We’re living in the most divisive era ever, or so we’re told.
That may be true, but the late 1960s found Americans wrestling over seismic cultural shifts.
- The Vietnam War
- Racism
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Birth Control and the Sexual Revolution
One band broke out in a big way during that time, a quartet manufactured for TV mayhem. The Monkees were “4 insane boys” assembled by NBC to get the funniest looks from everyone they met circa 1966.
The Monkees swarmed the media over the show’s two candy-colored seasons. Hits like “I’m a Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville” and “Daydream Believer” rubbed elbows with songs by The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and more on the charts.
And, throughout the show’s short but spiky run and endless publicity chats, the band members refused to get political.
It was no accident, says surviving member Micky Dolenz.
The singer, who turned 81 over the weekend, tells USA Today the show’s brass instructed the foursome to steer clear of politics.
I vaguely remember in the early days of filming, a meeting with probably Jackie Cooper [the child star-turned-Screen Gems executive] and somebody from NBC Standards and Practices, making it clear that we were not to make political and social statements when we did interviews. And I understood that, because that wasn’t what the show was about. [It’s right there] in the theme song, ‘We’re too busy singing, to put anybody down.’ So I got that.
“I wasn’t extremely political and I’m still not. I have my own opinions about things, but I just never have gone down that road… I don’t follow party lines, and I don’t mind saying that. I’m not a sheep, I’m a wolf. I’m a leader.”
Ironically, they eschewed that sentiment for “Head,” the 1968 film that tackled the era’s culture wars more directly, swatting at the Vietnam War, consumerism and the band’s artificial roots.
It flopped, and it proved to be an anomaly in the band’s creative canon. The film’s original songs, in sharp contrast, endure.
That apolitical posture helps explain the group’s enduring appeal and how The Monkees have remained beloved across generations. The other reason is more obvious.
The songs. Oh, those songs.
RELATED: THE MISSING LINK IN THE MONKEES’ LEGACY
We all know the hits, but the deeper cuts reveal a band that has richly earned its legacy. Dolenz is currently on tour to celebrate the group’s 60th anniversary.
Not convinced this manufactured band became the real deal? Consider the following before making up your mind:
The post Why Micky Dolenz Doesn’t Monkee Around with Politics appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
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