasts — of which there are many — even more fascinating to think about today.

Here are 11 delightfully inaccurate visions of the year 2000, according to artists from the late-19th century:

1. Prediction: Firefighters will fly around with batwings on.

This one didn't pan out ... unless maybe Côté was just trying to predict the creation of Batman?

firefighters, future, artist, imagination

Flying firefighters in artist rendering from the 1900 world's fair.

All images by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

2. Prediction: We'll all travel across the Atlantic in these sweet-lookin' blimp-boats.

Again, not spot on ... although to be fair, I'd prefer this to ever flying standby again.

technology, predictions, artist, world's fair 1900

It's a flying blimp boat.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

3. Prediction: We will domesticate whales and use them as transportation.

Nope. If only we'd spent half of the 20th century training whales instead of killing them.(Although there is that dolphin chillin' there, and dolphin-assisted childbirth is a thing that exists in the 21st century, for better or for worse.)

whales, transportation, imagination, future predictions

A drawing of a dolphin looking at a whale bus.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

4. Prediction: We will also domesticate giant mutant seahorses.

There's a slight chance all this weird aquatic stuff was their way of warning us about the impending threat of sea-level rise from climate change. Either that or they were warning us about the general existence of Aquaman.

fanciful drawing, seahorse, mutation, future tripping

Drawing of scuba divers riding giant seahorses.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

5. Prediction: We'll be hunting seagulls ... from underwater?

Not so correct. But maybe I'm wrong, and we've been overlooking the nutritional value of seagulls for the last century. (Also, why is that woman swimming in a dress?)

Divers attract seagulls from underwater in future prediction drawing.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

6. Prediction: Flying cars will be a thing.

While this image does resemble the traffic outside the Paris Opera just before showtime, our automobiles are unfortunately still stuck on the ground. It does go to show, however, that humans have been obsessed with the idea of flying cars for a long time.

flying cars, predictions, painting, world's fair, 1900

A painting of flying cars.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

7. Prediction: Aerial wing-flapping hover cars will be our key mode of transportation.

Although perhaps it's only a matter of time until "Uber for aerial wing-flapping hover cars" becomes a thing.

Hopefully, by the time this happens, that orange aerial wing-flapping hover car on the right will learn how to fly without slicing her wings through the other aero-cabs on the stand.

cars of the future, artist predictions, 1900, 2000,

Wing-flapping cars cruise around the city.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

8. Prediction: Automated bathrooms will make our lives much easier.

As clever as today's smart homes are, we still haven't quite figured out how to create a fully-automated bathroom like this. The few failed attempts that have been made at creating robot lipstick applicators were all much less elegant, and much less steampunk.

Woman gets dressed in automated bathroom.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

9. Prediction: Our hardworking barbers and salon specialists will be replaced by robots.

I'm OK with this one not panning out because I'm just not ready to trust an automated tree of spider arms to use sharp objects near my head.

robots, barber, technology, advancement, society

Robots do the work of a barber.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

10. Prediction: Our education system will become way more high tech.

While this one is utterly incorrect on a literal level, the image itself works pretty well as a metaphor for our modern education system. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is entirely up to you. (Although we do have EEG technology today, which isn't so different from those helmets...)

school, education, technology, computers

Students learn with technology if futuristic rendering from the 1900 world's fair.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

11. Prediction: radium.

That's scary. It might help if you wanted to breed a race of ginormous seahorses ... but probably isn't safe to keep in the fireplace as your main source of heat.

radium, future fuels, family, convenience

People relax around a radium fueled fireplace.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

Not all of these future visions were as ridiculously off-the-mark as the ones above though.In fact, here are three more that were downright prescient.

