Extra examples Flashcards
(42 cards)
REASON FOR RISE IN POPULAR CULTURE-
due to WW1, with Frederick Lewis Allen arguing that ‘within a decade the radio and the movie nationalised American popular culture’
Amount of people going to the cinema 1920-30
no. of Americans going to the movies per annum rose from 50 million to 100 million.
what did popular culture offer 1920s
escapism from WW1, flu pandemic, strikes + red scare
Popular culture reviving the American dream 1920s
Italian immigrant Rudolph Valentino went from being impoverished to being a movie star.
Movies being more socially conservative example 20s
This Freedom (1924) showed how women who favoured careers ended up unhappy
Flapper Films
Clara Bow movies, showed women living liberated lifestyles
Censorship during the 1920s (4)
- 1926- 200 cities + 8 states had film censorship boards
- Stopped films that criticise capitalism FOR EXAMPLE The Whistle (1921)
- 1922- Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association- monitored the code
- 1930- Hays Code
Amount of Radios in 1920s
1922- 508 licensed radio stations
1920- 1/500 homes had radios, 1930- 50% of homes had radios
Influence of Radio 4
- 1930- millions listened to ‘Radio Priest’ Father Charles
- INFLUENTIAL 1929- Pepsodent toothpaste ft on radio show, attracted 40 mill listeners -> prices skyrocketed
- 1926- NBC established
- 1927 Radio Act- set up federal licensing
Jazz in 1920s
- Black artists- Louis Armstrong + Bessie Smith
-Older generation- found jazz as corrupting due to the Charleston
Depression - era movies
Frankenstein (1931), showed dangers of individualism
Censorship in Depression era
1934- Production Code Administration, enforced the Hays Code
Wartime movies
Foreign Correspondent (1940), promoted US entrance to WW2
Anti-Nazi Film- Casablanca (1942)
Radio influence1940s (4)
- Fireside chats
- 1945- local radio was covering local elections
- Example of radio show that promoted American values- Lest We Forget (1943-8)
- 1945- 50% of US received news from radio
Popular music during depression
1935- 150,000 jukeboxes in America
Popular music during wartime
1941-7- United Service Overseas gave 250,000 performances to over 160 mill military personnel
News media 1945-68 helping crm
- Coverage of the CRM changed some Northern White attitudes to Southern segregation + contributed to the 1964 CRA and 1965 VRA
BUT - White backlash occurred after images of ghetto riots + MLKs Chicago campaign
Media influencing Vietnam (4)
-1965-1975- coverage of the 10,000 hippie communes -> led to challenge in counterculture
- Tet Offensive (1968)- Walter Cronkite (TV reporter) criticised the war + an American soldier saying ‘We had to destroy the town to save it’, led to LBJ receiving backlash
Violence being inspired by movie
Born Innocent (1974) group of men committed rape just like in the movie
TV show exploring societal issues 1970
All In The Family (1971-1976)- explored issues of racism, abortion, sexuality and the Vietnam War
Series showing independent women 1970
Series showing independent women- Maude (1972-8)
Gay people being increasing portrayed in the media
Gay Activist Alliance- led to TV networks being more positive about homosexuality e.g. A Question of Love (1978)
Black performers (1970s)
- Roots (1977) was successful, 100 million watched the final episode
- Blaxploitation Films (1969-1974)- glorified ghetto violence, drug dealing and gangsters -> considered a bad influence on black youth
Watergate in the media
made Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein national heroes
- 60 Minutes- news programme first aired in 1968
