Category: Writing

A Clip from this longer presentation: Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers

Dr. Rosanne Welch presents Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers at the 2014 Cal Poly Pomona Provost’s Symposium on Faculty Scholarship (http://www.cpp.edu/~research/)

Transcript:

…Also then, they save the plant before the bad human, you know, of course, our boys are the heros. They save the plant and the, the smoke that the plant creates? If you ingest it make you not want to fight anymore — just lay down in the grass and be cool. I mean, if that’s not an anti-authority, let’s all go smoke pot message, I’m no sure… and yet here it is on mainstream television for pre-teens — for 12 to 13-year-olds. 

View photos from this presentation 

Description:

Based on a chapter in my upcoming book The Metatextual Menagerie that was The Monkees, which includes a series of interviews conducted with surviving writers and performers of the 1960s television program, The Monkees I will discuss how the writers and actors used the show as a platform for their own emerging counter culture/anti-war messages.

Worth studying for its craft and place in television history (the show won an Emmy as Best Comedy Of 1967) the program’s true importance may come from its impact on the politics and culture of the era. Considered innocuous by the network, thepress and the parents of the era, the storylines and jokes created by the writers and the actor’s ad-libs brought the emerging counter-culture to the attention of young teens whose parents might not have appreciated the message. Cultural icons such as Timothy Leary recognized the subversive nature of the program, seen through the writing and in choices made about costuming, hair length, musical guests (Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Charlie Smalls) and songs performed by the band brought issues of Vietnam, voting and civil rights to the ‘young generation’ for whom the show clearly had ‘somethin’to say.

• Dr. Rosanne Web Site and Blog
• Follow Dr. Welch on Twitter
• Follow Dr. Welch on Tumblr

Subscribe to Dr. Welch’s YouTube Channel

About the Symposium:

The 2014 Provost’s Symposium is a forum to learn about each other’s scholarly work, make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and enhance our appreciation of the rich and diverse array of professional endeavors pursued by the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

A Clip from this longer presentation: Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers

Dr. Rosanne Welch presents Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers at the 2014 Cal Poly Pomona Provost’s Symposium on Faculty Scholarship (http://www.cpp.edu/~research/)

Transcript:

Here is a lovely little bit of dialog. “They want to put the blame on teenagers. Take the war, for example. Whose fault is it? Not ours. We’re not fighting. It must be those crazy kids. They’re the ones doing all the fighting.” I mean, this is not just vaudeville happening. This is serious political commentary in the course of a teenage comedy show. You didn’t get that on Full House when that was the big program in American television. Now, my favorite funny part is in the very last episode of the show, so they got away with a lot. It starred this alien plant. If you look at it a little more closely, it resembles a plant that one wasn’t supposed to know much about. In fact, only in certain state now are we supposed to know about it. This plant has come and its power is being taken over by a bad human who’s using it to rule the world. Right? I think that’s funny. In the midst of this particular episode, they even have this anti-war song that they chant during a montage in the show and if you just take a peek at that for a minute, it’s kind of beautiful. I particularly like the last line, “Two little kinds playing a game. They gave a war and nobody came, ” which is the — it starts with a game and no one shows up, so the 2 kings are all alone. So, here we have this marvelous anti-war song in the midst of this.

View photos from this presentation 

Description:

Based on a chapter in my upcoming book The Metatextual Menagerie that was The Monkees, which includes a series of interviews conducted with surviving writers and performers of the 1960s television program, The Monkees I will discuss how the writers and actors used the show as a platform for their own emerging counter culture/anti-war messages.

Worth studying for its craft and place in television history (the show won an Emmy as Best Comedy Of 1967) the program’s true importance may come from its impact on the politics and culture of the era. Considered innocuous by the network, thepress and the parents of the era, the storylines and jokes created by the writers and the actor’s ad-libs brought the emerging counter-culture to the attention of young teens whose parents might not have appreciated the message. Cultural icons such as Timothy Leary recognized the subversive nature of the program, seen through the writing and in choices made about costuming, hair length, musical guests (Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Charlie Smalls) and songs performed by the band brought issues of Vietnam, voting and civil rights to the ‘young generation’ for whom the show clearly had ‘somethin’to say.