1. Prediction: We'll communicate via video chatting.

They totally called the invention of FaceTime/Google Hangouts/every other video chatting service that I use on a daily basis.To be honest, I kinda wish I had a holographic phonograph setup like this. It's way cooler than just staring at my laptop screen all day. (Also I wish I had a sweet mustache like these dudes.)

video chat, computers, technology, drawings

People communicate through a predicted version of video chat.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

2. Prediction: We'll see the rise of a mobile society that's not locked into a single location.

Sure, on an overly-literal level, this is basically just a glorified mobile home — which is kind of ironic considering how mobile homes in America are more commonly associated with lower incomes than the wealth that this image depicts.

A drawing of a future prototype mobile home.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

But more importantly, images like this — and the one below, which accurately predicts the rise of electric trains that have helped to enable more public mass transportation — show that these French thinkers were looking forward to a more adaptable and international society. Telecommuting, remote offices, cross-continental teleconferencing, even the idea of transient living through AirBnB — that's where we are today, and it's exactly where we wanted to be at the turn of the 20th century. And that's pretty freaking cool!

(There's also probably an argument to be made that this electric train suggests a greener and less coal-dependent future, which is cool too.)

electric train, travel, technology, predictions

People board an artist drawing of a futuristic electric train.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

3. Prediction: The future will be full of automated industry.

Today, automation and industrialization can be touchy subjects. Are they responsible for job loss? Do they rely too much on questionable cost-cutting practices, such as artificial ingredients and other structural shortcuts?

Those are all important issues to address. But the future portrayed in these images reminds us of the inherent optimism of industry and progress — something that's all too easy for us to ignore today.

farming, industrial, prototypes, jobs, community

A picture of a possible future with industrialized farming.

Image by Jean-Marc Côté/Wikimedia Commons.

See how happy this guy is? He's not freaking out over (and alternately consuming) pesticides and chemicals for the sake of mass production. He's got a big ol' farm, and technology is helping him to make more stuff — and make it fast, so he can sell it and make money and support his family and all that good stuff we like to talk about when we talk about jobs.

Sure, maybe modern factory farming does deserve its less-than-stellar reputation. But at the same time, it's all too easy for us to forget the amazing headway in the creation of life. Now, we can even 3D print ovaries to induce fertility. Think about how amazing that would have seemed in 1899.

And on that note, maybe we should also celebrate the fact that we can 3D print a freaking house today. For all the very real problems that we face in the modern world, technology like that still makes a major difference in a lot of people's lives.

Also these brilliant French futurists clearly foretold of the rise of the almighty Roomba, which is just wonderful on so many levels.

As fun as it is to look and laugh at the imagined futures of the past, this is also a really cool way of evaluating where we are today — and where else we need to go.

It's kind of like writing out your own personal five-year plan ... envisioning the future still makes it easier for us to map out how to get there. Sure, it might not look exactly as you'd hoped — after all, you can't predict every random roadblock you might hit along the way. But it still helps to have some idea of where you're going.

The future is happening all around us, every single day — sometimes so much and so fast that we don't even notice.

Between improving factory farm conditions and domesticating those giant radioactive seahorses, there's obviously still a lot to be done.

Instead of letting ourselves become jaded with the growth we take for granted, maybe this is evidence that we should all try to look back at where we came from, evaluate and celebrate just how far we've come, and figure out a plan to keep moving forward.

This article originally appeared on 08.10.16

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Joy

People from around the globe share 15 signs that someone is obviously an American

"An Italian told me that Americans walk confidently in the wrong direction."

tourists, american tourists, us tourists, vacation, american style

via Tarnie/Flickr, Paul Duncan/Flickr, tAlex Bikes/Flickr

Americans on vacation.

One of the fun things about traveling to different countries is that you not only get to learn about other cultures, but you also learn some things about your own. Americans who travel abroad often learn that people around the world appreciate them for being open, friendly, and good at spreading hope and optimism.

On the other hand, people in other countries can often tell when an American is coming from a mile away because they speak loudly, whether indoors or outdoors. Americans also have a very peculiar body language and are known to lean on things when they have to stand for an extended period.

