Kapila Mane
Period 7/8
Canvas Questions
1. Explain how television impacted political elections in the United States.
Television impacted political elections in many ways; for example, catchy little jingles
and cartoons caused some presidential candidates to be remembered more than
others. Take Eisenhower’s “Vote For Ike” cartoon and jingle as an example. The
repetitive “Ike For President” is almost like an earworm that is stuck in your head. While
ad campaigns on television were considered “low-brow” for a period of time, it was still
an untapped resource that could have been used to further the campaigns of other
candidates. Television gave nearly everyone a view into politics and caused them to be
involved. This would also mean more voters and tougher competition between
candidates.
2. Explain how television shows impacted culture and reinforced/challenged
certain ideas about life in the United States.
Around the 1950’s, the television was beginning to be the norm for most families.
Everyone would sit around and watch TV. Popular shows at the time period, namely
Leave it to Beaver, reinforced the ideal family during the 1950’s. The father would go to
work, the mother would stay at home, and they would live in a suburban community. It
was certainly a contrast to the advertisements during the war that urged women to join
the workforce. This idea of a “perfect family” stayed with the baby boomers for most of
their lives, and that is why they expect people today to do the same. While many may
disagree, it is still worth seeing their perspective on these issues to understand where
their views come from.