Chubby Checker and Cable TV Weakened Society

Outrageous title? Or bold truth?

Before Chubby Checker's version of The Twist became a phenomenon, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 19, 1960, dancing involved two people actually holding each other, looking into each other's eyes, and moving together as a team across a dance floor. A necessary skill was the need to avoid bumping into other 'teams,' giving them the requisite space to achieve the broader goal of a successful dance floor. When the occasional bumping between teams occurred, social interaction on another level took place. Apologies and smiles ensued, and people moved on together, embracing one other.

The Twist started a trend that continues today: non-contact dancing. Individual expression without the counterbalance of meeting your partner's needs. Dancing with a partner became dancing with someone who had became of secondary interest and concern. What's the point? Perhaps non-contact dancing was an expression of general alienation that people were beginning to feel. The pace of society was speeding up. The Cold War threatened the destruction not only of countries, but of civilization itself. The perception was that the End Was Near. Were people afraid to connect emotionally, as the world may not exist much longer? Or did people just become more selfish?

Before cable and satellite TV systems became popular, with their dozens, and then hundreds of channels, in the USA you had the choice of ABC, CBS, NBC, maybe a PBS station, and if you were lucky, an independent station. When you went to work, school, or socialized with friends, it was highly likely that you watched at least one program the prior night that other people in your group had also watched. You discussed the pros and cons of plots, acting, and the latest commercials. There was a social bond. If politics and religion were off-limit subjects due to their controversial nature, you could always opine on The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Mission Impossible, MASH, or I Dream of Jeannie. Sharing views like this provided a safe zone, and a socially acceptable way to interact, even with those folks you barely knew.

Cable TV changed all that. I first noticed this trend in the 1980s. A group of coworkers was sitting in our company's break room. Someone walked in and mentioned that he had just gotten cable TV. 35 channels! Better reception! We all oohed and ahed. Then the discussion returned to the latest developments on Dallas, The Cosby Show, or Star Search. Our cable TV guy did not participate. He had watched channels none of us had even heard of. Within a few years, we all had at least basic cable with about 60 channels. The break room discussions were more narrow. Few people watched the same shows. Those that did share that experience tended to cluster near one another for their essentially private talks. The encroaching isolation and lack of common interest was very evident. We had again chosen self over group. I'm just as guilty. I recently subscribed to the HBO package.

Maybe a partial answer lies in another technological revolution. In an odd twist, the Internet has ridden to the rescue. Now fans of TV shows can share their thoughts in a global meeting room, not just a company's break room. But at what cost? Sitting at a keyboard and screen, even with cameras, does not replace person-to-person interaction.

The Internet giveth, and the Internet taketh away. But that's a subject for another week.