A Reddit user posed a question in the AskReddit subforum to learn more about how Americans stand out abroad: What's an "obvious" sign that someone is American? The post received more than 35,000 responses, with an overwhelming number of commenters noting that Americans are all smiles and love to make small talk, something most people appreciate.

According to Redditors, here are 15 "obvious" signs that someone is American:

1. They have a unique confidence

"An Italian told me that Americans walk confidently in the wrong direction."

"Been taught to walk fast, and look worried.. People think you know what you're doing."

2. They're friendly

"I worked as a cashier in a tourist place in Paris, I always recognised Americans because they were kinda friendly to me and they always left tips."

"I guess there are worse things than friendly and generous."

3. Time = distance

"If someone asks how far away something is, an American will tell how you long it takes to get there as opposed to a physical distance."

"It actually pisses off some Americans to give a distance in miles, unless they're calculating gas mileage. In some places, you have to give with and without traffic options. I think it's more valuable info in time than in distance."

4. Grinning at strangers

"The gentle grins you give to strangers if you make eye contact with them as you pass by, at least in the Midwest. was not well received in Germany."

"I dated a European man here in the US. When we walked together, every time I made eye contact with someone on our path I would smile at them, and they would always smile back. Boyfriend was so confused at all these strangers smiling at me. Kept asking if I knew all these people. It was hilarious."

5. They like personal space

"How much personal space they give themselves. Americans like at LEAST an arm's length."

"We're conditioned to fill spaces evenly. I noticed when i worked delivery, spending lots of quality time on elevators that for every new person that enters, everybody shuffles to even things out. Similar thing plays out in social gatherings and bars. Not sure if that's universal or not, but I find it interesting. I think the size of our personal bubbles is because our spaces are generally much larger because we've got the space (heh) to build bigger buildings, sidewalks, roads etc. Might also explain why we're louder. Used to filling larger spaces with volume."

Body language expert Joe Navarro says that among Americans, the social zone for acquaintances and casual interactions is four to 12 feet, while family and close friends stand 1.5 to four feet apart. The intimate zone, for those closest to us, ranges from the skin to about 18 inches.

6. They lean

"According to the CIA, when training to be a spy, you have to unlearn how to lean. Americans tend to lean on things when standing still."

All of this is true, according to Jonna Mendez, the former chief of disguise at the CIA, who has shared some of her tips and tricks for making Americans seem more European. "So we would de-Americanize you," Mendez told NPR. "They think that we are slouchy, a little sloppy. And they think that they can almost see that in our demeanor on the street because they stand up straight. They don't lean on things."

7. They don't have an indoor voice

"I've lived in America for 25 years, and it still irritates me that instead of lowering their voices in restaurants so everyone can hear, Americans just scream over each other and make their restaurants as loud as clubs."

"For some reason, my otherwise smart and wonderful American friends will speak in the same volume, diction, and speed regardless of any outside factor unless specifically asked."

8. Dessert for breakfast

"In my homestay in London, I was told that I was 'so American' for enjoying a piece of cake for breakfast (not frosted cake, but like a nuts and dried fruit spiced coffeecake kind of thing). Apparently, that's exclusively for like a 4 pm snack, and breakfast is more of a savory meal."

"A lot of American breakfast items in my mind are desserts (pancakes, muffins, waffles, etc.). It doesn't mean I won't eat them, but it's kinda weird to do so."

9. They wear their clothes differently

"A British man once told me he knew I was American because I was wearing a baseball cap backwards."

"An Italian told me they could tell I was American because I wore my sunglasses on the top of my head when I wasn't using them."

10. Exposed soles

"While visiting Turkey, I was told that I looked American because I was sitting with one leg across the other, and the bottom of my shoe was exposed. Apparently, it's rude idk."

"In a lot of places outside of the US, showing the bottom of your shoe is rude."

11. Tactical gear

"Tactical sunglasses."

"I'm in the US, and virtually anything marketed towards men has the word 'tactical' in front of it."

