The 1950s
POP CULTURE
Conformity
• Why did people in the 1950s
conform?
– Need for Stability after WW2 and G.D.
– Did not want to be “Un-American” – Era
of Communist Hunt
Morality
• Fairly Strict Society
• Rebellion was not acceptable
• Surge in Religion – felt good indicator of
Anti-Communist
– Added “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance
• Gender Roles strongly held
FASHION
• Prior to the 1950’s, teen clothing very
reserved/ proper but to some extent that
changed in the 50’s.
• Guys
– Hair longer w/ sideburns and slicked back
with grease.
– Jeans
– Leather jackets (collar turned up to be “cool”)
• Girls
– Ponytails
– Pedal pushers, Scarves.
– Poodle Skirts popular because
• 1) Easier dancing, being spun around letting
the skirt twirled.
• 2) skirt was loose and free, a sign of freedom.
Youth Culture
• EMPHASIS ON YOUTH IN 1950s!
• Drive-in movies – Good for dates
• Sock Hops – informal HS dance
• Fast food restaurants
• TV in 90% of homes by 1959
The Music
• ROCK N’ Roll
– evolved in the 1950's
from rhythm and blues,
• Electric Guitars
• strong rhythm
• youth-oriented lyrics.
– Allowed Teenagers to
break out of the
mainstream conservative
American middle class
mold.
Rise of Television
• Before 1952 – freeze on any
new TV stations so industry
had time to plan for
expansion and problems
• 1952-56, station #s jumped
from 108 to 500
• Programs usually
broadcasted live
• Favorites: Mickey Mouse
Club, I Love Lucy, Leave it to
Beaver
Changes in TV
• On-The Scene Reporting
• Game Shows – offered large
cash prizes
• Businesses spent $$$ on TV
Advertising
– $170 million in 1950
– $1 billion by 1955
– $2 billion by 1960
• TV Guide = HUGE magazine, TV
Dinners created so did not have
to miss favorite show
The Beatniks
• Subculture that
expressed the social and
literary nonconformity of
artists and poets
• non-materialistic lives
•Shunned regular work
• Sought a higher consciousness – Zen Buddhism, music,
sometimes drugs
• Went against the dress/mentality of the 1950s…
attracted Media attention and imaginations of college
students.