Bell Ringer

Making America the Best Place to Live

 The 1950s were the age of conformity ◦ Reaction towards the upheaval caused by WWII and fears of communist infiltration ◦ Conformity = unity

 After World War II, 25 percent of the workforce was unionized, and with the war now over, their promise not to strike so as not to impede the war effort had expired.  Taft-Hartley Act: Restricts the activities and power of labor unions. ◦ Prohibited certain kinds of strikes and boycotts (e.g. wildcat strikes, solidarity or political strikes), closed shops, and monetary donations by unions to federal political campaigns. ◦ It also required union officers to sign non-communist affidavits with the government. States were allowed to pass right-to-work laws that outlawed closed union shops  Became law by overcoming U.S. President Harry S. Truman's veto; labor leaders called it the "slave-labor bill“ while President Truman argued that it was a "dangerous intrusion on free speech.”

 The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (AKA: the GI Bill), 1944: provided a range of benefits for returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). ◦ Benefits included low-cost mortgages, low- interest loans to start a business or farm, cash payments of tuition and living expenses to attend college, high school or vocational education, as well as one year of unemployment compensation.  Executive Order 9981: Abolished racial discrimination in the armed forces and eventually led to the desegregation of the armed services.

 In his 1949 State of the Union Address, Truman stated that "Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government a fair deal."  His plan focused on civil rights, health, welfare, labor, education, housing, veterans, and agriculture.  Federal aid to education  Tax cuts for low-income earners  Abolition of poll taxes and an anti-lynching law  Farm-aid programs  Increased public housing  New TVA-style public works projects  New Department of Welfare  Repeal of the Taft- Hartley Act  Increase in the minimum wage from 40¢ to 75¢/hr.  Universal health insurance  Expanded Social Security coverage

 President Truman was surprisingly not nominated for the 1952 election – Korean War, McCarthyism, and corruption within his administration.  WWII General Dwight D. Eisenhower would sweep the election against Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. ◦ His success in orchestrating the D- Day invasion, as well as his strict justice in liberating the concentration camps made him a shoe-in.

 The 1956 election was a re-match of the 1952 election.  TV ads were the dominant medium for both sides for the first time. Because Eisenhower's 1952 election victory was due, in large part, to winning the female vote, there was a plethora of "housewife" focused ads.  Eisenhower had ended the Korean War and the nation was prosperous, so a landslide for the charismatic Eisenhower was never in doubt.

 America became a more homogeneous nation because of the automobile.  2-car homes doubles from  The new obsession with automobiles created a new desire for driving-related businesses.

 After the end of rubber, metal, and fabric rationing from WWII, cars got bigger, flashier, and focused more on style rather than functionality.

 Federal Highway Act: Authorized the construction of 41,000 miles of the Interstate Highway System supposedly over a 10-year period; it was the largest public works project in American history through that time.  It was expected that the money would be generated through new taxes on fuel, automobiles, trucks, and tires.  Its main purpose was to allow military vehicles to move quickly across the country in the event of national emergency.

Well if you ever plan to motor west Travel my way that the highway that’s the best Get your kicks on Route 66 Well it winds from Chicago to L.A. More than 2000 miles all the way Get your kicks on Route 66 Well it goes from St Louis, Joplin, Missouri And Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty You’ll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico Flagstaff, Arizona don't forget Winona Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino Would you get hip to this kindly tip And go take that California trip Get your kicks on Route 66 Well it goes from St Louis, Joplin, Missouri And Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty You’ll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico Flagstaff, Arizona don't forget Winona Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino Would you get hip to this kindly tip And go take that California trip Get your kicks on Route 66 Get your kicks on Route 66?

 Route 66 (AKA: Main Street USA and the Mother Road): One of the original US highways, and one of the most famous roads in America. ◦ Ran from Chicago to Los Angeles  It served as a major path for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and it supported the economies of the communities through which the road passed.  Quirky shops, restaurants, hotels, and attractions dotted the roadway, so Route 66 was not just a road, but part of the trip itself.

Amarillo, TX

Mater: 1951 International Harvester boom truck Doc: 1951 Hudson Hornet Sheriff: 1949 Mercury police car Luigi: 1959 Fiat 500 Ramone: 1959 Chevrolet Impala Lowrider Flo: 1951 Le Sabre

 the franchisor is a supplier who allows an operator, or a franchisee, to use the supplier's trademark and distribute the supplier's goods. In return, the operator pays the supplier a fee  White collar work   factory workers decreased by 4.3%, eliminating 1.5 million blue-collar jobs.  By 1956  more white-collar than blue-collar jobs in the U. S.

 The new corporate culture: “The Organization Man” – a man completely and totally dedicated to his company, who identified with the company they worked for and internalized the sense of belonging to the company.  The conformity of the 1950s workplace was best illustrated in Sloan Wilson’s 1956 novel, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. It was later turned into a film, starring Gregory Peck.

