What is a Zeitgeist?

[coloradodem2005]

I don't know what that means.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

1. The zeitgeist (literally time spirit) is the spirt of the times.

David Bowie had the zeitgeist in 1972 because his music fitted the personality of the times. The Beatles had the zeitgeist in 1967 with Sgt. Pepper. They were able to reflect and sum up the feeling of that particular time.

[meegbear]

4. Does that mean Men Without Hats were the zeitgeist of 1983?

:shrug:

[Screaming Lord Byron]

5. Nah. Culture Club were.

[cspiguy]

6. Yes. Indeed. And the Theme to FlashDance.

Today, I would go with Dean's Scream as having it.

[LuLu550]

7. off topic, but

Is that the blue grotto in Capri, SLB?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

9. You know, I don't know. It does look like it, eh?

[markbark]

2. From the German

zeit = time
geist = spirit or ghost

loosly translated as "the spirit of the times" or the general feel of whatever era one may be in.


--MAB


DAMN.... is there an echo in here or WHAT? ;)

[LSatyl]

3. Aah, gotta love online dictionaries

From Dictionary.com:

Zeitgeist n.

The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation: “It's easy to see how a student... in the 1940's could imbibe such notions. The Zeitgeist encouraged Philosopher-Kings” (James Atlas).

[Speck Tater]

8. It's German for a ghost that causes zits.

Hope that helps.

[patcox2]

10. Political types use the word often just to mean "the feel on the street."

They use it in a narrower sense, not quite the spirit of the age, more like the public trend on a broad issue. I have heard pollsters speak of the zeitgeist with regard to how Bush is viewed, for example, after 9/11 the zeitgeist changed dramatically.

Thats a whole nother topic, whither the zeitgeist. The zeitgeist did change after 9/11, but I don't think the new zeitgeist has crystallized yet. I think it will crystallize only when some major mass market artist is able to define the new paradigm. I think we are in an unstable "tipping point" state, and someone will soon come along and give us direction.

I compare our situation to the pre-beatles, post kennedy assasination time. The Kennedy assasination was as big a shock as 9-11. After kennedy, there was a change in mood similar to post 9-11. The Beatles came along and crystallized the new mood; rebellion, drugs, protest, rejection of the whole power structure of society.

Something is going to happen soon, similar to that, a movement, prbably forming around an artistic movement, most likely music. But so far, it hasn't happened.