Mass Media In The 1920s

Furthermore, in spite of women gaining independence they started to shock society by their rebellious fashion styles and attitudes. Their rebellious attitudes were shown mainly through fashion choices: hemlines got raised, more jewelry became worn, makeup got heavier and hair became shorter.1 According to the 1920’s Vanity Fair, these magazines allowed people to stay updated on Women’s Suffrage and fashion ideas. In the light of, 1920’s Vanity Fair, many of the images shown were of women’s fashion which consisted of ‘Flappers’ who were the progressive, sexually liberated woman of the 1920’s.45

The Progressive Era was between the 1890’s to the 1920’s and had a wide impact on America. A very big part of this era was the media and journalists. The two combined brought to light on many issues in America that the average citizen had no idea of, which changed the country in a variety of ways. However, not everything the media did had positive feedback. Media during the progressive era affected the country in both positive and negative ways.

Thanks to Coco Chanel, the iconic flapper image most closely associated with the roaring twenties came about. The flapper and flapper image didn’t actually come to be until around 1926 and even then was only in style for about three years. Typical flappers were women who appeared to have a bold attitude and were independent women who didn’t adhere to the previously innocent housewife image. A flapper usually had a bob haircut, a shorter than average dress, a flat chest, wore tons of make-up, drank illegal alcohol, smoked with a long cigarette holder, exposed her limbs and danced the Charleston. This was a drastic change from the typical American housewife to the reckless rebel. The flapper dresses stressed above the knee hemlines and construed straight, sleek shapes. This was the first time in centuries women’s legs were being seen in a garment. (1920s Fashion 1) Flappers loved to jazz up their costume and even their image. Many flappers’ dresses were adorned with jewels and intricate beading. The main object of the flapper image was to appear almost boyish rather than looking feminine. (1920s clothing 1)

The Roaring Twenties started in North America and spread to Europe as the effects of World War I diminished. In Europe, the years following the First World War (1919-1923) were marked by a deep recession. Europe spent these years in rebuilding and coming to terms with the vast human cost of the conflict. Unlike in the aftermath of World War II, the United States did little to try to rebuild Europe. Instead, it took an increasingly isolationist stance (Answers, 2006).

The reputation and culture of women changed substantially with the emergence of the Roaring Twenties. Gone was the traditional, and sheltered All-American girl who aspired to a housewife. It was seen as inappropriate for these women to even show their ankles out in public. The new “Flapper” girl was a young woman who wore short and relaxed dresses, used makeup, smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol, and attended glamorous parties (Document 2a). Flappers were liberated and bold, and were the complete opposite of the traditional American housewife. The Flapper girl

A ten year gap can really impact a society. This is evident in the times of the 1920s through the 1930s. These decades are very different from one another. This paper compares and contrasts the traits of these times in the world of pop culture. Pop culture is an accurate way to observe the past because it shows everything that was mainstream and a staple of the time.

The flappers, that began flourishing during World War I, by the 1920’s had become a prominent character with their very own defining characteristics. Around the time of the WWI woman were closer than ever before to gaining women’s rights, giving women the confidence they needed to make change happen(2 2). By the time the war ended, flappers had gained an image of “slender woman in short straight dresses, long beaded necklaces, and bobbed hair, drinking gin and dancing the Charleston (1 167)”4. The flappers were the new woman of the era that were opinionated

Fashion changed the mentality of Americans in many ways as well. The most common type of girl in the 1920s was flappers. The term “flapper” first appeared in Great Britain after World War I, it was a word used to describe young girls (Rotenberg). It then began popular in the 1920s. Flappers were northern, urban, single, young middle class women, many held steady jobs (“Flappers”). Flappers engaged in active city night life. Speakeasies were common destination for the flappers (“Flappers”). It was a place where they could completely be themselves. The flapper movement began when young women decided that they were not willing to waste away their young lives waiting idly for spinsterhood; they were going to enjoy life (Rosenberg). Many people disliked flappers. The flapper attitude was characterized by stork, truthfulness, fast living, and sexual behavior (Rosenberg). Flappers were usually younger women. The flappers were viewed disdainfully by an older generation as wild (“1920s dress fashion rise and fall”). The flappers’ style was very rare and

The television did not yet exist and radios did not enter widespread use until the 1920s and '30s. Technological improvements in the publishing industry starting from the linotype machine, the telegraph, telephone, and use of a chemical wood pulp process for making more durable newspaper spread across the country after the Civil War. Approximately 2 million newspapers were sold in the United States in

Rising international hostility and intensifying wars became a source of aesthetic influence in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Due to multiple wars across the world and dwindling military support in America, news media and propaganda artists found inspiration in exploring the political and social controversies both in America and around the world. Newspaper publishers, such as the New York World and the New York Journal thrived in analyzing and reporting progress made in the fight to obtain power in smaller countries: “Two newspapers locked in a fierce competition for readers, William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, strove to outdo each other with sensational headlines about every Spanish atrocity in

in the twenties when a man by the name of Charlie Chaplain who was known for his "tramp" look, dominated the silent movie business. He was considered one of the most talented actors of the 20’s. Also during the 20’s radio was the popular for of listening to music and listening to the news. In the later 1920’s the television was created which now aloud people to see a picture in their home for entertainment, but the television did not surpass the radio entertainment wise, because most people were unable to afford it.

After the First World War, many people were looking forward to good times. The 1920’s presented people with this time of fast-paced fun and adventure. Entertainment was the foremost part of everyday life during the 1920’s. Radio introduced a whole new practice of entertainment to people’s everyday lives. Likewise, through the utilization of the radio, people were able to experience a new medium to entertain themselves. Furthermore, the radio changed the face of society’s culture through its widespread use. In addition, radios provided people with a new, effective and efficient means of communication. Radio was a fundamental aspect in people’s lives during the 1920’s as it provided many people with news and entertainment in their

The 1920’s was an era of Jazz and Liquor for the people looking to have amusement and seek attention from the media. To put it in another way, the media was extremely bias in hopes of producing higher ratings, and gain money. The truth about any story that the media presented, was hardly ever shown or was twisted intentionally by the writer. Chicago represents the media as Puppets, writing down any untruthful statements concerning the murder that Roxie committed towards the Fred Casely. Without any witnesses, Roxie and Billy Flinn (her lawyer)brought the case to a close by claiming the murder to be self defense.

The development of 1920s and 1930s media and technology was extremely influential upon the period of time immediately after. Media in the 1920-30s and its relevance to the years that followed, focusing on the western world. Through the journalism and writing movements during the era, new technology was exposed to the public and impacted events in the years that followed. The term technology can also apply to machinery, medicine and weaponry; however, none of them corresponded with the changes to media in the 1920s and 1930s. The evolvement of media and technology in the 1920s and 1930s impacted events during the era and later in the Second World War.

The 1920s was a period of change and reform in many things ranging from entertainment, consumerism, and fashion. Fashion, one of the greatest changes in the 1920s was influenced by designers such as Coco Chanel, Jean Patou, Clara Bow, also known as the “It Girl” all influenced fashion for both women and men in the 20s. Previously, women had to behave polite and modestly and had to wear long dresses down to the ankles. But some women started to go past those social boundaries that were set by society. These women would go to speakeasies and smokes in public. The women who did these things are referred to as flappers. Men and some women saw flappers as a disgrace and were disgusted by their way of living. Slowly, as the years began to pass, women such as Coco Chanel, Jean Patou, and Clara Bow came into the fashion and entertainment industry changing the fashion and women’s ideas.