12. They love small talk

"I'm from California (though a smallish town), and we wave to neighbors on our road, even if we haven't met, and start conversations in the grocery line with people if the opportunity presents itself. Also, smiling and saying hello to someone you happen to walk by and make eye contact with is quite normal. We are a social species, it would be so weird not to be friendly, even to strangers, for me, and I'm not even that social of a person."

"What really gets me to it is not that Americans do small talk constantly, but the fact that they are so good and fast at it. I mean, I say 'yeah, it's hot,' and they reply with some interesting fact or make a connection to their hometown. I feel less of myself after this. They must have some small talk class in school or some sh*t."

13. They like to point

"I've always observed my US friends like to point at stuff while walking and say what it is…. We were out walking around Amsterdam recently and they were like 'hey look it's a smoke shop'…. 'Oh look a sex shop'…. 'Oh hey, it's a prostitute' …. 'Look at the canal'…. 'Wow it's another prostitute'….. 'another canal' etc etc. It was like watching Netflix with Audio Descriptions turned on."

"You know that little voice inside your head, your internal monologue? Americans seem to monologue their thoughts."

14. Optimism and enthusiasm

"Dunno in all context, but Americans in Europe stand out with their ceaseless optimism and enthusiasm."

"I'm reminded a lot of Ted Lasso. Everyone I know (all Americans) loves the show. I wonder what kind of European fan base it has."

"Americans are so positive and have such a thirst for life. It sickens me."

15. They eat while walking

"When I lived in Europe, people said only Americans eat while walking. I'd be eating a bagel or something on the way to work or class, and multiple people asked if I was American lol."

"Jay Leno said on Top Gear, I think it was, that Americans are also the only people who eat while driving. I don't do this, but I constantly see people who do, haha, especially in LA, where people spend a lot of time in their cars."

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Health

11 people share the 'harsh truths' that helped them become far more emotionally mature

"How people treat me is not my fault, but I am responsible for what I tolerate."

upset woman, hurt people, discussion, argument, heartache

via Pexels

A woman listens to a harsh truth.

It can be heartbreaking to realize that someone you love can't live up to your expectations. It can be even harder to look back at choices you’ve made in life and know you could have been kinder or put more effort into things that really mattered.

However, when we bravely face the hard truths we have to learn in life, we become emotionally stronger. The struggle may be painful at the time, but as the saying goes, “We are stronger in the places where we’ve been broken.” On the other side of the emotional Rubicon is healing, wisdom, and strength.

A poster in Reddit’s emotional intelligence subforum asked users a very personal question that got to the heart of how they became stronger people: “What’s a harsh truth you had to accept to become emotionally mature?” The responses showed the power of taking personal responsibility and seeing yourself and others with rigorous honesty.

upset woman, woman driving, crying in car, honesty, realization An upset woman sits in her car.via Canva/Photos

The discussion is a wonderful reminder of the gold that we can find on the other side of heartache and loss. Here are 11 of the best harsh truths people had to accept to become emotionally mature.

1. Bad parents aren't an excuse

"Having sh*tty parents is not an excuse to be a sh*tty adult. At a certain point, it's on you to do the work and break the cycle."

2. Nobody owes you anything, nobody is coming to save you

"That's right, if you want change, start a revolution yourself."

"Or, as my therapist put it, 'the cavalry is not coming. It's on you.'"

3. You never truly know what anyone is thinking

"You will never really know what people are thinking. They will say what they think people want to hear or avoid the truth. You truly have to trust yourself and work with yourself. Identify what you’re thinking and feeling, and then work with it. And there are no answers. Some things will always be a mystery and never solved."

Psychologists call this phenomenon the Theory of Mind, which holds that we can understand and interpret others' beliefs, thoughts, and feelings to read social situations. However, even though we may come close to understanding other people's inner states, we can never be 100% sure.

upset man, sad man, man in his 30s, man by ocean, anxiety, depression An upset man grabs his head.via Canva/Photos

4. You can mean well and still hurt people

"Two things can exist at once! You can mean well and absolutely hurt someone’s feelings. You arent above accidentally upsetting someone."