• Dr. Rosanne Web Site and Blog
• Follow Dr. Welch on Twitter
• Follow Dr. Welch on Tumblr

Subscribe to Dr. Welch’s YouTube Channel

About the Symposium:

The 2014 Provost’s Symposium is a forum to learn about each other’s scholarly work, make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and enhance our appreciation of the rich and diverse array of professional endeavors pursued by the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

A Clip from this longer presentation: Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers

Dr. Rosanne Welch presents Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers at the 2014 Cal Poly Pomona Provost’s Symposium on Faculty Scholarship (http://www.cpp.edu/~research/)

Transcript:

I just like pictures of script to remember that there is a writer involved. I know the words are too small, but this is a script by Coslough Johnson. All the writers on the show, I have a whole chapter in my book on authorship — all the writers ended up winning Emmys later in life. He got his for writing on Laugh In, which was also a very politically themed show. He wrote an episode called “Monkees Watch Their Feet” and it’s about aliens taking over the teenagers of America. So, The Monkees are going to save the day for them. So, first of all, we have this patriotic business going on here — here is standing Mike Nesmith, with the flag and Pat Paulsen who, if you remember, comically ran for President back in the day. He’s giving a report to America about what’s wrong with teenagers today. It is that the aliens have taken over, but he talks about who we blame. “Many of us blame our leaders. Many of our leaders blame us.” This is ho the teenagers, the hippy culture, is feeling. Then more so, he defines Micky in this episode, as “Someone tormented by a war he must fight in a country thousands of miles away.” How can you get away with dissing the Vietnam War on modern American television in 1967? And they just blip it right through and you don’t even notice it.

View photos from this presentation 

Description:

Based on a chapter in my upcoming book The Metatextual Menagerie that was The Monkees, which includes a series of interviews conducted with surviving writers and performers of the 1960s television program, The Monkees I will discuss how the writers and actors used the show as a platform for their own emerging counter culture/anti-war messages.

Worth studying for its craft and place in television history (the show won an Emmy as Best Comedy Of 1967) the program’s true importance may come from its impact on the politics and culture of the era. Considered innocuous by the network, thepress and the parents of the era, the storylines and jokes created by the writers and the actor’s ad-libs brought the emerging counter-culture to the attention of young teens whose parents might not have appreciated the message. Cultural icons such as Timothy Leary recognized the subversive nature of the program, seen through the writing and in choices made about costuming, hair length, musical guests (Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Charlie Smalls) and songs performed by the band brought issues of Vietnam, voting and civil rights to the ‘young generation’ for whom the show clearly had ‘somethin’to say.

• Dr. Rosanne Web Site and Blog
• Follow Dr. Welch on Twitter
• Follow Dr. Welch on Tumblr

Subscribe to Dr. Welch’s YouTube Channel

About the Symposium:

The 2014 Provost’s Symposium is a forum to learn about each other’s scholarly work, make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and enhance our appreciation of the rich and diverse array of professional endeavors pursued by the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

A Clip from this longer presentation: Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers

Dr. Rosanne Welch presents Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers at the 2014 Cal Poly Pomona Provost’s Symposium on Faculty Scholarship (http://www.cpp.edu/~research/)

Transcript:

…but, for instance, in one episode the boys are all, as you can see, playing dominos. When tehy knock all the dominos down one of them says, “What do you call this game?” and the other answers, “Southeast Asia.” Hello, how did they get away with that? The censors weren’t even listening. They weren’t noticing the political aspect of that and what I really love is the politics came with the commercials for cornflakes. so, this is why people thought is was something they didn’t have to pay attention to. It’s just nonsense entertainment, but we’re talking about a war in the middle of it..

View photos from this presentation 

Description:

Based on a chapter in my upcoming book The Metatextual Menagerie that was The Monkees, which includes a series of interviews conducted with surviving writers and performers of the 1960s television program, The Monkees I will discuss how the writers and actors used the show as a platform for their own emerging counter culture/anti-war messages.

Worth studying for its craft and place in television history (the show won an Emmy as Best Comedy Of 1967) the program’s true importance may come from its impact on the politics and culture of the era. Considered innocuous by the network, thepress and the parents of the era, the storylines and jokes created by the writers and the actor’s ad-libs brought the emerging counter-culture to the attention of young teens whose parents might not have appreciated the message. Cultural icons such as Timothy Leary recognized the subversive nature of the program, seen through the writing and in choices made about costuming, hair length, musical guests (Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Charlie Smalls) and songs performed by the band brought issues of Vietnam, voting and civil rights to the ‘young generation’ for whom the show clearly had ‘somethin’to say.

• Dr. Rosanne Web Site and Blog
• Follow Dr. Welch on Twitter
• Follow Dr. Welch on Tumblr

Subscribe to Dr. Welch’s YouTube Channel

About the Symposium:

The 2014 Provost’s Symposium is a forum to learn about each other’s scholarly work, make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and enhance our appreciation of the rich and diverse array of professional endeavors pursued by the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

A Clip from this longer presentation: Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers

Dr. Rosanne Welch presents Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers at the 2014 Cal Poly Pomona Provost’s Symposium on Faculty Scholarship (http://www.cpp.edu/~research/)

Transcript:

