Elements of 50's Culture:
The Baby Boom
In the 1950’s, after soldiers returned from World War
Two, a massive number of new babies were born. This came to be known as the
Baby Boom. One of the main reasons for the boom was the fact that America’s
economy was expanding which allowed people to have have more children than
before. Also, Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine for Polio which made the prospect
of having children somewhat more attractive. Along with the growth in
population was a new trend of people moving. Many people left the cities and settled
in the ever-growing areas of suburbs in America. In Levittown, New York, 17,000
houses were built in a period of four years! The city remained the center of
cultural events such as theater and sports, and people often traveled into the
cities to attend sports games and cultural events. Also, there was a
distinctive population shift from the cities of the Northeast and Mid-West to
the region of the United States known as the “Sun-Belt”: the warm areas of the
Southeast. The older industrial areas that the people left behind became known
as the “Rust-Belt” in later years. College enrollments increased as well during
this 50’s as many people sought education in order to obtain better jobs, and
many soldiers were afforded the opportunity to attend college thanks to the
G.I. Bill.
The Middle Class
The middle class increased in both numbers and strength
during the 1950’s because they had money to spend on consumer goods. American
industries adjusted from wartime production to the production of consumer goods
to meet the high demand created by the middle class. The New Deal and war had
unintentionally changed the distribution of wealth in America by heavily taxing
the upper class and funding programs for the lowest classes which tended to
drive the economic structure towards the middle. Homes were built rapidly
during the decade and many middle class people eventually were able to purchase
a home. The culture of the middle class was one of conformity and
wholesomeness. In other words, people wanted to be “in” or “cool”, and most
families engaged in “wholesome” activities such as backyard barbecues. Also,
the new middle class home was increasingly stocked with “modern conveniences”
such as electric appliances and the advent of T.V. brought about a new meal:
the T.V. dinner which could be easily heated in the oven for simple preparation
and cleanup.
Television
During the 1950’s, the family radio was replaced by the
newer technology of the television. By the end of the decade, nearly every
middle class home had one T.V. set which was the family’s source of news and
entertainment. Quiz shows were popular as well as situation comedies such as “I
Love Lucy”, “Leave it to Beaver”, and “Gunsmoke”. Edward R. Murrow was a
leading newscaster and many people began to tune in to a new live action comedy
show on Saturday nights called “Your Show of Shows” which starred Imogene Coca
and Sid Caesar. Also during the decade, people began complaining about the
violence on T.V. and the growing problem that kids were spending too much time
watching T.V. and not enough on school work.
Music
The 1950’s became known as the era of Rock and Roll,
even though this form of music had existed before the 50’s. The youth of the
decade were enamored with the star of Rock and Roll: Elvis Presley. Other
rockers of the period included Bill Haley and the Comets (Rock Around the
Clock), Chuck Berry (Johnny B. Goode), Little Richard, and The Everly Brothers.
Also, Perry Como was a popular singer during the 50’s that fit the style of the
crooner better than the rock and roll style. In jazz, Miles Davis brought a new
feel to the music by introducing “The Birth of the Cool” (thus giving the age
of cool jazz a beginning).
Farmers
Farmers did not experience the great growth that most
middle class families did. Much like the 1920’s, farmers were hurt by the
post-war decline of demand for farm products. As demand decreased, the supply
began increasing as farmers tried to make up for lost profits by producing
more. As prices declined, farmers were hurt and many left the farm for other
opportunities as the trend of people leaving the farms continued. The federal
government attempted to aid farmers by passing the Soil Bank Plan which paid
farmers NOT to grow crops in order to keep prices high.
The Automobile
The automobile became increasingly important during the
1950’s as more and more people purchased the large, comfortable,gas-guzzling
cars of the period. The excitement of the open road drew the attention of
teenagers as teens gained more freedom via the automobile. Interstate highways
were built during the 50’s which connected Americans more and increased the
importance of the automobile. Multi-level garages were built in cities as
parking became an increasing problem caused by the growing number of cars.
Drive-in movies and drive-in diners were other innovations of the period caused
by the prominence of the automobile. Also, cars began to be equipped with a new
safety feature during the 1950’s: the seat belt.
Youth Culture
In many suburbs of America, the number of organized
activities for youth increased during the 1950’s. Sports activities such as
Little League Baseball and Pop Warner Football were common, and the number of
Boy Scouts also increased during the decade. Some youth took piano or ballet
lessons to occupy their spare time. Older kids often engaged in basement
parties where people would get together in a basement and drink, play games,
and hang out. High school dating patterns changed during the 50’s as more
couples decided to “go steady” as opposed to dating casually. The beatniks (or
Beat Generation) were one element of the youth that chose NOT to conform to the
trends of the period.
Sports
Sports during the 50’s were a popular diversion for
Americans during the 50’s. Edmund Hillary became the first man to climb to the
peak of Mount Everest during the decade. Jackie Robinson helped to break the
color barrier between the white and Negro baseball leagues of the decade.
Famous rivalries developed between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees as
they battled for the World Series several times during the 50’s. The most
famous boxer of the period was Sugar Ray Robinson who remained champion for
much of the decade.
Movies, Theater and Art
Movie attendance tended to sag during the 1950’s as more
people preferred to stay home and watch television as opposed to going to the
movie theater. There were movies that could still draw people’s attention
though, including movies such as “The Blackboard Jungle and “Rebel Without a
Cause” (with teenage heart-throb James Dean), as well as the innovative 3-D
movies of the time. Other movie stars of the 50’s included Marilyn Monroe,
Spencer Tracy, Bob Hope, and the comedy team of Abbot and Costello. Musical
theater was also a diversion of the times as people went to see shows such as
“My Fair Lady”, “The Sound of Music” and “Peter Pan”. In art, the American
painter Jackson Pollock painted abstract expressionist art by dripping paint on
canvases on the back porch of his home, thus earning him the nickname “Jack the
Dripper”.
Life in the Nuclear Age
One positive development of the nuclear age was the
building of nuclear power plants later in the 1950’s as people searched for
alternative energy sources. However, the decade witnessed the development of
more atomic bombs as well as the new, more potent Hydrogen bomb. Many middle
class Americans tried to protect their families by building bomb shelters in
their yards, and some families would spend weekends staying in the shelters. In
school, students took part in air-raid drills to train them how to react in the
event of a nuclear bombing attack. The atomic bomb was a shadow over American
foreign policy during the decade.
Fads and Fashions
The clothing fashions of the 50’s included black leather
jackets for the “rebels” and gray flannel suits for businessmen. Men tended to
wear their hair in “crew cut” style or in the “long duck tail” style. Varsity
letter sweaters were also popular during the period. Loafers and sneakers, as
well as denim jeans became more popular as the decade wore on. Women wore
“poodle” hairstyles as well as “poodle” skirts, as well as many other fashion
styles (by Dior) that came and went during the period, including the new 2
piece bathing suit. Some fads of the period included hula hoops, balcony
climbing, goldfish swallowing, paint by numbers, and cramming (not studying but
cramming as many people as possible into phone booths, cars, etc.) People that
were “in” were referred to as “hip” or “cool” “cats” who would usually start a
conversation by saying “What’s shaking?” People that weren’t hip were referred
to as “square”.
Literature
Unlike movies, literature did not decline as a result of the growing popularity of television. Ernest Hemingway was a popular American writer of the time, writing works such as “The Sun Also Rises” and “The Old Man and the Sea”. Other writers contributed works such as “Doctor Zhivago”, “From Here to Eternity” and “Kiss Me Deadly”. Other popular works of the period included J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” and Playboy magazine.
