The Influence of Film and Radio on the American People in the 30's

The era of the Roaring Twenties, was a time of great societal change. Many of these changes were greatly influenced by jazz music. During this time, the country was coming out of World War I and the attitude of most people was dark and dismal. Dance and music clubs became tremendously popular in an effort to improve the quality of life for many people.

All through United States history our country has encountered numerous prosperous time periods where our general public as a whole has changed in a positive way. One particular decade that gainfully effected our nation was the nineteen twenties, which can likewise be alluded to as the Roaring Twenties or Jazz Age. The Jazz Age Positively affected American life and society because people were into this new style of music, jazz. Numerous other innovations during this period also changed the minds of the U.S. individuals, which basically modified the nations norms and ethics. It will become obvious how jazz music impacted life during the economically bloated roaring twenties. This paper will also talk about how music, movies, literature, vehicles, fashion, crime and new ethics brought about the Jazz Age, which basically could be named the most prominent, socially successful decade in United States history.

Although the roaring twenties are usually thought of as a time of universal prosperity, the reality is that unless one was Caucasian and well-to-do, society tended to shun the outliers (women, minorities, etc), propelling them out of political affairs and social scenes. Women rebelled, becoming increasingly promiscuous as the decade wore on. In 1920, it would have been unheard of to show an ankle, sport a bob haircut, or darken one’s eyes with what seemed like paint. By 1928, the younger generation was revealed as socially progressive, engaging in previously unthinkable behavior such as smoking, drinking in bars, and sex. Flappers became prevalent, with their flouncy skirts and short hair adorned with a jeweled headband. The decade earned its second nickname, “The Jazz Age”, from the incredible musical talents that emerged out of Harlem and other areas of the United States, leading to a less “restrained” entertainment.

How many people today watch family sitcoms to imitate or compare values with their own? Probably not as many as there were in the 1950s. In Stephanie Coontz's "What We Really Miss about the 1950s", she discusses why people feel more nostalgic towards growing up in the 1950s, and how she disagrees that 1950s wasn't the decade that we really should like or remember best. Apart from economic stability, family values played an important part then. Through television sitcoms, such as "Leave it to Beaver", "Father knows Best", families watched them to make sure they were living correctly. It was like guidance and somewhat reassurance. However, values of families have changed, and this is shown on sitcoms today. We watch sitcoms today for

The radio was used extensively during the 1920’s which altered society’s culture. Society’s culture was significantly affected by the radio because the radio allowed people to listen to new entertainment. Radio became deeply integrated into people’s lives during the 1920’s. It transformed the daily lifestyles of its listeners. Radio altered the definition of fame and celebrity which were acquiring greater worth during the 1920’s. (What Was the Impact of Radio and the Movies in the 1920s?, 2010) Through the Radio’s widespread use, culture became more untied as people were listening to the same news and entertainment. People were also listening to the same views and ideas making for a more united society. As people started to have more choices for entertainment, this led to a culture that was very centered on having fun. “In a setting where individual exploits were being reported by multiple outlets and the fascination with these endeavors began to develop into a full blown industry, the growth of… radio helped to satiate the desire to partake in the glory and folly of fame…” (What Was the Impact of Radio and the

The 1960’s was and important time in American history. Television became popular. John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as president and a few years later was assassinated. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was introduced. The psychedelic movement 1960’s. The Vietnam War. Despite all the things that was happening in the 1960’s it was still a great and bad time of that era.

The Jazz Age, otherwise known as the Roaring twenties marked a time period when the economy excelled. American society was experiencing a new extravagant routine and were feeling lightheatened and optimistic after WWI. Many people felt that it was a time to become rich, drink hard liquor and spend their time partying, although many burnt out early in their life. There was several new crazes that came with the lavish lifestyle including dance and flag pole sitting. The increased interest in party included the excessive ingestion of alcohol and soon led to a prohibition but people soon found loop holes. The 1920s was an exciting part of US history where national celebrities in sport, music and film emerged along with the introduction of Jazz

The jazz music of the 1920’s is one example of the scandalous lives of the elite and their elaborate parties that broke barriers for the innovation of American culture.

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.

Parties during the 1920s is an influential moment in America’s history. It is evident that this decade shaped America in what it is today. There were positive changes, including the Harlem Renaissance and the birth of Jazz as an art form. Also, women became more free in fashion choices and were able to show their feminine sides with beautiful flapper dresses and original hairstyles . They were able to show off their legs, the looks that women had back then reflect their culture and nighttime style that they had during parties.

The nineteen twenties can be bestowed numerous names, such as “The Roaring Twenties,” or “The Prosperity Decade.” One name, however, is specifically attached to the nineteen twenties; “The Jazz Age.” It is during the nineteen twenties that jazz music becomes emphatically prevailing. With this new age, however, as with every age, comes a demeanor of fashion, spirit, and custom. The wealthy class of the Jazz Age, composing of Jay Gatsby, the Buchanans, and so on, prospers during this time. In chapter three, Nick Carraway proceeds to one of Jay Gatsby’s splendid parties, and scrutinizes the denouement of the amalgamation of wealth and a “Jazz Age” party. As Nick Carraway alleges on page forty, “By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived, no thin five-piece affair, but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos, and low and high drums… The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter…” From the quote on page forty, one may indubitably visualize how those such as Jay Gatsby or the Buchanans subsist on an everyday basis. During the Jazz

First of all, the culture in New York City and Long Island in the 1920’s was roaring with many good and bad opportunities. There were many choices to be had, from parties to nightclubs to movie theaters. “The twenties witnessed the large scale use of automobiles, telephones, motion pictures, and electricity” (Boundless) which opened up a new way of life. These things changed every day life and drew people from the country to the city and attracted foreigners. The city was always in constant motion, from late nights to “roaring noon” (Fitzgerald 69). There were extravagant parties that lasted way into the night and often into the morning until noon. The latest technology such as cars and telephones gave people endless opportunities for entertainment.

The ‘Golden Age of Television’ is what many refer to as the period between the 1950s and 60s when the television began to establish itself as a prevalent medium in the United States. In 1947, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and the Du Mont Network were the four main television networks that ran stations with regular programming taking place. (Television, 2003) While regular television programming was a new innovation, the television itself had been commercially available for over twenty years prior to the 50s. It was conceived by many worldly innovators and went through several testing stages before it was finally completed in the late twenties. The

In America, the 1920s was an extremely critical time, especially for the African-Americans of the time. The Harlem Renaissance was booming. Citizens were bringing all poetry, art, and music to the next level in the roaring 20s. They call this the “Jazz Age” for a reason. Jazz music started to appear in dance venues and clubs. One such club was the famous Cotton Club. People were either enamored by it, or appalled by it. Jazz was all about movement; it was driven by syncopation and improvisation, and for some it was highly regarded as “the devil’s music. “Music, is a cultural reaction to specific environmental factors.

The 1920s is often stereotyped as the “Golden Twenties”, “Jazz Age”, and the “Roaring Twenties”. This was because the 1920s glorified and fantasized this era as being a wonderful time of excitement. During this time, there was also dramaturgic divide between the America’s pastime, and future. The nineteenth century, before World War I remained rooted culturally, without alteration. With the rise of the next generation, America seemed to disconnect its current attachment to the past, and guide into a more modern age. The divide between innovation and tradition created extreme contradictions as it switched over to urbanism and modernism (Zeitz). The 1920s also showed the economic boom from post World War I, the great migration of African American’s from the South to search for opportunity, and racial violence with the rise of the KKK.