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1950’s new culture. Mass Media, Youth Culture, Beat Movement & African American Entertainers . Rise of Television:. A new era of mass media led by television emerged in the 1950s In 1948, only 9% of homes had T. V In 1950, ____% of homes had T.V .
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1950’s new culture Mass Media, Youth Culture, Beat Movement & African American Entertainers
Rise of Television: • A new era of mass media led by television emerged in the 1950s • In 1948, only 9% of homes had T.V • In 1950, ____% of homes had T.V. • By 1960, ____% of American homes had T.V.
TELEVISION: A Vehicle for information I’m Howdy Doody!! • Variety of shows: news reporting, interviews, westerns, and sporting events • Kids’ shows like The Howdy Doody Show and The Mickey Mouse Club • In the 1990s : JT, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera & Ryan Gosling
THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION • “Golden Age of Television” • Variety Shows: • Ed Sullivan Show • Mix of comedy, opera, popular songs, dance, acrobatics, and juggling • Comedies were the main attraction • I love Lucy Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball starred in I Love Lucy
I love Lucy • Lucy appears as a scatter-brained homemaker • Turns ordinary household chores into a complete disaster • People set up their work schedule around the show • Even Marshall Fields (Macy’s) switched its sales to a different night • “We love Lucy too, so we’re closing on Monday nights”
TV versus Films • Due to the growth in the TV industry, the film business suffered after the war • 1946: 82 million move-goers; 1950: 36 million • Creation of 3-D films & the “Big Screens” • Panoramic, wide screens • Racism in the film industry: • African Americans often played stereotypical roles: Maids, servants, & sidekicks
THE ADVERTISING AGE • Capitalized on runaway consumerism • Encouraged more spending • Spending • $170 million in 1950 • $2 billion in 1960 • Ad agencies increased their spending 50% Advertising is everywhere today in America
MaD Men: The Advertising IndustryWilling to do anything to generate sales
1953: You don't need a knife, a bottle opener or even your husband to unscrew the cap of this bottle — just a little twist and that ketchup is ready to pour! Prejudice Advertising
MUSIC IN THE 1950s • Musicians in the 1950s added electronic instruments to traditional blues music • DJ Alan Freed was the first to play this music in 1951 • He called it “rock and roll” FREED
ROCK N’ ROLL • Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets, and especially Elvis Presley brought rock and roll to the forefront • The dance rhythm and lyrics feat. love, cars, and problems of being young — captivated teenagers across the country
THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL • Presley’s rebellious style captured young audiences • Girls screamed / fainted • Boys tried to imitate him • Parents condemned Presley’s dance & music as “loud, mindless, and dangerous for teenagers”
A SUBCULTURE EMERGES • Dissenting voices emerged • “Beat Movement” clashed with the 1950s tidy suburban views of life • Criticized conformity, meaningless politics, and the emptiness of popular culture
BEATNIKS FOLLOW their OWN PATH • Centered in San Fran, L.A. and NY, the Beat Movement expressed social nonconformity • Followers, called “beatniks,” tended to shun work and materialism • They sought understanding through Zen Buddhism, music, and the experimentation of drugs Beatniks often performed poetry or music in coffeehouses or bars
African Americans Entertainers • As the Beatniks rejected American culture, African Americans struggled to find acceptance among it… • TV tended to shut out African Americans • In 1956, NBC gave Nat King Cole his own 15-minute musical variety show • Ended 2 years later because of the failure to find a national sponsor • Rock & Roll singers had more luck • Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, and Little Richard • Many were inspirational for the Beatles
