Popular Culture In The 1920's

Throughout American history and the 1900’s, fads have been a hugely successful form of self expression. From fashion, to recreation, to dumb and sometimes dangerous things that youths do, fads are a way to distract from the troubles of the world and find something else fun to do.

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 1920's also saw the growth of the motion picture industry. It was highly influential and helped shape popular culture by promoting the diffusion of common values and attitudes nationwide. Soon movie studios began building elaborate movie palaces in cities, and by 1930, the movie attendance grew to about 115 million. Movies performed many purposes. It created national trends in clothing and hairstyles and even served as a form of sex education.

The Roaring Twenties was a time of change and innovation with the rise in new technology. Even though electricity was available to Americans before the 1920s only a small percentage of American household had electricity. By the height of the Roaring Twenties about two thirds of American households had electricity. With the rise of electricity came the popular household items such as the electric vacuum cleaner and the automatic washing machine. As the twenties proceeded the automobile because extremely popular. The young generation used the automobile to escape from the watchful eye of the older generations. Often, the automobile was used for scandalous meetings between lovers. Another innovation of the Roaring Twenties is film. Film became one of the main sources of entertainment for Americans during the 1920s. “By the mid-1920s movie theatres were selling 50 million tickets each week, a sum equal to roughly half the US population” (Zeitz). The movies theatre not only served as a source of entertainment, but the theaters also served as a classroom for the young generation. The young adults learned about love and sex is scandalous movies such as Flaming Youth. Movie theatres also served as a source of news and a place for propaganda and advertisements. Radio also experienced a vast expansion during the 1920s. Radio sparked a radical change the country’s awareness. News such as election results could be broadcasted live across the nation so that citizens could be more aware of what was going on in the country. Radio also provided a source of entertainment by broadcasting sporting events like the World Series. Radio contributed to liberalism by broadcasting “‘race music’, ‘hillbilly’ sounds, and ethnic recordings” into

The endless amount of wealth lead to the excess amount of everything in sight. The introduction of mass entertainment was very revolutionary during this time. The young generation drifted from the traditional ways and began to do what was believed to be taboo by their elders. The cities were now run by the youngsters and their money. Another area which was greatly important during this era was the endless amount of alcohol which was being distributed at parties even though it was illegal at this time. Every party during this era had some type of alcohol and the cuisine during this era was also very extravagant and unique because there was no worry about the cost. Money was always available and all that really mattered was how well the party was. Advances in technology were also very revolutionary because it allowed for bigger parties and more

The Roaring Twenties was a time period in which an influx of leisure and individuality freedom ran rampant. Enjoying the fruits of their labor, Americans spent more on recreational activities like the theater, arts and especially the golden screen cinema. The rise of entertainment innovation and technology paved the way for the American film industry. As Hollywood influence proliferated on the global cinematic marketplace; conservative Americans feared the moral implications that movies would inflict on the younger generation. The primary source is of a teenage girl Mary, who shares her experiences of motion pictures as a frequent customer. The source is based on her outlook and beliefs which can be interpreted as bias.

Before we began researching on the Mass Consumer Culture of the 1920’s I already knew a little information on the Model-T, the assembly line and of “Buy now, pay later”.However, I just knew a brief information on how it impacted the 1920’s but not in depth. As we began researching I learned that the half of the nation's automobiles were bought through credit and that some department stores created credit lines for customers to buy clothing and other items. In addition, I learned that there were many different ways for advertising. This included the radio, billboards, posters and catchy slogans. After watching my peers presentation I learned that whenever I’m presenting I should be familiar with the topic I am presenting about instead of

America experienced a cultural rise and shift during the nineteen twenties fueled by the spread of transformational new technologies such as the automobiles, radios, movies, electrical appliances, sports, and music (pgs.783-784). This may have signaled a “New Era” of improvement for American living; however, some would say it was a reshaping of American culture (pg.784). Although, economically things were booming, things were not necessarily for the moral fabric of America. The 1920s became a “revolution in manners and morals.” The economy was witnessing a revolutionary change with the onset of new technological advancements in the way people were living.

During the 1920’s sometimes referred to as the "Jazz Age", America was taking its last final steps from the traditional period to new era of modernization. It was a time in which American popular culture reshaped itself in response to the urban, industrial, consumer- oriented society America was becoming (Brinkley 641). In this reshape two sides stood in defense of their beliefs, the traditionalist who wanted America to stay the same or go back to the way it was. Rebelling against the new customs and morals of the urban middle class, they sought to defend older values. However, the new modernist looked forward to change; embracing the future and its fore coming traditions and ethics.

The economic boom of the Nineteen Twenties caused major changes to both American business, and American culture. One of the monologues from the play, “Ile” by Eugene O'Neill encapsulates parts of this concept. The character is trying to get ile which also means he is trying to gain money, since inflation has probably increased the value of this object, even though the object is in a very inhospitable and highly dangerous climate. This encompasses the greed that fills the person of the 20’s, with money having increased value, then it would make someone rich to go and risk their life, and many other lives, for a measly object. This includes the lives of loved ones, Mr. Keeney, the speaker in the monologue, is still reluctant to return to safety,

In the Roaring 20s a new type of art form, known as film, took society by surprise. Silent films allowed for people to view and express ideas and art while reaching a bigger audience. In the midst of the Great Depression, film offered a new type of entertainment. In the 1920s and 30s, film became a major form of escape for many people. The world of entertainment was transformed by silent films.

Movies have always been an important part of American's lives. They are a way to escape everyday life and experience action and adventure of some sort. Throughout time, movies have developed into what they are today. During a time of depression and economic worries, The Hollywood Movie Industry flourished and greatly influenced people's lives in the 1930s.

Film was also known as movies. During the depression, directors and some actors brainstormed for film to make, trying to stay off the street. Warner Brothers made self-conscious movies, which became quickly famous. Such as Heroes for Sale, and They won’t Forget. Paramount was known to have stylish witty projects, such as Cleopatra starring Cecil B. DeMilles, and the Angel starring Ernst Lubitsch and Marlene Dietrich. Another director named Metro Goldwyn Mayer was a master with writing screwball comedies and also light thrillers; they are “The Thin Man, and Frankenstein.” That people have loved so much, we still watch them today. Different varieties were coming out during this terrible time in history. So under studio-system, people distributed films from A-B movies. The A movies were big budget star studded features, but the B movies were more “cheapie” films. And every week a B film went out, it was a fifty/ fifty whether it would be a hit. They were often used though for experiments and were aimed for the smaller audiences. During this hard times like war, or for this instance the great depression people needed to be entertained. And in 1930 was no exception. The people loved several forms of entertainment, particularly if it’s inexpensively. With the addition of sound, films became extremely popular. Comedies, gangster movies, and musicals helped people to calm down and forget about their

An important event relevant to both events is World War II. America emerged as a world power house from World War II, and much of this could be because it wasn’t fought on our turf (except for Pearl Harbor). It’s very important to mention that the war ironically ended the great depression as factories engendered an economy and everyone rallied around nationalism and jingoistic pride. With this said, also, people wanted to move out of cities and find safer spaces in suburban areas; the rise of suburbia (Lewis, p. 194). With people moving out of cities (where the theatres were), there was nobody to watch the movies (very unlikely that suburban towns had a theater).

The cinema in 20th century has been producing as well as disseminating mass popular culture. The cinema in 20th century is usually overlooked in number of other ways. The cinema has played a very important role in mediatisation of the society. Looking back at the time when the first cinema was released, there were many people who viewed it in mass. The use of a film projector and a camera resulted in a cinema. It was the very first electronic medium