US and Popular culture

1. Title: Focus: • The USA in early 1950s • What is popular culture? • What was it in early 1950s USA US and Popular culture Key Words: Celebrity – someone who is famous Mass Production – goods made on conveyor belt so cheaper

2. Describe popular culture in the USA in the early 1950s. • Why did Elvis Presley have such an impact on US Society in 1956-57? • In what way did US society attempt to restrict the influence of people like Elvis Presley?

3. USA - facts • US formed as a Republic 1776 • when 13 colonies broke away from Britain • Expanded west: frontier mentality • Millions emigrated from Europe to USA • Government dominated by two political parties • Democrats and Republicans • Harry Truman – President 1945-1953 – Democrat • Dwight D Eisenhower President 1953-1961 Republican • Entered WWII 1941 • Wealth created from making arms for war. • 1941-1945 GNP rose by 36% • Exploded first nuclear bomb in August 1945 • Post-war • Jobs, wages and mass-produced goods plentiful • 6% world population; 40% world’s wealth • Superpower/Cold War • USSR – communist Russia seen as enemy • Continued arms spending – source of wealth • Red scare – witch hunt • Segregated BACKGROUND

4. Homework Find out and hand in: • When and where was Elvis Presley born? • Where did he live most of his life? • Is that in the southern or northern USA? • How many states are there in the USA? • What was Presley’s first hit song? • Who was the US President then? • Was he of the Democrat or Republican Party? • When did Rosa Parks refuse to give up her seat to a white passenger? • Name two Hollywood films Presley was in. 10. Who is a singer young people today admire and want to be like.

5. Popular Culture means the lifestyle, fashions and ideas that are common in a society. They are passed on to the people through, T.V, film, adverts, magazines, radio etc.

6. The new wealth, mass production and advertising affected life for middle class, white Americans in a number of ways. Popular Culture in US in early 1950s –Life in Suburbia

7. “Popular Culture” i.e. a way of life followed by the majority of the population, really began in the 1950’s. • It began then for the following reasons: • New wealth – USA was very rich after the WW2. A lot of people had far more money to spend on clothes, entertainment and their homes. • Mass Production – where objects like cars, TVs radios fridges etc were made on a conveyor belt instead of made individually. This made goods much cheaper. • Advertising – this is linked to the previous two. More money and cheaper goods meant that companies had to compete with each other to get people to spend their money on their product. TV and radio made it easier to get the message across to people and make them want all the latest goods and fashion.

8. A Levitt Home

9. What was Suburbia? The boost in the Us economy made many Americans wealthier than they had ever been. This meant that they had more cash to spend. The invention of cheap LEVIT homes and the new wealth meant more people were able to buy homes (This coincided with the “Baby Boom”) The word suburb comes from SUB meaning under or junior to something AND urban meaning town. Suburbs were built at the outskirts of towns and cities where there was plenty of available space. This meant that a car was vital, in order to commute to the city for work and to get the shopping etc.

10. The other big change in life was that as the men came back from war they needed jobs • So many woman who had been working had to gotten out of the work place and back to work. • They were encouraged to do this by • Men earning more money so they didn’t need to work • New homes • New domestic appliances • New feminine fashions

11. A 50's "gas guzzler" car

12. Popular Culture means the lifestyle, fashions and ideas that are common in a society. They are passed on to the people through, T.V, film, adverts, magazines, radio etc. These are some of the people who were very popular in the early 50s Female singers/actresses Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney were role models for young women. Marilyn Munroe was another star who had a fairytale wedding to the biggest sports star in America, baseball player, Joe DiMaggio.

13. Radio had been around before the war but advances in electronics meant that they were smaller and could be put in bedrooms. The range of shows appealing to all sections of society was expanding Also for groups like teenagers and black people who were more likely to own a radio than a TV set. (TVs were still quite expensive) This led to a lot of new stations starting up playing music that would appeal to teenagers and the black community.

14. Joe DiMaggio was a famous film star TRUE/FALSE • Which country did USA break away from? • Doris Day was a famous American actress. TRUE/FALSE • Which country was USA’s rival in the Cold war? • Southern USA was no longer segregated society in the 1950s TRUE/FALSE • Name a type of American car popular in the 1950s?

16. The Phenomenal growth of TV- 1946: 7,000 TV sets existed in the U.S 1948: 148,000 sets 1950: 4.4 million sets 1955: 50 million sets Television created the biggest consumer market ever. Advertising grew as companies making all sorts of products from bubble gum to fridges tried to get middle class Americans to part with their cash.; They even invented market research and consumer surveys to try to find out how to sell more stuff. And what about the TV programmes themselves? Even some TV shows were just a type of advert for a new product, e.g. Disneyland opened in 1955 after months of hype on the popular TV show called “Disneyland”! Disneyland itself blurred the boundaries between TV and reality by presenting an ideal version of America: no black people, no teenage rebels, no poverty- just ”apple pie goodness.

17. TV sitcoms from the 1950s, such as “I LOVE LUCY” upheld ideal lives that were being stretched and strained in real life. These domestic comedies were popular and emphasized the nuclear suburban white family, in neighbourhoods where there were no black people or poor people and where mothers never needed or wanted to work outside the home. Westerns were also extremely popular: fighting the baddies, being brave and doing the “right thing” and looking back into American history appealed to many during those rapidly changing times. It even changes the way Americans ate! Finger food! Snacks! TV dinners! Were all invented for the family to eat in front of the TV

18. TV sitcoms from the 1950s, such as “I LOVE LUCY” upheld ideal lives that were being stretched and strained in real life. • These domestic comedies were popular and emphasized the nuclear suburban white family, in neighbourhoods where there were no black people or poor people and where mothers never needed or wanted to work outside the home. • Westerns were also extremely popular: fighting the baddies, being brave and doing the “right thing” and looking back into American history appealed to many during those rapidly changing times. • It even changes the way Americans ate! Finger food! Snacks! TV dinners! Were all invented for the family to eat in front of the TV

19. Top rated TV comedy shows such as “I Love Lucy” starring a couple who were also married in real life. This usually involved “Lucy” doing mad things to impress her husband. Another top comedy show was “Sergeant Bilko.” This show was about a man in the army and how he was always trying scams to get rich quick and sticking up for the “boys” against the officers.

20. Chat show like the Ed Sullivan Show were prime time TV. Ed invited guests on to his show to interview and allow to perform. Eventually he allowed Elvis on to his family show.

21. The Western was a very popular type of film. The biggest western star was John Wayne. Westerns always showed the Native Americans as baddies. They were popular because they seemed to show how tough and strong Americans were and that God was always on their side! (Sound familiar?) If you remember Woody from toy story was a 1950’s toy.

22. The drive in movie was possible because of all the new cars that were about. It was basically just a big field for cars to park in in front of a big screen. It didn’t catch on in the UK because of the weather! It gave teenagers a lot of freedom.

23. “The Rat Pack” – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davies Junior- a group of male performers famed not only for their music but also their glamorous lifestyle. Seen here singing in a nightclub. Notice the evening wear clothes worn – very formal.

24. Formal dressing was women in dresses matching shoes and handbag/hats and gloves. No self respecting women would go out in trousers! She made sure that she always had a hair-do and her face on! Men wore a suit and tie for work and slacks and shirts for weekend casual. Hair was short back and sides.

25. Magazines like “Woman's Weekly” and “Vanity Fair” full of articles on fashion sewing, knitting patterns, household tips and adverts for household products and consumer goods like fridges.