The emergence of the ‘teenager’ and the influence of music, fashion and media. Questions

Young People had more free time. New labour-saving services eg: washing machines meant girls didn’t have to help their Mothers at home so much. After 1960, boys didn’t have to take part in National Service. The post-war baby boom had swelled the number of teenagers. It was estimated 10% of the population were teenagers in 1959.

The ‘Teddy Boys’ were a 1950s rebel youth subculture in Britain. Their style of dress was inspired by Edwardian fashion mixed with the American influence of ‘rock and roll’. They formed gangs from East London to North Kensington. They often received very bad press and were linked with juvenile delinquency and rising crime.

The unlikely female element of the Teddy Boys weren’t nearly as well known- the media still portrayed the role of women as being centred around the home. They emerged, like the Teddy Boys, in a period of post-war affluence so working class teenagers could afford good clothes. Teddy Girls were also known as ‘Judies’. They went to the cinema, concerts and dances as well as collecting rock and roll magazines.

Teddy Boys wore long drape jackets, velvet collars and slim ties with thick rubber-soled shoes. They had ‘greaser’ hairstyles like their American rock and roll idols. Teddy Girls also wore the long drape jackets with an Edwardian style of dress. They also added straw boater hats, brooches, and clutch bags. Second hand Edwardian suits were readily available on the market as upper class people didn’t want to look like the Teddy Boys and Girls!

Teddy Boys and Girls

They originated in the 1950s and considered the Teddy Boys their ‘spiritual ancestors’ It was mainly centred around rock and roll music and motorcycles. They came about due to factors like: influence of American music- artists such as Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry, the construction of race track-like roads around British cities, and the age of affluence allowing people to afford motorbikes and good clothes. They were portrayed as ‘folk devils’ by the media. The public considered them outsiders and motorised cowboys

Rockers wore black leather, rode heavy motorcycles and listened to rock and roll. In contrast the emerging youth subculture ‘the Mods’ were influenced by blues music and bands like The Who, rode scooters and dressed smartly. There were many clashes between the rival groups, most famously the large scale rioting at seaside resorts such as Brighton in May 1964 (although the violence here was largely exaggerated by the media)

Rockers and Mods

1.Why did teenage girls have more free time? 2.What % of population were teenagers 1959? 3.What era of fashion inspired Teddy Boys? 4. What were Teddy Girls also known as? 5. Name 1 fashion accessory Teddy Girls added to differ from the boys.(3 options) 6.Name 1 of the American artists that influenced the Rockers. (2 options) 7.Give 2 differences between Rockers and Mods. 8.When was the rioting at the seaside resorts? Title Page