19.3: 1950s Popular Culture

 Mass Media: means of communication that reach mass audiences.  Television developed at lightning speed during the 1950s  1954: 55% of American homes have a TV  1960: 90% of American homes have a TV New Era of Mass Media

 The first television broadcasts were meager, were black and white, and reached only a small part of the East Coast  Programming was only offered 2 hours a day!  By 1956 though, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) was created  Government agency that regulates and licenses communication industries The Rise of Television

 Popular Entertainment and Comedy:  I Love Lucy  The Texaco Star Theatre  On-the-scene news reporting with Edward R. Murrow (Good Night and Good Luck) The “Golden Age of Television”

 Critics objected to TVs effects on children and the depiction of women in stereotypical roles  Men outnumbered women 3 to 1  Lack of minorities on television—almost no African Americans or Latinos Stereotypes and Gunslingers

 TV’s popularity threatened the movie and radio industries  Radio focused on news, weather, and community issues over variety shows  Hollywood took advantage of size, color, and stereophonic sound advantages over television  3-D movies released! Radio and Movies

 The beat movement was a social and literary movement that expressed the nonconformity of artists, poets, and writers.  Followers called “beatniks” and led nonconformist lifestyles  Many “mainstream” Americans found the movement unappealing, but it was attractive to many college students and gained media attention The Beat Movement

 Music that combines pop, country, and rhythm and blues– music that is American  The music was mostly produced by African American musicians, but its audience was mainly white– music that is black and white.  Rock ‘n’ roll was brought to teenagers through artists like Chuck Berry and Elvis (“The King”)  Many adults condemned rock ‘n’ roll; believed it would lead to teenage delinquency and immorality  Teens loved it and TV brought it to the forefront  Eventually, it become more acceptable Rock ‘n’ Roll

 African American artists were some of rock ‘n’ rolls greatest performers  Artists like Miles Davis created jazz music, characterize on improvisation, enjoyed by audiences of all races.  Still, throughout 1950s, often played on their own separate stations The Racial Gap Miles Davis

 After World War II, the teenage years became recognized as a unique developmental stage  The booming economy allowed teens to stay in school and earn allowances.  Teens became a new consumer group! The 1950s Teen

Rebel Without a Cause

Gidget

American Bandstand

Chuck Berry