Impact of Pop Culture and Media on Society 1917-1980 Flashcards
What was the first sound movie ever and what year was it released?
The Jazz Singer, 1927
How many US cinemas were there in 1925?
20,000
How many movie-related fan magazines were there in the late 1930s and what was the average circulation
20, with a circulation of about 200,000 to 1 million each
What was the impact of moviestars and give an example
People idolised the way movie characters act and wanted to replicate it in real life - for example, a woman named Clara Bow often acted in roles as flappers or more promiscuous women which encouraged many women to adopt a similar style
In the 30s and 40s, what % of all films worldwide were made in Hollywood?
90%
What was the range for Hollywood movie budgets around 1940
$50,000 - $500,000
What rules were placed upon the daily lives of actors
They were expected to behave somewhat similarly to their characters to keep the star appeal going, and some attractive male actors weren’t allowed to marry because it would put off their female fans
What was the pay of actors comparatively to normal people
High profile actors were very rich - Shirley Temple made $5,000 a week whereas the average American only made $2,000 a year. However ordinary actors made similar to or less thanthe average wages for people
Why did some people find the film industry controversial in the 1920s and 1930s?
They thought female characters were too scantily dressed and badly behaved (drinking and smoking) and they disliked the glorification of crime in gangster films which were popular at the time
What music rapidly rose in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s?
Jazz Music
Why was jazz music somewhat unpopular with more conservative Americans
The dances associated with jazz were considered too provocative and a lot of jazz players were black which racists didn’t like
How many grammophone records were sold in the following years:
1900
1929
1935
and explain why
1900: 3 million
1929: 150 million
1935: 25 million
It increased from 1900 to 1929 as music became popular and grammophones became more affordable, but after 1929 it declined massively, in part to both the rise of the radio which played songs for free, and the great depression which meant luxury items like music were not affordable
What month did the first commercial radio station start and what was it called
KDKA started in November 1920
What did KDKA do which showed the power of the radio
They were able to broadcast the results of the 1920 Presidential Election before newspapers could print and distribute them
When was the first on radio advertisement (month)
August 1922
When did the first National Radio Station start and what are they called
NBC - 1926
How many radio stations were there by 1924
600
What year was the Radio Act passed, what was it, and why was it passed
(1927) Set up federal licensing of radio stations. This was because the unregulation of radio stations meant that the airwaves got jammed.
Who was a famous radio broadcaster in the 1930s and what did he discuss?
also how many listeners did he have in 1930
Priest Father Coughlin - he criticised bankers during the Great Depression as well as criticising the KKK
He had 40 million listeners by 1930
What was the difference in the increase of newspaper use vs the increase in radio use
Newspapers increased at a slow but consistently steady rate, radio use increased rapidly
What % of people owned a radio in 1930 vs 1950?
1930: 39%
1950: 91%
How many households took a newspaper in 1930 vs 1950?
1930: 40 million
1950: 54 million
How was television encouraged to grow by the government
- It allowed unlicensed development from 1948-1950 to grow it at a local level before a national scale
- It gave media businesses tax breaks to develop and sell tvs
What year was the first Black American shown in a TV advertisement
1963
How did politicians use TV for their gain and who was the first President to do so
Politicians bought air time to spread their political ideas and campaigns to viewers nationwide, first by Eisenhower in his 1952 campaign
How was TV influential in the outcome of the 1960 election
JFK was more confident on TV and came across well to viewers whereas Nixon looked uncomfortable on TV and sweated a lot, making him looking worse and helping JFK win
Weekly attendance in movie theatres in the following years:
1955:
1960:
1965:
1980:
1955: 59 million
1960: 30 million
1965: 20 million
1980: 20 million
TV ownership (%)
1950:
1955:
1970:
1950: 9%
1955: 63%
1970: 95%
What year was the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) set up and what did it set up 2 years later
1967, set up the PBS TV station in 1969
What sort of content was on PBS?
Sponsor-free, educational content which taught messages such as sharing, racial tolerance and basic english and maths. Mostly liberal
Give an example of a PBS Show which encouraged racial tolerance in kids and the year it came out
Sesame Street (1969)
How did the presentation of news change after Vietnam
Media often presented news in a way that fit their agendas, often focusing on certain stories to promote their political leanings
Give an example of how the success of a President could be impacted by the media
At the start of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, he was popular and reflected well in the media making him extremely popular.
However, as it became evident he was not a great President, the media jumped upon stories that made Carter look bad, such as getting attacked by a rabbit or collapsing during a marathon.