 1950 – The introduction of the Diner’s Club Card (the first “credit card”)  Television had a huge impact on consumerism of the 1950s – advertisements were often as well developed and entertaining as the shows they interrupted, with characters that became household names.

 Zenith introduces "lazy bones" tuning - change all television stations from the comfort of your easy chair. Hand held device plugs into TV  Telephone Answering Machine created by Bell Laboratories and Western Electric.  Chrysler Corporation introduces power steering, which they called Hydraguide.  Dow Chemical creates Saran Wrap  General Electric introduces colored kitchen appliances.  Secretary Bette Nesmith Graham invented "Mistake Out" later renamed, Liquid Paper

 Why were Americans so obsessed with their cars during the 1950s? What other businesses arose as a result of this obsession?

Living in a “Beaver Cleaver” World

 Marriage rates soared, marriage ages dropped, and divorce rates  The end of WWII led to a surge in the U.S. population, known as the “baby boom” ( ) ◦ Largest “generation” in U.S. history, 77.3 million babies, peaked in 1957 ◦ The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care – Dr. Benjamin Spock ◦ It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnant. -- British visitor to America, 1958

 The surge in marriage and birth rates, coupled with the benefits of the GI Bill, created a desperate need for housing  Levittown was the first mass-produced housing tract, with standardized homes, an efficient community model, and strict guidelines on conduct  Produced 150 houses per week; $7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.

All six models had the following design concepts:  Open Floor Plan design marked by a minimum of interior walls.  Picture Windows and natural light wherever possible.  Expandable Attic and/or Carport  Modern Kitchen with Built-In Appliances  Indoor/Outdoor Living with Common Open Spaces

 Americans reverted back to traditional gender roles in the wake of WWII  Men were the breadwinners in the family, head of the household, and increasingly worked in white-collar professions  Women were to be homemakers and child- rearers – reverting back to a modern version of the 19 th c. “Cult of Domesticity” ◦ Reiterated through television and advertising

 The baby boom led to a new focus on children; each stage of life the “boomers” reached, introduced new items  First time the majority of Americans had access to a TV; children's programming taught morals and behavior  Spock’s Baby book and Salk’s polio vaccine homogenized American childhood experiences

 1950 ◦ Silly putty ◦ Peanuts  1951 ◦ Topps sells it first complete Baseball Card set ◦ Alice in Wonderland released  1952 ◦ Mr. Potato Head ◦ Sugar Frosted Flakes  1954 ◦ Play Doh ◦ Bazooka Joe Comics  1955 ◦ McDonalds starts ◦ Disneyland opens  1956 ◦ Wizard of Oz appears on TV  1957 ◦ Barbie ◦ Sleeping Beauty ◦ Frisbee is nationally marketed  1958 ◦ HULA Hoop rolls out ◦ Cocoa Krispies comes out(43% sugar)  1959

 Church membership: ◦ 1940:64,000,000 ◦ 1960:114,000,000  Television preachers denounced communism and promoted patriotism as much as their religious messages.  Reverend Billy Graham  ecumenical message; warned against the evils of Communism.  Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954

The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben Hur The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben Hur

 1946  7,000 TV sets in the U. S  50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S.  Mass Audience  TV celebrated traditional American values.  Television further homogenized American cultural and speech patterns  Rise of the Franchise and TV Dinners

Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier The Lone Ranger (and his faithful sidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked man?? Sheriff Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke

I Love Lucy The Honeymooners Glossy view of mostly middle-class suburban life. But... Social Winners?... AND… Losers?

 The Ed Sullivan Show  American Bandstand with host Dick Clark

 Playboy first published; first pictorials were of Marilyn Monroe.

 What kind of music do you listen to? What do you like so much about it?

Conformity and Conflict

 The Feminine Mystique – Betty Friedan (1963)  A1957 interview with her former college classmates, prompted Friedan to begin research for The Feminine Mystique, conducting interviews with other suburban housewives, as well as researching psychology, media, and advertising.  She discovered “the problem that has no name” - the widespread unhappiness of women persisted, although American culture insisted that fulfillment for women could be found in marriage and housewifery.  “The Pill” is developed in 1954, but not widely available until the 1960s. It earns its nickname because of the drastic impact it has on women’s control of their reproductive systems

 The “Beat Generation” – an underground, anti-conformist youth movement that developed in the artistic neighborhood of Greenwich Village in NYC  Central elements of "Beat" culture: experimentation with drugs, alternative forms of sexuality, an interest in Eastern religion, a rejection of materialism, and the idealizing of free expression and being.  "Beat" indicated the culture, the attitude and the literature, while the common usage of "beatnik" was that of a stereotype found in lightweight cartoon drawings and twisted, sometimes violent, media characters.

