The 1950s: “Conservatism, Complacency, and Contentment” OR “Anxiety, Alienation, and Social Unrest”

Post-War Consumerism CONSUMERISM – buying as many goods as possible, on credit General Motors – “Buy Now, Pay Later” Diner’s Card was introduced

The Nuclear Family “Backbone of a Successful Society” Women – 25% of the workforce in WWII – Now pressured to return home Women conflicted because many want to keep working “A woman isn’t a woman unless she’s been married and had children.” -Debbie Reynolds, The Tender Trap

The Typical TV Suburban Families Reinforcing social norms through media Father Knows Best The Donna Reed Show Leave It to Beaver The Ozzie & Harriet Show

“Spoiling the Children” Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Dr. Benjamin Spock – Importance of nurturing children through their teen years – Children could not get too much comfort and love – don’t worry about spoiling – Critics: promoted a “permissive culture”

Improved Health Care 1954 – Dr. Jonas Salk comes up with the polio vaccine – Killed 1,400 kids/year 1950s – Penicillin – Whooping Cough, Tuberculosis

Religious Revival Television Preachers: 1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen  “Life is Worth Living” 2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent Peale  The Power of Positive Thinking 3. Reverend Billy Graham  warned against the evils of Communism. Church membership: 1940  64,000,  114,000,000 In the wake of communism and the fear it created, many sought shelter in religion. Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954 Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954

Congress adds to our currency and pledge. WE AIN’T NO STINKIN’ COMMIES

The Rise of the Television Back to the Future clip Americans bought TVs faster than they had bought either radios or cars Threatened the movie industry Reflected and reinforced ideals of 1950s family – No major real-life problems (divorce, drugs, alcohol)

Television – The Western The Lone Ranger (and his faithful sidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked man?? Sheriff Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier

Teen Culture Traditional Roles Behavioral Rules of the 1950s: Obey Authority Control your emotions Don’t Makes Waves (fit in with the group) Don’t even think about sex! Well behaved women rarely make history. – Marilyn Monroe

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, – William H. Whyte Jr. – The Organization Man Middle-class, white suburban male is the ideal

Defiance Below the Radar: Birth of Rock n’ Roll from “Race Records” Live performances of rhythm and blues were kept from White audiences by Jim Crow Laws Through the radio it began to attract more followers Little Richard Chuck Berry

Mainstreaming Rock n’ Roll Buddy Holly Alan Freed coins Rock & Roll Elvis Presley

Teen Culture 1950s – the word “teenager” entered the language – By 1956 – 13,000,000 teens had $7,000,000,000 to spend a year 1951 – “race music” – unacceptable! Elvis Presley – Ministers complained, Congress held hearings, TV couldn’t show Elvis’ hips

Rejecting Conformity Social Critics complained about: – The emphasis on conformity – The power of advertising to mold public tastes Social commentary – ALIENATION – the feeling of being cut off from mainstream society – many mainstream novels used this idea – BEATNIKS – small groups of writers and artists in the 50s and 60s who were critical of American society

Teen Counter- Culture The “Beat” Generation - criticize materialism and culture (the most Hipsterist Hipsters) – Jack Kerouac – On the Road – Allen Ginsberg – Howl – Neal Cassady – poet and inspired Kerouac and “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest” – William S. Burroughs – beat poet

Dissent and Discontent Inner-city decline – As wealth moved toward the suburbs, cities stagnated – Become places of crime, poverty, and feared minority cultures (gangs)

Moral and Spiritual Decline 1951 – J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye – Main character – Holden Caulfield – Mocked phoniness of adult society Sloan Wilson’s The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit – WWII vet who couldn’t find any meaning in society

The Other America – Michael Harrington 25% of Americans lived in “quiet poverty” – Rural poor whites – Urban blacks – Mexican Braceros Ernesto Galgarza tried to unionize migrate labor – Indians and Termination Policy Urbanization effort by the US for Native Americans Urban Decline – Loss of services and voting power Urban Renewal Projects – Backfire as many forced out for construction