Chapter 19, Section 3

 1948 – the TV becomes widely available  1960 – 90% of homes had a TV

 Small box with round screens  Meager programming and broadcasting  Black and White  Broadcasting reached only part of the East Coast and lasted only 2 hours per week  Microwave relays could transmit TV waves over long distances – industry soared

 1956 – FCC allowed 500 new stations to broadcast  Huge attraction to comedy – “I Love Lucy”  New broadcasting innovations  On the scene news reporting  Interviewing  Huge entertainment variety  Businesses began advertising - $2 billion by 1960  TV Guide outsold magazines  TV dinners were born

 There were critics of TV  Effects on children  Stereotypical portrayal of women and minorities  Male characters outnumbered female 3:1  Minorities rarely appeared  Portrayal of the 1950s idealized white family  Omitted references to poverty, diversity, contemporary conflicts – WHY?

 Radio and Movies survived!  Why do you think they were able to survive?  Radio  News, weather, music, and community issues  Radio advertising rose 35%  Number of stations increased by 50%  Movies  Sales did decrease and the industry was afraid  Size, Color, and Stereophonic Sound  Smell-o-Vision and Aroma-Rama  3-D

 Dissenting voices made their opinions known  The Beat Movement – literature  Rock ’n’ Roll – music  Clashed with the view of the tidy suburban life  Set the stage for the counterculture of the 1960s

 Expressed the social and literary nonconformity of artists, poets, and writers  Centered in San Francisco, New York City’s Greenwich Village, and LA  Beat – originally meant “weary,” but came to refer to a musical beat as well  Followers – “beats” or “beatniks”  Lived nonconformist lives and tended to sun regular work seeking higher consciousness through Zen Buddhism, music, drugs

 “There’s nothing really new about the beat philosophy. It consists merely of the average American’s value scale-turned inside out. The goals of the Beat are not watching TV, not wearing gray flannel, not owning a home in the suburbs, and especially – not working.”

 What does Kerouac say?  Why is he writing?  What is he trying to tell the audience?  How do his words and observations compare to the ideal 1950s life?  If you could ask Kerouac anything, assuming he is still alive, what would it be?

What does Kerouac say? Why is he writing? What is he trying to tell the audience? How do his words and observations compare to the ideal 1950s life? If you could ask Kerouac anything, assuming he is still alive, what would it be?

 The music’s heavy rhythm, simple melodies, and lyrics captivated teenagers across the country.  Elvis Presley was the unofficial “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”  Live appearances hugely popular  Rebellious style captivated young audiences  Many adults condemned rock ‘n’ roll  Leads to delinquency and immorality  “wails rock ‘n’ roll tunes, flails erratically, and wiggles like a peep-show dancer.”

 African American music had inspired the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll  Many of the greatest performers were African American – Berry and Penniman  Others paved the way for African American representation in the entertainment field  Jazz artists entertained audiences of all races  African American shows were segregated  The ongoing segregation and racial tensions led to the turbulent 1960s