1. 27.3 Popular Culture in the 1950s
Lesson Objective: To understand the various pop culture and countercultural movements of the 1950s.
Essential Questions: Why do counter cultures and subcultures develop?

2. Quiz /2
What are means of communication that reach large audiences?
What does the FCC regulate?
Jack Kerouac was a icon of the ___________.
Rock ‘n’ Roll was rooted in what genre of music?
“The King” of Rock ‘n’ Roll was _______________.

3. Key Terms Mass media Federal communications Commission (FCC)
Beat movement
Beatnik
Rock ‘n’ Roll

4. The New Era of the Mass Media
The Rise of Television
% of American households
% of American households
Rapid growth in industry stations in 1956 up from 108 in 1952
Most programming was comedy
I Love Lucy
News and children’s programs also became popular
See it now
Person to Person
Mickey Mouse Club

5. TV reflects the “Affluent Society”
Women mostly appeared in stereotypical roles
Housewives and mothers
Honeymooners
Most characters were male
African Americans and Latinos were very rare
If they appeared was rarely a positive portrayal
Television was a portrayal of ideal white American
Completely ignored issues of poverty, race, or political conflict
Growing concern with violence in the media
Westerns were popular shows and movies

6. Movies TV cut the number of movie goers nearly in half!
Movies had size, color, surround sound- higher quality entertainment
Smell-O-vision; 3D
Many classic movies are made
Epics
Alfred Hitchcock
North by Northwest
James Dean- dies at 24
Only appears in 3 movies
Epitomizes the youth culture of the time

7. African Americans in Pop Culture
Rock ‘n’ Roll opened up African American Culture to White America
Many African Americans became famous during 1950s
Actors
Singers
Musicians
Nat King Cole given first show for an African American
American Bandstand integrates crowd in 1957
Acts weren’t integrated until 1960s
Radio stations aimed at African Americans thrived
Doo-wop
The Drifters

8. Subcultures Emerge The Beat Movement Rock ‘n’ Roll
Counter cultural- what does that mean?
Nonconformist- mostly made up of artists
Lived lives with little structure- artwork expressed that
Literary works such as On the Road and Howl
Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg
Helped start the counter culture of the 1960s!
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Electric instruments mixed with Blues & Country
What kind of music is blues?
Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley
Marketed directly to teens
Adults generally opposed to it
600 million in record sales in 1960