"This one is huge to me lately. I had to break up with someone who I do love, but I can't be with anymore. He refused to believe I ever loved him if I was hurting him, I said two things can be true at the same time!"

5. Beware of takers

"Lots of folks are takers, and if you are a giver and don’t know this, they will drain you dry."

"My mum always categorises people by 'radiators' and 'drains.'"

6. Watch where you place your self-worth

"If you tie your self-worth to another person, you are giving them power to take your self-worth out the door with them if they leave. That's not a power you want to give them, and I highly doubt they would want that either."

7. People hear what they want to hear

"Feel what they want to feel, do what they want to do, say what they want to say... all we are control of is our boundaries and what we do with how we feel."

upset woman, woman at computer, calculator, stress, anxiety A stressed-out woman.via Canva/Photos

8. Radical accountability

"Radical accountability is often not fun but will completely transform your capacity, integrity, self-trust, potential for growth, etc."

David Goggins, a motivational speaker and former Navy SEAL, is known for championing the power of radical accountability. Here, he shares how he created an accountability mirror. Every day, he wrote a mistake on a Post-it note and attached it to his mirror. He then methodically worked on fixing each misstep.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

9. Being honest about motivations

"Being able to take responsibility for my actions means considering all of the harm I’ve caused and being able to look at my motivations honestly. It’s really hard to do that because the shame can be so strong, but it’s honestly really healing to be able to face yourself like that."

10. You're responsible for what you tolerate

"How people treat me is not my fault, but I am responsible for what I tolerate. I really didn't want to have to be accountable for myself for a very long time. It was simply easier to blame anyone and anything outside of myself for what happened to me. But I must admit that my life transformed once I started taking responsibility. Many people don't want to admit that they play their part in what happens to them (bar if they're a child, obviously - and very serious cases of abuse and violence). And I was one of them."

11. Some people will never reach emotional maturity

"That the people you love deeply and dearly may never become emotionally mature themselves. They may still try to defend and protect themselves even when all you wanted to do was be seen or heard. Taking it personally when you just want a resolution. It's realizing their limits are so much smaller than yours. What it so simple for you to do, even things like taking accountability for your actions, seems like a fkn mountain for them that they aren't willing to start climbing."

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Community

People born before 1970 share what they ate for dinner growing up, and it's a blast from the past

So much meatloaf and Shake 'n Bake.

Photo credit: Canva

Kids in the 1970s pretending to cook

"What's for dinner?" has been asked by kids for millennia, probably, and the most common answers depend on both where and at what time in history it was asked. In ancient times, people were limited to what they could hunt or gather. Medieval recipes look different than what people ate in the 19th century. And what our grandparents ate when they were children was different from what our kids eat today.

Obviously, people couldn't DoorDash Chipotle in the '70s, but when someone on Reddit asked people born before 1970 what they ate for dinner most weeks, there were some standard meals a lot of Americans clearly ate regularly growing up. Lots of meatloaf and beef stroganoff. Pork chops and chop suey. Convenient assistance from Shake n' Bake, Hamburger Helper and TV dinners. Canned fruits and veggies. So much Jell-O.

from AskOldPeople

Here are some of the most popular responses:

"Overcooked pork chop, minute rice, canned green beans, canned fruit cocktail

Spaghetti with ground beef and sauce made from a packet (Durkee?)

Pot roast (whatever cut of meat was on sale) cooked with Lipton onion soup mix. Frozen peas. Canned peaches.

Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and canned green beans. Canned pears

Shake n bake chicken and scalloped potatoes from a box. Canned fruit of some kind.

On awesome days Chef Boyardee pizza mix from a box.

I liked LaChoy chop suey.

Always with a jug of milk on the table."

1970s, '70s, generations, meals, meatloaf Meatloaf was a staple dinner.Photo credit: Canva

"So I think many of our moms went to the same home ec classes. Our house also had on rotation:

Goulash: It wasn’t what I have come to understand is Hungarian Goulash, but ground beef/spices/tomatoes.

Chicken Diane: Way overcooked chicken with rosemary, thyme and other seasonings.

Meatloaf: Yes, ketchup on top.

And the ever-present rice. Dad bought an aluminum rice cooker from his time in Japan and we had rice (he added soy sauce on top) 3x per week. The other side was baked potatoes.

The big treat!!!??? Chef Boy Ar Dee pizza from a tube on Friday once per month. Mom had a round aluminum baking pan and make dough, spread the included sauce on the dough, add the Parmesan Cheese (in the included packet). That was the biggest treat - and in all honesty I would go back to that day cause I miss my mom. Best pizza ever."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Hamburger patty or braised round steak, green salad, canned vegetable (peas, beans, corn, beets). Occasionally a baked potato. Sometimes my mom would toss chicken in a flour/seasoning mix and bake it and we'd have oven fried chicken--maybe once every couple of weeks. We got beef from a cousin so it was cheap, and chicken was expensive.

Mom also made spaghetti with ground beef, and beef stew with the tougher cuts of the cow. Oh--and liver--God how I hated liver night.

We always had cheap grocery store 'ice milk' in the freezer for dessert."

1970s, '70s, generations, food, meals, spaghetti Spaghetti is still a classic.Photo credit: Canva

"Sunday - Spaghetti/macaroni and homemade spaghetti sauce and a salad.

Monday - Roast chicken, a side (potatoes, Rice-a-Roni), and a veg.

Tuesday - Pork chops, a side (potatoes, Rice-a-Roni), and a veg.

Wednesday - Spaghetti/macaroni and homemade spaghetti sauce and a salad.

Thursday - Rump or sirloin steak, a side (potatoes, Rice-a-Roni), and a veg.

Friday - breaded and fried fish (ugh--haddock, halibut, or cod if the latter was on sale), a side (potatoes, Rice-a-Roni), and a veg.

Saturday - Rump or sirloin steak, a side (potatoes, Rice-a-Roni), and a veg.

Dessert would be supermarket ice cream (carton, usually Neopolitan), Jello chocolate pudding, Table Talk pie (usually apple)."

1970s, '70s, generations, food, meals, pork chops Why were pork chops so popular?Photo credit: Canva

"Typical meals: stroganoff made with ground beef and egg noodles. Pot roast. Swiss steak. Chicken cacciatore. Fried chicken. This was in California, but my parents were from the Midwest so pretty meat-and-potatoes. There was always a side vegetable and a starch. Rarely bread or rolls. Occasionally salad but not always until the 1980s. No formal/planned dessert except for special occasions like birthdays and holidays, but sometimes there was ice cream in the freezer or there were cookies (store bought; my mom wasn't a baker). In the late 70s my mom loved Julia Child and started to be more adventurous with cooking; later she took Asian cooking classes too."

"Beef stroganoff, fried bologna, weiners wrapped in bacon and then broiled, baked beans, (from scratch) liver.

Jello 1-2-3 (so space age!) Bundt cake, canned fruit salad, canned pears, canned peaches."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"When we had some money (early in the pay period):

Spaghetti with sausages and homemade sauce

Liver and onions

Chop suey

Spare ribs and sauerkraut

Pork chops with mashed potatoes and gravy

Beef stew

Boeuf bourguignon

Beef stroganoff

When we were short on money:

Spam & scrambled eggs

Homemade macaroni & cheese

Cold cereal

That’s all I can think of right now.

We very rarely ever had dessert and almost never ate out. We never had fast food, the only fast food chain in town was Burger King, and McDonald’s was a town away and only open about six months of the year."

Here's to all the meals that nourished us in every era of our lives.

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Pop Culture

In an inspiring 1983 interview, David Bowie calls out MTV for featuring so few Black artists

"Why is that?"