This is a particularly fun quote. Timothy Leary has a long quote I won’t read you about all the things — the silly nonsense going on — and at the very end an actor like Micky Dolenz would look right at the screen — right — so we’re doing this metatextual — I’m “fourth-walling” you — “that’s pretty good talking for a long-haired weirdo, huh, Mr and Mrs. America?” So he was right there telling them we’re laying something out here, but you don’t even notice. Shh. Don’t watch. And so I think that’s really interesting. Also, what’s interesting is look at Mr. Dolenz’ hair. It’s all afro. This was a huge new thing to show on television. First of all, long hair, but this is ethnic hair. This doesn’t belong on TV so, in fact, on the first season they had him iron his hair. They would not allow this vaguely white, although he’s actually Italian and Native American — no. no and afro? No, no, no, that;s not allowed on television. Not until the second season, when they get a little more power that they start looking like they do in normal life.

View photos from this presentation 

Description:

Based on a chapter in my upcoming book The Metatextual Menagerie that was The Monkees, which includes a series of interviews conducted with surviving writers and performers of the 1960s television program, The Monkees I will discuss how the writers and actors used the show as a platform for their own emerging counter culture/anti-war messages.

Worth studying for its craft and place in television history (the show won an Emmy as Best Comedy Of 1967) the program’s true importance may come from its impact on the politics and culture of the era. Considered innocuous by the network, thepress and the parents of the era, the storylines and jokes created by the writers and the actor’s ad-libs brought the emerging counter-culture to the attention of young teens whose parents might not have appreciated the message. Cultural icons such as Timothy Leary recognized the subversive nature of the program, seen through the writing and in choices made about costuming, hair length, musical guests (Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Charlie Smalls) and songs performed by the band brought issues of Vietnam, voting and civil rights to the ‘young generation’ for whom the show clearly had ‘somethin’to say.

• Dr. Rosanne Web Site and Blog
• Follow Dr. Welch on Twitter
• Follow Dr. Welch on Tumblr

Subscribe to Dr. Welch’s YouTube Channel

About the Symposium:

The 2014 Provost’s Symposium is a forum to learn about each other’s scholarly work, make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and enhance our appreciation of the rich and diverse array of professional endeavors pursued by the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

A Clip from this longer presentation: Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers

Dr. Rosanne Welch presents Why Monkees Matter: How The Writing Staff of The Monkees Brought the 1960s Counter Culture to Mainstream Pre-Teen Viewers at the 2014 Cal Poly Pomona Provost’s Symposium on Faculty Scholarship (http://www.cpp.edu/~research/)

Transcript:

In their film, “Head”, they wrote a song that riffs on their opening theme which was “Here we come, walking down the street…” right? They wrote, “hey, Het we’re The Monkees, We’ve said it all before, The money’s in, we;re made of tin, We’re here to give you more!” So, they were admitting their own plasticness and I think that’s their mistake. The fell for what was being said about them and forgot what they, themselves, were contributing. Right? Someone who didn’t miss out on that is Timothy Leary. He was the big, famous, so of hippy doctor and in his book, “Turn on, Tune In and Drop Out” he discussed the importance of The Monkees and this is in their very own time period. Right in the early — late Sixties, excuse me, 67. He’s discussing how important they were. In fact, he says the show is much more than a comedy. It’s all these things together. My favorite one is “A Jolly Buddha Laugh at Hypocrisy.” Which, in fact, is what is going on. These boys are commenting on hypocrisy of the parents of their customers — of their viewers — and they’re doing it right on mainstream American television.

View photos from this presentation 

Description:

Based on a chapter in my upcoming book The Metatextual Menagerie that was The Monkees, which includes a series of interviews conducted with surviving writers and performers of the 1960s television program, The Monkees I will discuss how the writers and actors used the show as a platform for their own emerging counter culture/anti-war messages.

Worth studying for its craft and place in television history (the show won an Emmy as Best Comedy Of 1967) the program’s true importance may come from its impact on the politics and culture of the era. Considered innocuous by the network, thepress and the parents of the era, the storylines and jokes created by the writers and the actor’s ad-libs brought the emerging counter-culture to the attention of young teens whose parents might not have appreciated the message. Cultural icons such as Timothy Leary recognized the subversive nature of the program, seen through the writing and in choices made about costuming, hair length, musical guests (Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Charlie Smalls) and songs performed by the band brought issues of Vietnam, voting and civil rights to the ‘young generation’ for whom the show clearly had ‘somethin’to say.

• Dr. Rosanne Web Site and Blog
• Follow Dr. Welch on Twitter
• Follow Dr. Welch on Tumblr

Subscribe to Dr. Welch’s YouTube Channel

About the Symposium:

The 2014 Provost’s Symposium is a forum to learn about each other’s scholarly work, make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and enhance our appreciation of the rich and diverse array of professional endeavors pursued by the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS