SSUSH21 thru 25

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s-1970’s)

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1950’s.

• Popularity of Television forced other forms of Mass Media to compete for their audiences.

• 1946-1957: The number of Television sets owned in America went from 8,000 to 40 million.

• Televisions became important vehicles for information in the form of:

• During WWII, Televisions became more affordable for consumers.

Advertisement News Broadcasts Sports

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1950’s.

• Early Television programs fell into three main categories:

Comedy Action / Adventure Variety Shows

• As Television popularity grew, Movies lost viewers.

• By 1960, 1/5 of all Movie Theaters had closed.

• Several attempts by Hollywood failed to re-attract viewers, including:

Contests Door Prizes Advertising Campaigns

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1950’s.

• Between 1952-1954, Hollywood tried to make films more exciting by introducing 3-D movies.

• Cinemascope was a new development in film making that was larger and more panoramic.

• Epic Films took advantage of the new panoramic screens to attract audiences.

The Ten Commandments (1956) Bridge over the River Kwai (1956)

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1950’s.

• Due to Television, Radio Stations also had to develop new programing to win back audiences.

• Many began to specialize in presenting:

• Recorded Music • News and Weather • Popular Talk Shows

• During the 1950’s many young Americans turned their backs on the ideal being promoted by the adult society.

• Rock and Roll emerged as the music of the younger generation.

• Radio Disc Jockey, Alan Freed, of Cleveland, Ohio, was the first to start playing Rock and Roll on radio

• It became popular because it was loud, had a good beat, and was ideal for dancing.

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1950’s.

• 1956 – Teenagers first Rock and Roll Hero was Elvis Presley:

Eventually he become known as the “King of Rock and Roll.”

• Some of the other hits of the 1950’s came from artists like:

Buddy Holly Chuck Berry Bill Haley and the Comets

• Many Parents condemned the music for being loud, mindless, & dangerous.

• Rock and Roll helped create a Generation Gap between parents and teens.

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1950’s.

• Although African-American Entertainers struggled against discrimination to find acceptance in American society, radio allowed them some success.

• Popular African-American performers included:

Fats Domino Little Richard Ray Charles The Chiffons

1956 – 1958: NBC gave

Nat King Cole a Television

Variety Show

• Even though African-American music inspired many white performers . . . .

• Many white parents blamed them for corrupting their children.

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1950’s.

• 1948 - 1953: Anti-Social and Criminal Behavior increased among teenagers and young adults.

45% rise in the juvenile crime rate occurred

Car Thefts topped the list of popular crimes

Experts blamed everything from Rock & Roll, Television, Movies, Comic Books, to lack of Religion and Discipline

• Beatniks were another group of young people who despised the changing cultural values of the 1950’s

• The Beat Generation was often identified by their berets, goatees, bongo drums, and reciting poetry.

• Allen Ginsberg was a well known poet who wrote “Howl”

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1960’s.

• During the 1960’s the Beat Movement transformed itself into a counter-cultural revolution known as the “Hippie Movement.”

Instead of challenging society, they created their own society.

They rebelled against the common American culture through their outward appearance.

Often living in social groups known as Communes.

Long Hair and Headbands Long, loose, comfortable dresses Shabby & Patches jeans Colorful and Fringed clothing

They Embraced Astrology and the Spirituality of Eastern Religions.

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1960’s.

• The “Hippie” Culture was popularized in theater plays and movies like:

• The 1960’s also attracted America’s young adults to the magic of Eastern Religious movements like:

“Hare Krishna's”

Linked to the Hindu God

Krishna and the Lifestyle of

Ancient India

“Moonies”

Who believed that their

Korean leader, Sun Myung Moon ,

was the next Messiah

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1960’s.

• Traditional art forms were being challenged by a new art form called Pop Art.

Deriving its subject matter from elements of popular culture

Inspired by photography, comic books, advertisement, & cultural objects

• Among the most well know Pop Artists, were:

Andy Warhol’s images of famous people Roy Lichtenstein’s Comic Art

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1960’s.

• Hollywood exposed their audiences to traditional and new forms of movies:

Historical Epic (1963) Horror (1960) Comedy (1963)

Science Fiction (1968) Spy Thrillers (1960’s) Spaghetti Westerns (1966)

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1960’s.

• Television in the 60’s mirrored the generation gap that now existed between adults and the younger generation.

• The three major broadcasting companies (ABC, NBC, and CBS) tried to balance their programing between adult morality and teen popularity.

Andy Griffith Gunsmoke Addams Family American Bandstand

• Dick Clark’s popular “American Bandstand” exposed the whole country to the ever changing styles of music that was mirrored the nation’s social issues.

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1960’s.

• America’s youth (and the world’s) were attracted to Rock and Roll by its ability to shake up and even topple the dominant social establishment.

• The Beatles became the new teen sensation that inspired a new sense of freedom.

• Other musicians that had an impact on American society included:

Bob Dylan Jimmy Hendrix Rolling Stones B. B. King

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1960’s.

• The cultural changes of the 1960’s culminated in one of the greatest musical events in history, held in White lake, New York:

• It was considered an Aquarian Exposition of 3 Days of Peace and Music

• 32 Acts performed outdoors in front of over 400,000 concert goers

• It was a metaphor for the 60’s counter-culture of free sex, drugs, rock & roll

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1970’s.

• Television in the 70’s began presenting revolutionary ideas reflecting the rapidly changing culture of the times.

Unmarried Working Women and the Women’s Rights Movement

Working Class Bigotry and a

Myriad of Social Issues

Changing African American Roles in Business and Social Standing

Focusing on continued Inner City

Poverty

• Both Television and Movies demonstrated a willingness to provide more leading roles to minorities.

Sydney Poitier

James Earl Jones

Cicely Tyson

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1970’s.

• Music of the 70’s reflected the changing moods from the Protest Movements of the 60’s to the new fads of the 80’s.

• Hard Driving Rock sounds gave way to Softer Melodies and Disco Music.

America’s Changing Culture (1950’s – 1970’s)

Popular Culture of the 1970’s.

• Fads and Fashions of the 70’s reflected American beliefs in self-expression and self-discovery.