David Bowie; MTV; MTV ending; David Bowie interview; diversity; music videos

YouTube/MTV News Screenshot

1983 interview shows David Bowie calling out MTV for questionable treatment of Black musicians

With MTV winding down to an end, old interviews are resurfacing online. Recently, an interview featuring the iconic singer, David Bowie, resurfaced showing the late musician essentially taking over the interview in the most respectful way. Bowie exuded kindness and compassion while simultaneously and vigorously advocating for others.

In the clip from a1983 episode of MTV News, the singer is being interviewed by Mark Goodman. It starts seemingly after the interview has been going on for a while. Bowie directly asks Goodman if he might be able to ask him a question. The reporter quickly agrees, not knowing the weight of the question that would soon follow, but Bowie wasted no time getting to the point. As a longtime advocate, he saw a disparity and took the opportunity to ask the source directly.

"I'd like to ask you something," Bowie says while fiddling with his sock, perhaps out of nervous anticipation. "It occurred to me, having watched MTV over the last few months, it's a solid enterprise, and it's going a lot going for it. I'm just floored by the fact that there are so many bl...so few Black artists featured on it. Why is that?"

David Bowie; MTV; MTV ending; David Bowie interview; diversity; music videos David Bowie on swing in red suitElmar J. Lordemann/Wikimedia Commons

He finishes stumbling through his initial question, still picking at his sock, and makes direct eye contact with Goodman. The reporter attempts to explain that the network is trying to move in the direction of playing more Black artists, but is currently focused on "narrow casting." This answer wasn't enough for Bowie to move on. The late singer had several follow-up questions, which turned the interviewer into the interviewee.

"It's evident in the fact that the only few Black artists that one does see are on about two-thirty in the morning until about six," Bowie says matter-of-factly. "Very few are featured predominantly, predominantly during the day." Goodman attempted to interject before the recording artist interrupted to say that, over the last couple of weeks, he had noticed a change but called it a slow process. The reporter attempted to explain away the noticeable lack of diversity in the music videos shown during daytime hours by saying people like Bowie were not watching the channel long enough. But Bowie challenged the deflective answer as he dug for the truth.

David Bowie; MTV; MTV ending; David Bowie interview; diversity; music videos David Bowie album coverPiano, Piano!/Flickr

"Because one sees a lot on the...on the...there's one Black station on television that I keep picking up, and I'm not sure which station it's on. But there seems to be a lot of Black artists making very good videos that I'm surprised aren't used on MTV," Bowie counters.

Goodman then shifts gears a bit, explaining that they're trying to make sure MTV reaches a broad audience, including suburban families. " Oh, of course, also we have to do what we think, not only New York or Los Angeles will appreciate, but also Poughkeepsie or Midwest, pick some town in the Midwest, it will be scared to death by Prince, which we're playing, or a string of other Black faces," the reporter says.

David Bowie; MTV; MTV ending; David Bowie interview; diversity; music videos PrinceWorld's Direction/Flickr

Interestingly, Prince is from Minnesota, which is about as gosh-darned Midwest as a person could get. Yet the late chart-topping artist was the first name listed as being scary to Midwestern suburban moms. David Bowie, still not impressed, simply replies, "Very interesting."

With Bowie delicately placed in the middle of what was likely a highly anticipated interview at the time, Goodman was clearly scrambling and proceeded to only make things worse: the MTV News host shares that once white artists pick up the musical styles and trends of Black music, taking it on as their own, then it will be more acceptable to be seen on the music network. This response came after Bowie asked the host if he felt the stations, including radio stations, had a responsibility to make the process fairer and more integrated.

"Absolutely," Goodman says. "I think it's happening because white music and white musicians are now starting to play more than ever what...more than they have lately. Let's say in the past 10 years, what Black artists have been into, and now, hopefully, the lines are going to start to blur, and when we play a band like ABC, well, there's white and Black kids there enjoying it, and all of a sudden it's a little bit easier for a white kid to understand it."