 Most influential Beat Authors ◦ Alan Ginsburg – Howl ◦ Jack Kerouac – On The Road

BeatsPreps

 Behavioral rules of the 1950s: ◦ Obey Authority. ◦ Control Your Emotions. ◦ Don’t Make Waves; Fit in with the Group. ◦ Don’t Even Think About Sex!!!

 Music was dubbed “Bubble Gum”  Lyrics were clean, melodies were light, and the singers were wholesome  Sounded very similar to the music of their parents’ generation  Artists such as Doris Day, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, and Pat Boone Dominated the charts ◦ Mr. Sandman ◦ Que Sera Sera ◦ (How Much is that) Doggie In The Window? ◦ Sh-Boom

 "The Rat Pack" - A group of entertainers who were close friends, and threw notorious parties at their New York and LA mansions.  Frank Sinatra  Judy Garland  Lauren Bacall  Humphrey Bogart  Katharine Hepburn  Spencer Tracy  Cary Grant  Added in the 1960s ◦ Sammy Davis Jr. ◦ Peter Lawford ◦ Dean Martin ◦ Joey Bishop

 Begin in 1952 as a local show in Philadelphia  1956 ABC picks it up as a national show Dick Clark becomes the host  Bandstand was where America's teens went to learn - not just the new songs but the new styles and the new dances.  “Regulars” became celebrities in their own right, sometimes creating new dances for the show that became fads across the nation (e.g. The Stroll)  Jerry Lee Lewis performs the first song on the national edition- “Whole Lotta Shaking Going On”  Dick Clark’s podium that he stood at, is now in the Smithsonian.

 The term “teenager” was first coined in the 1950s  By 1956 there were13 million teens with $7 billion to spend a year  1951  J. D. Salinger’s A Catcher in the Rye  Teenage Rebels (AKA: Juvenile Delinquents, JDs, Greasers, DAs, etc.) – Taking cues from college-aged Beatniks and rebels from movies (The Wild One; Rebel Without A Cause), many teens began breaking from away from mainstream culture ◦ Listened to rock and roll ◦ Experimented with drugs and alcohol ◦ Rebelled against authority ◦ Drove dangerous vehicles ◦ Were more promiscuous then their peers

 Rock and Roll music evolved from the combination of rhythm and blues, country, and jazz.  Early rock and roll was dubbed “rockabilly” for the rocking beat played with Western sounds.  What makes it rock and roll? - The beat is essentially a blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat.  Rock and roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn numerous sub- genres, often without the initially characteristic backbeat.  Rock Around the Clock is acknowledged as the first true rock and roll song

Most early rock music wasn’t heard by mass audiences because the artists were black – dubbed “race music” The music was often mellowed, cleaned up, and covered by “acceptable” white artists

 Alan Freed, AKA: Moondog – A Cleveland DJ who coined the term “Rock and Roll”  He helped bridge the gap of segregation among young teenage Americans, presenting music by African-American artists (rather than cover versions by white artists) on his radio program, and arranging live concerts attended by racially mixed audiences  Freed's career ended when it was shown that he had accepted payola (payments from record companies to play specific records)

 On January 3, 1950, Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service which let amateurs perform and be recorded. Phillips then would sell their performances to larger record labels.  His record label, Sun Records, produced more Rock and Roll records than any other record label of its time during its 16 year run, producing 226 singles.  He discovered the talents of Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and……

 Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley is the undisputed King of Rock and Roll  Based out of Sun Records in Memphis, Elvis was “a white artist able to sing black music,” bringing rock and roll to a wider audience than ever before.  He transitioned into movies, that were better known for the songs than for his acting abilities.  He had a massive following, with young girls near hysteria at the mere mention of his name.  He was considered too “sexual” for many audiences, including Ed Sullivan.

February 3, 1959 – A plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the “Big Bopper” crashed in a field outside Clear Lake, Iowa The artists chartered a flight to take them to the next stop on their tour because their tour busses were so run down. Bad weather conditions and pilot error caused the crash. In 1971, Don McLean wrote the song American Pie. The song dubbed it in popular culture as "The Day The Music Died,” which for McLean, symbolized the "loss of innocence" of the early rock-and-roll generation.

 3-D Movies 3-D Movies  Chlorophyll Chlorophyll  Coonskin Caps Coonskin Caps  Think Pink Think Pink  Poodles Poodles  Telephone Cramming Telephone Cramming  Burma Shave Burma Shave

 Starts in South Africa, goes to England, and then comes to California in  Record of 25 people set in S.Africa 22 in America  VW Beetle cramming also was a short-lived fad.

 Reemerge during the 1950’s  Images appear to be coming out at you  Moviegoers are giving the 3-D glasses  Most films were sci-fi or monster movies