popular culture and media Flashcards
describe the social impact of music 17-33
jazz yes/no for impact race relations
yes
-so popular that F.S.fitzgerald christened the 1920s jazz age
-introduced by black performers but popular with white performers and audiences
no
-did little to improve race relations
-only white people were allowed to hear top jass musicans like Duke Ellington and were allowed in cotton club
-socially conservative white americans considered black music a corrupting force that reflected black sexuality =drug taking and promiscuity
-loathed Charleston and the black bottom many older americans grew anxious=New York editorial described jazz as a pathological nerve irritating sex exciting music
social impact of radio 17-33
yes
-in 1920 one out of every 500 homes had radio by 1930 roughly half the pop had radios and average family had it on for 3.9 hours
-in 1927 one thrid of money spent on household furniture was on radios
-50 mil listened to dempsey tunney boxing match
-toothpaste sponsored andy and amos=attracted 40 mil listeners and sales rocketed =increased consumerism=achieve American dream
-create celebs babe ruth
-FDR uses it
no
-rise national networks eroded insularity of local communities and homogenised culture reinforced sterotypes =amos and andy=depcited black people as stupid
-wield infleunce =millions listened to radio priest father coughlin attacked brith control communism and herbert hoover
how did movies impact society 17-33
- by 1920 50 mil going to movies each year half pop by 1930 100 million
-promoted social harmony consumerism
-encouraged consumerism with celebrities such as Italian immigrant Valentino impoverished=gain wealth =american dream
-shaped views on poverty labour and gender=labour union records and newspapers reporting how movies=worker strikes =more middle class and upper class went to movies =socially conservative =this freedom women who got jobs unhappy
-old Americans thought it corrupted the youth=flapper films Clara bow = economically independent women and liberated life styles
no
backlash
-censorship=by 26 200 cities and 8 states had film censorship boards
-W.S Harts The whistle stopped being shown=criticised capitalism
-1927 Hayes code=no nudity, childbirth scenes depiction of crime or long kissing when over 30 American states threatened to censor movies =film makers set up hayes code
-forbade films lower moral standards such as stopping Disney showing cow udders
-church and women’s groups saw the group as ineffective =blamed hollywood for increasing juvenile delinquency
league of decency 7 mil members
describe the impact of music
yes
-music was the most important genre in broadcasting and could be heard at records at home in movies and on juxboxes (150,000 of them in 1935)
-helped maintain wartime moral=from 41-7 the united states oversea gave over 250,000 performances to 160 miliion military personnel
-Glenn miller orchestra played concerts to American troops in Britain patriotic songs like The house i live in
describe the impact of radio in 1933-45
yes
-during the Great depression Fortune mag the nations favourite recreation was listening to the radio = escapism from economic issues
-amos and andy was so popular that movies were stopped when it was on
proctar and gamble brought soap operas like Ma Perkins =increase sales=61% women said they brought the brand that sponsored their favourite soap
-Roosevelt used the political importance of radio=when he closed down banks took to the radio to reassure people his 28 fireside chats played important role in his re election
radio priest went against the new deal and was probs responsible for the senate refusing to raify the treaty of which us join world court
-Helped with us moral in the war programmes like you cant do business with Hitler and least we forget =mood
-by 1945 half americas received news from radio 16 hour marathon on CBS kate smith singing God Bless america nearly 40 mil bonds sold
no
-Influence attitudes=1938=Orson Welles broadcast of war of the worlds=people thought it was real =millions panicked=hitler saw this as americans low intelligence
-by the end of the 1940 americans only listened to radio for 24 miniutes on avergae
Describe the impact of movies in 1933-45
yes
-depression era movies challenged tradition showing individualism (Frankenstein) and villainous business men
-in Capra’s popular mr smith goes to Washington idealist young senator vs corrupt senator and poltical machine=washington press and congress saw it as anti democracy
-influenced fashion=consumerism=Clark Gable removed shirt and revealed bare chest in it happened one night =vest sales dropped
- in WW2 used to promote social unity=The purple heart=Japanese touture americans =focused on many different ethnicities -obligatory italian american serviceman important us war italy idealist and partiotism=Casablanca and meet me in St Louis
-several pro russia films and pro british mission to moscow
no
-films were censored social political sexual and racial contents movies=PCA=withdrew movies dubious sexual nature like she done him wrong SC in 1915 ruled movies were not under free speech=thought movies should promote family values government and law and order
-nervous about anti-capitalist sentiments=Black fury originally blamed mine owners for strikes but breen got them to transform them into good guy=hollywood state apparatus
race relations did not improve=Gone with the wind=39=showed typical southern white view of civil war=racist language and sterotypes changed black rapist to white=NAACP felt it had power to shape opinions
describe the impact of broadcast news in 1945-61
yes
-day time screenings of the mc-carthy hearings =20 millions viewers
-one spot reporting at little rock shocked white northern =southern racism now shown on news
no
-during 50s tv programmes containing news were not given prime time spots
-often spread misinformation like mccarthy=post his accusations
describe the social impact of movies and music in 45-61
yes
-often reflected conservatism
social impact of Blackboard jungle 55 told of disruptive behaviour in the classroom. some localities wanted it banned =film popular=message=controversy or song rock around the clock
-most young people liked Elvis Presley
negative
-movie theatre flashed words popcorn drink coca cola on screen to fast to be seen=sold more both=young people attracted to deans potrayal of alienated youth in rebel without a cause
- old people hated rock and roll saw it as a communicative disease as it was critical of middle class behaviour and had sexual longing =ganster of tommorow is elvis type today
-made parents fearful of black culture affecting their children
describe the social impact of tv 45-61
in 49 2% had tv but 90% in 62
-in 1954 tv dinners were marketed so that familiess could heat up pre packaged meals rather than make it
-polls showed tv favourite leisure activity for over half pop
-promoted conformity=predictability in programming=father knows best idealised white middle class life stay at home mums
-promoted consumerism through ads =disney david crokcet series =55=300 mil in sales of items
-millions watched eisenhower tv campaign between pop programmes =caught attention+interest to sepcial donors
-1960 presdient debate JFK Nixon =radio=Nixon TV=JFK Nixon looked ill shifty wouldnt look at camera
-cheap,non conformity=last at excessive claims in ads,developed national culture,see it now=showed inconsititency in mcacrthys speechs=see it now and then
describe the impact of tv and film sixties
-more willingness to show countercultural as well as traditional values sound of music
-Sidney Poitier =biggest stars =guess whos coming to dinnr 67=typified his blandly integrationist roles =large audiences =charisma desrie to see controversial movie or to see actors togethor for last time
-
describe the impact of the news media and vietnam
-affected public opinion
coverage of civil rights movement=CRA 1965 and 1965 VRA =MLK Northern campaign bad coverage
-disproportionate coverage of hippies=middle america that they needed to challange counter culture
covergae tet offensive =soldier shotting youth=Walter cronkite i thought we were winning =LBJ if i have lost Cronkite i have lost america =simply matter of time knew unwiinaable why defence sec resigned months before
describe the influence of pop culture and news in 68-80s
-it let to violence=born innocent =rape commited in same way as film
-all in the family=pro abortion vietnam race and womens issues
-maude and mary tyler show=liberated women=popular
-pro LBGT shows a question of love 78
-Roots 77=record breaking 100 mil americans tuned in for last episode nearly half america=did not lead to greater toleration
-loathed blaxapoitian films glorified ghetto violence and gangs =superfly=increase cocaine use in young they claimed
-rock=against mass society=dead kennedys went agaisnt rock soft liberals=death american dream=fashion saftey pins black leather jackets piercings