Goodman goes on to share about a letter he read in a magazine called The Record, where the writer was ranting about the things he didn't want to see on MTV (i.e., Black artists, we can assume). The former Labyrinth star replies to this revelation by stating plainly, "Well, that's his problem."

Even by today's standards, a recording artist openly addressing any lack of diversity in the media is rare. Bowie addressing the inequity during an interview in 1983 was truly groundbreaking.

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Pop Culture

Gen X guy pretends the notorious '6 7' meme is a reference to historical events and it somehow works

We're choosing to believe this is true 🤓

6 7, 6 7 meaning, group 7, group 7 meaning, slang, gen x parenting, millennial parenting

via @bryaninmsp/Instagram, used with permission. And Hyacinthe Rigaud/Wikipedia

Suddenly "6 7" isn't so aggravating. It's revolutionary!

Hate the "6 7" meme, but love history? You're in for a treat. Real estate agent and all-around funny guy Bryan Clapper may have just saved all of us old-timers from the dreaded tyranny of brain-rot Gen Z slang by, somehow, making it clever.

In a funny Instagram clip styled like an old-school "The More You Know" PSA, Clapper offers to "translate" Gen Z slang for Gen X or Millennial parents who may feel "confused" when their kids use it.

Clapper playfully argues that, rather than brain-rot gobbledygook, it's a reference to the date of June 7th, 1654, which, "as we all remember from our 400-level French history courses in college," marked the coronation of King Louis XIV. Yeah, that's pretty much common knowledge. Right?

6 7, 6 7 meaning, group 7, group 7 meaning, slang, gen x parenting, millennial parenting We really wish this were true. via @bryaninmsp/Instagram, used with permission.

So when your teenager says "6 7," what they're really saying is:

"I disagree with the colonial expansion of the French empire and the perceived divine right of kings, but acknowledge its role in creating the conditions that led to the French Revolution and the model for modern democracy that the United States is built on," Clapper says.

Therefore, the best response parents can use to sound cool is "Vive la France!" Truly, any excuse to shout this is welcome.

On the other hand, "Group 7," another bit of youth lingo, has nothing to do with the French Revolution, and everything to do with the 1920s, apparently. As Clapper jokingly explains, the term refers to the famed Canadian landscape painters known as the Group of Seven, founded by Lawren Harris, J. E. H. MacDonald, A. Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Franklin Carmichael, and Frank Johnston.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Anyway, the hip kids love Group 7 because of their efforts to create a truly Canadian style of painting, rooted in deep respect for and connection with nature," Clapper says. Sure, yeah, that's it.

Neither slang phrase has anything to do with Clapper's explanations. "6 7" is intentionally nonsensical. "Group 7" carries a little more meaning, often signaling superiority or eliteness, but it also emerged out of nowhere and spread because of the internet.

@sophiajamesmusic Group 7 who are you
♬ So Unfair - Sophia James

But it's much more fun to step into Clapper's reality, isn't it? It certainly stoked the creative fires of other history buffs in the comments:

"Sorry you have misunderstood...6,7 refers to the historic Argentinian colony vote to adopt the crop rotation program for olive farmers in 1906. It was the first breakthrough for environmentally-minded produce pioneers. A historic victory for planet lovers and virtue signalers. And now that you know this, you should respond 'Ohhh-I-live that'. Sounds a little like 'olive that'!!...get it?"

"As a Latin teacher I feel like they're talking about Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus, the sixth and seventh kings of Rome, after whom the Monarchy was replaced by the Republic. It's a commentary on the problems with one person having too much power. Such clever children!"

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"I thought they were quoting Chaucer 'to set the world on six and seven' or Shakespeare 'But time will not permit: all is uneven, And everything is left at six and seven.'"

And many parents were thrilled to finally have the perfect comeback for the next time they hear the dreaded "6 7" term:

"I will now scream 'Viva la France' at my teenage kids incessantly. Thank you!"

"Irritating my teenager with 6-7 just got levelled up! Viva la France!"

It seems that in the war of words, the old fogies finally have the upper hand once again.

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