1950s American Culture How does social/historical/cultural context inform the values, choices and limitations of characters in All About Eve?

The 1950s Conservatism, complacency, and contentment OR Anxiety, alienation, and social unrest?

The American Dream: Post-War Morality and Fear Americans spent the 50s moving and searching. They moved physically, from the Northeast to the South and West—California's population grew by 49% during the Fifties, Florida's by 79%. They moved from rural areas to cities and from cities to suburbs. By 1960, a third of the country's population lived in the 'burbs. Many people were content, but many others felt ill at ease because of the speed at which the world was changing. Desperate not to relive the trauma of the Depression and all the casualties of World War II, America wanted another age of innocence In the face of change, people craved rules and boundaries, with a significant increase in religious fervour and, through TV, the dissemination of gender roles and the need for conformity and order. These values were linked to the idea of an “All American” lifestyle and patriotism, and any deviation from this was associated with Communism.

Popular Culture A new era of mass media led by television emerged in the 1950s In 1948, only 9% of homes had T.V In 1950, 55% of homes had T.V. By 1960, 90% of American homes had T.V.

Advertising is everywhere today in America The Advertising Age The advertising industry capitalised on runaway consumerism by encouraging more spending Ads were everywhere Ad agencies increased their spending 50% during the 1950s Advertising is everywhere today in America

The Golden Age of Television The 1950s was known as the “Golden Age of Television” Mass Audience  TV celebrated traditional American values. Comedies were the main attraction as Milton Berle, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were very popular Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball starred in I Love Lucy

TV Ads and Dinners! TV advertising soared from $170 million in 1950 to nearly $2 billion in 1960 TV Guide magazine quickly became the best selling magazine Frozen TV dinners were introduced in 1954 – these complete ready-to-heat meals on disposable aluminum trays made it easy for people to eat without missing their favorite shows

Ozzie and Harriet reflected the perfect American family The American Dream After WWII ended, Americans turned their attention to their families and jobs New businesses and technology created opportunities for many By the end of the 1950s, Americans were enjoying the highest standard of living in the world Ozzie and Harriet reflected the perfect American family

The Nuclear Family In the 1950's the ‘normal’ American family consisted of a breadwinner father, homemaker mother, and several children, all living in homes in the suburbs on the outskirts of a larger city. It was a narrow view of a model family, yet it pervaded the media and was widely accepted as the ideal and most normal.

Redefining the Family After WWII American society dictated that a return to traditional roles was the norm and should be something that all people strive for Men were expected to work, while women were expected to stay home and care for the children Conflict emerged as many women wanted to stay in the workforce Divorce rates surged

Gender Roles in the 1950s The emerging popularity of American television helped shape gender roles for both men and women through the 1950s. Expanding families and young children were reared in a TV generation, where gender roles were clearly defined by the societal ideal. Shows like the 1954 sitcom "Father Knows Best" established in the title the patriarchal sentiment of the decade, where men not only were the primary breadwinners but ultimately presided over the family unit itself.

Women’s Roles in the 1950s During the 1950s, the role of homemaker and mother was glorified in popular magazines, movies and television Caring mothers, diligent spouses, obedient partners, and "good" wives. They were expected to carry out her man's every order and agree with him on everything. A good wife always knew her place.

Well-Defined Gender Roles The ideal modern woman married, cooked and cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained guests in her family’s suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure. - Life magazine, 1956 The ideal 1950s man was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house. - Life magazine, 1955

Women At Work Higher education for women was not valued within society, however, when American men went to war, women had no choice but to enter the workforce, in part because industry needed to continue, and in part because they needed to earn a wage to support their families. When men returned from the war many women did not want to return to their Homemaker status and wanted to remain working. However, those women who did work were finding job opportunities limited to fields such as nursing, teaching and office support Women earned far less than man for comparable jobs

Men’s roles in the 1950s While it is true that women experienced very prescriptive gender roles in the 1950’s, so too did men. As the head of the family, the man is expected to be the bread winner, the one who works hard to earn a wage, so that he can financially support his family. In the 1950s, most husbands had attended college or vocational training. Their educational background afforded them the opportunity to find a job. Men had a great deal of pressure on them to ensure that they supported and protected their families, needing to demonstrate wisdom, strength, bravery and unemotional detachment almost on demand. Just as the women were bombarded with images in which they were supposed to live up to, the men were expected to be a blend of the classic American Cowboy, the American War Hero, the wise and steady Father (think Atticus Finch). Finally, men were expected to keep an orderly household, a wife or child that does not behave in socially acceptable ways reflects badly on him and his ability to “discipline” them.

What does this mean for All About Eve? Consider the women and consider the men – what are their anxieties, their paranoias, their fears? How are these informed by the time and place that they are living in – what has come before them, what the expectations are NOW, and what they anticipate in the future? Bill and Hollywood? Lloyd and being a famous playwright in his own right? Birdie and vaudeville? Eve coming from her family farm? Eve leaving for Hollywood? Miss Caswell turning to TV? Margo and marriage? Karen and her role as wife? Single women seeking security in men (eg. in Addison, Lloyd)? Class preoccupations – lust for fame, adoration (fortune?)? All the characters wanting in some way to belong? Power of conformity in time of when individuality was not only undesirable, it was also suspicious (MacCarthyism era and panic over potential spread of communism?)?