pop culture
How is popular culture in the 20’s different than the previous decade?
The main change in the 1920s in Popular Culture was the rise of leisure. The first twenty years of the 20th century were marked with an interest in reform and action. Throughout the whole Progressive Era the public was focused on sustaining themselves, and just getting by. Now that all of these reforms had taken place and a Great War was over, the public found themselves yearning for a break. The Roaring Twenties marked the beginning of a comfortable life. With extra time there was a change in interests. Instead of magazines publishing stories on the horrors of big business, and reform, they resorted to consumerism, catering to a changing audience. Sports became a possibility now, as people had extra time to enjoy them. The invention of the automobile marked the beginning of a new independence, in which people could do what they wanted and when. Leisure activities such as radio, movies, participating in sports, and going out were widely enjoyed during this time, unlike the era before.
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Through Their Eyes- Looking through the eyes of the population during the 1920s, it is easier to see why these changes in popular culture, and an overall feel occurred. The generation entering this decade had just dealt with a lot of issues. The struggle of the Industrial Period was still fresh in everyone's minds, not to mention, the end to a World War had just come. The U.S. had a prosper of resources, and a beaten down generation was ready to use it up. Before now all people knew was working to survive, the 20s allowed people to live, to enjoy leisure time, and participate in activities never seen before. The demand for a leisure life was high, which makes it easy to see why so many revolutionary innovations were made, to keep up with a new and demanding population.
- How did the automobile change life in the 20s?
The automobile was arguably the most important invention of the 1920s. Henry Ford was the pioneer of the invention, finding a way to mass produce the car to cater to nearly every American. His ingenious design of an empire reduced costs, yet maximized profits, allowing almost anyone, from any walk of life to own their very own car. The automobile added to the independent nature felt during the 1920s and allowed rowdy young generations, celebrating the end of the war, to go out on their own time and have fun; allowed for easier transportation for many to work; made the possibility of trips to see friends and family more probable; and drastically changed social life in America. The automobile did, however, have a huge effect on the economy of the U.S. as well. Ford's invention and his revolutionary accomplishment of the assembly line opened up factories all over that provided well needed jobs to many people. Along with this, the rise of the car required the making of new roads, as it did not fair well on the widely used, poorly made private roads. The construction of new public roads created countless other jobs that helped boost the economy and send the U.S. into the decade of prosperity in the 1920s.
- What was the impact of radio and movies on life in the 20’s
First off, the rise of radio in the 1920s revolutionized the way information and news was conveyed. For the first time news could be given to the general public in a matter of minutes. This led to an increase in curiosity and awareness. Sports rose in popularity as games could now be broadcast over the radio waves. Along with this, motion pictures were born and added to diffused ideas and trends. People often attended the movies as a means of leisure activity, and saw the new trends and styles of the era. Movies were not with sound until 1927.
- How did the airplane change society in the 20’s and what impact did Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic have on society?
The Airplane changed American society in many different ways. The first difference that the airplane made was in entertainment. Small airplanes would appear around country at small fairs performing tricks and doing stunts. Many people would wing walk, walking on the wing of the flying plane, in order to amuse the crowd. The airplane also allowed for quicker communication by delivering mail. The airplane cut down the delivery time of a coast to coast letter from a couple of weeks down to a couple of days. This allowed for more connected and more streamlined businesses. The non stop solo flight across the Atlantic created a strong interest in the plane that wasn't present before the flight. Charles Lindbergh became an overnight superstar and was mobbed by the media constantly. The airplane changed the way freight was shipped and later changed how people moved around.
- How did advertising change how things were sold in the 1920’s?
Advertising was revolutionized in the 1920s. First of all, in the early 1900s, changes in the printing process allowed magazines to significantly lower their prices, which caused the audience of advertising to rise from 10,000 to a half million. Also, by 1920 the common theme of reform in magazines was getting old, so publishers transformed their ideas into a new theme of consumerism. This changed advertising from the uneventful release of a new product, to outright persuasion of the public into believing they needed the product. For the first time professional athletes were being used as endorsers, and companies were promoting their products through other new means. Coca-Cola was a pioneering company of this new advertising, as were many tobacco companies.
- Why were the 1920s known as the “Golden Age of Sports”?
The 1920's were the birth time of modern sports. In this time period, sports started to become popular and they started to stat to gain money. They grew so quickly due to unprecedented publicity and promotion. The new advertisements of the era drew many people to come and pay to watch what used to be an amateur event. This period was the start of modern sports like we know them today. Athletes were starting to get paid, nowhere near the money athletes get paid now, but they were getting more than ever before. New stadiums were also being built. This new interest in the sports created momentum which has carried their popularity to the present. The 1920's were a time of many famous athletes including Babe Ruth. The 1920's were the start of the National Football League, The 24 Hours of Le Mans, The Winter Olympics, and the Women's Olympics.
Vocab
- mass media- any of the means of communication, as television or newspapers, that reach very large numbers of people.
- consumerism- a modern movement for the protection of the consumer against useless, inferior, or dangerous products, misleading advertising, unfair pricing, etc.
- prosperity- a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune.
- mass production- the production or manufacture of goods in large quantities, especially by machinery.
Apparts
- A- Edgar F. Wolfe, He wrote for the Literary Digest.
- P- This was written in 1923, the start of the sports boom. This was at the beginning of Americas obsession with sports and particularly baseball.
- P- I know that baseball was not just a game for the poor as some were suggesting. I know that all of America, not just the poor or the rich, but all of America could enjoy a baseball game. If you went to a baseball game, you would see people from all walks of life and all types of jobs. Baseball was loved by many, and truly was Americas Past Time.
- A- This article was most likely targeted at the wealthier individual. Someone of a higher social standing.
- R- This article was written to try to debunk the myth that only poor people could go to baseball games. He most likely wanted more rich and wealthy people to go in order to keep the funding for the various baseball teams alive. If you had wealthy individuals backing you, you would probably do fine, if you didn't, the team would probably fail.
- T- The main idea states that all walks of life can be found at a ball park. Baseball is an all inclusive sport, it isn't strictly a hooligans game and its not strictly a gentleman's game, it is a game for the masses that should be enjoyed by the masses.
- S- This source shows us how important social standing was back then. It also illustrates the love of sports that America had during this time period and for periods to come.