HISTORY IN YOUR EYES AND EARS Pop Culture Populism HISTORY IN YOUR EYES AND EARS

What is Pop Culture? Popular culture or pop culture is the entirety of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream of a given culture. For our purposes we will think of pop culture as the media that we consume. Such as music, tv, movies, magazines, websites, photos……the list goes on

Pop Culture is a Representation of Society Pop culture items are like any other historical document. They should be regarded as creations of a specific time and place that we can use to illustrate points about: class, gender, cultural values, politics, economic life.

Pop Culture Populism Is The Wizard of Oz a musical fantasy or a “parable on Populism”?

Wizard of Oz The Wizard of Oz has been used for years in many political cartoons. People find various symbolic meanings and they can adapt the story to current events.

Bush asks the Wizard of Oz for proof of Iraqi weapons Artist: Edward Smith Date: 2003-01-10

Wizard of Oz, Paul Wolfowitz, reveals truth about Saddam's WMD Artist: Kirk Anderson Date: 2003-06-04

A little background on the Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum The Author of The Wizard of Oz In favor of many Populist movements Political views may have influenced writing Helped produce a musical which was the premise for the 1939 MGM musical

What is Populism? Populists in late nineteenth century America wanted to help the common people They advocated measures that would help farmers and laborers They supported the free coinage of silver and government ownership of the railroads

The Populist metaphors can be found in… Settings Key Objects Characters

KANSAS IN THE LATE 1800s Farmer discontent and Populist politics were concentrated in Kansas Suffering from a drought—many farmers going through hard times Farmers wanted the free coinage of silver to help them out of debt (If there was inflation the farmers income would increase but their debts would remain the same making them easier to pay off!)

CYCLONE Cyclones used in many Populist political cartoons Some pamphlets compared the depression of the 1890s to a cyclone

Dorothy’s house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, and she gets…

The Ruby Slippers Originally silver Changed to ruby because of color technology Symbolize the power of the silver movement

The Yellow Brick Road Represents balance between silver and gold movements Journey on road is dangerous-gold standard might not be wise

DOROTHY Common people From a Kansas farm Does not see the power of slippers at first

THE SCARECROW Represents farmers Farmers thought to be ignorant—looking for a brain Shows common sense throughout the story—has always had a brain Shows belief that farmers were not as ignorant as wealthy people thought

THE TIN MAN Industrial workers Wants a heart—dehumanized Physically strong, hollow inside Stuck when they found him—workers felt trapped in an economic rut

THE COWARDLY LION Represents William Jennings Bryan—Populist leader Looking for courage—Bryan thought to be a coward by some Possessed courage all along

WICKED WITCH OF THE EAST Stands for wealthy people of the East favoring gold currency Symbolic of big businesses and corporations who also wanted gold standard Dorothy kills her—defeats people who wanted gold currency

WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST Personification of harsh natural forces of west, such as the drought Dorothy’s main adversary—present throughout entire story

Uses nature to hurt Dorothy and friends Poppy field Flying monkeys

She is killed by water, just like a drought

THE WIZARD Lives in The Emerald City= Washington, DC the home of the President Represents leadership during the depression Could be William McKinley

ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE THEORY: SOME SAY… Baum was not really a Populist supporter The metaphors are purely coincidental

Is the movie musical still a populist metaphor? DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOOK AND MOVIE Silver slippers changed to ruby Glinda changed from Good Witch of the South to the Good Witch of the North Is the movie musical still a populist metaphor?

The Farmer is the Man Context: This song can be dated to at least the 1890s, and makes the point that ultimately, everyone lives off the farmer, because without him nobody eats. Farmer’s rallied around this song because it gave their work dignity and pointed out what they saw as a flaw in the country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE750eEBWOk

When the farmer comes to town with his wagon broken down The farmer is the man that feeds 'em all If you'll only look an' see, I think you will agree That the farmer is the man that feeds 'em all The farmer is the man The farmer is the man Lives on credit 'til the fall Then they take him by the hand And they lead him from the land And the middle man's the one that gets it all When the lawyer hangs around, and the butcher cuts a pound The farmer is the man that feeds 'em all And the preacher and the cook, they go strollin' by the brook But the farmer is the man that feeds 'em all

The farmer is the man The farmer is the man Lives on credit 'til the fall With the interest rates so high It's a wonder he don't die For the mortgage man's the one that gets it all When the banker says he's broke, and the merchant's up in smoke They forgets that it's the farmer feeds 'em all It would put them to the test, if the farmer took a rest Then they'd know that it's the farmer feeds 'em all Well the farmer is the man The farmer is the man Lives on credit 'til the fall And his pants are wearin' thin His condition it's a sin He's forgot that he's the man that feeds 'em all