Arts & Culture

Iconic, Chaotic and Timeless: Film and the Women of 70s Rock-and-Roll

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There has arguably never been a more captivating character than the wild ’70s female rock star, or rock groupie, and they have arguably never been better presented than in the movie Almost Famous and the TV show Daisy Jones and the Six. Today we will discuss these projects’ iconic stars: Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane and Riley Keough’s Daisy Jones. 

Though both of these stories have male leads, the men simply pale in comparison to their female counterparts. It does not matter how handsome or talented Sam Claflin’s Billy Dunne or Billy Crudup’s Russell Hammond are — their spotlights are stolen because the women dancing across our screen with their bellbottoms and wild hair are ethereal, completely captivating. Despite being ’70s characters — Almost Famous is set in 1973 and Daisy Jones in 1977 — there is something timeless about them, something which connects deeply with female viewers. They are like older sisters, completely terrible influences, but important role models nevertheless, who inspire young girls to become the people they want to be. 

Their stories and choices are not perfect: Both girls nearly die in the glamorized whirlwind of ’70s drug culture.

Arts & Culture

Missing the Beat: A Review of the Mini Series Daisy Jones and the Six

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Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel of the same name, the limited mini series Daisy Jones and the Six premiered on Amazon Prime Video in March. The show and book mostly have the same plot: the rise and fall of a 1970s rock band, loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. Like the book, the TV show is formatted as a documentary — as the characters are interviewed, they reminisce on their time in the band. As with most book-to-screen adaptations, I personally preferred the book over the show. The band first started as “The Dunne Brothers,” created by Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and his brother Graham (Will Harrison) with a group of friends in high school out of their garage.