What was the new mass culture that developed in the 1920's and what were the specific elements of it.
Liberty Barton
In the 1920's American's had a lot of extra money to spend and have fun. This age was called the roaring 20's. This was the age of mass culture. Almost everyone did the same things and liked the same things. In the 1920's a lot of young women began to cut their hair very short they called this "bobbing". They also wore shorter dresses, started to wear makeup, and high heels. These women were called flappers. Flappers were usually young, single, and middle class women. They smoked, drank, and did other things that were considered unlady like. Many of these women went to night clubs and danced a lot. The most popular dance
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All the movies were silent until The Jazz Singer came out in 1927. The next year the first animated sound film produced by Walt Disney came out. It was Steamboat Willie which introduced Mickey Mouse. Other movies in the 1920's were The Gold Rush, The Wizard of Oz, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Phantom of the Opera. About three-quarters of Americans went to the movie theaters every week to go see those movies and others. In the 1920's Art Deco was a popular form of art. It also influenced architecture, fashion, and furniture. Art Deco used bold geometric shapes and strong colors. It used concrete, smooth stone, and terracotta as materials. Art Deco represented modernism and a bright future. People also wrote books and poems. F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the most popular novelist of the 1920's. The Great Gatsby (published in 1925) was one of his most well known and popular books. Another popular writer was Ernest Hemmingway who wrote In Our Time (1925), The Sun Also Rises (1926), and A Farewell to Arms (1929). Countee Cullen was a famous poet of the 1920's. He created poems like Incident, The Wise, Fruit Of The Flower, and From Dark Tower. Another poet was Robert Frost some of his poems were Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Nothing Gold Can Stay, Home Burial, and
The 1920’s better known as the roaring twenties was a period of dramatic social, and political change. Throughout history the roaring twenties was the first time most Americans lived in cities than farms. After the years of World War I this was a period where America and the public wanted to separate themselves from other parts of the world, foreign countries .
Movies were becoming one of the biggest businesses during the 1920s and most people would spend their leisure time going to the theatre to watch the silent films. They were becoming huge in the popular culture and Hollywood was the place to be. Roughly by 1922, 40 million people a year in attendance over the entire country for the movie theatres and in 1930 over 100 million people would attend the movies every year. By 1927, the movie industry became the fourth largest industry in the country. “The Great Train Robbery” which was released in 1903 was the beginning of the film industry and would eventually change everything. “Jazz Singer” was the first movie that had synchronized sounds throughout the entire film. The popular genres during this decade were western,
The 1920’s, also called the “Roaring Twenties,” was a decade of change throughout the entire country. Although cultures among the United States vary, the wide spread of technology is something all regions of America can relate to. From East to West, changes in entertainment, sports, and radio were major contributions to the change of pop culture. The 1920’s was the beginning of a new era that shaped the way the United States forever viewed the media. A chain reaction was built throughout the twenties, making the country closer from coast to coast.
The 1920’s was a great and important decade for the United States. After World War I, the United States went through events and changes that, overall, made the United States a much better place to live. New advances in technology and industry improved American life in more ways than just one. Americans had better wages during this time, more leisure time, and overall, had a better life than ever before. In addition, the 1920’s advocated social and cultural change as well. During this time period, the United States did not return to Normalcy, and instead developed attitudes that changed the life of the people of the United States forever thanks to social changes, cultural changes and changes in technology.
The 1920’s, also known as the “roaring twenties” consisted of multiple movements and changes in attitudes about the formerly traditional values society held during this time period. Shifts with women's suffrage, equality amongst races, and the ending of traditional household roles were prevalent through the years, sparking controversy between those who valued the old and those who valued the new. Significant changes amongst the way women’s suffrage and traditional household values were viewed began to occur during the twenties (Document B). Women were finally seen on the same playing field as men, and although they weren’t considered “equal” by any means, they were making notable progress.
The Roaring Twenties were a time of wild enjoyment, loud music and booming economy. In 1920, for the first time in American history, more
The 1920s is notorious for the amount of partying people did at the time. People in the 20s had attitudes that said “yeah, why not?”. The mood of the twenties was energetic because of the parties, dances, and the alcohol. The Great Gatsby painted a perfect picture of the time and really captured what the party life was like. “On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight…” (Fitzgerald). The partying was so relevant that some of the women of this time period were called flappers. Flappers generally had short bob haircuts and revealing clothing. This is a great way to show how accurate popular culture is when looking back.The flapper was a symbol and she accurately represents the mood of the time. This differs so much from the 1930s because that was a time of sadness and loss. The 1930s represents depression and poverty. The 1920s held its head high with a big smirk and full of pride. This is really captured as the spirit of the age because of how social the times were. Blacks and whites would join at the
A good number of American writers produced great poetry during the nineteen twenties. The most famous was written by T. S. Elliot, and it was called “The Waste Land.” Another famous poem is by Allen Grinsberg, and it's called “Howl.” Another famous poem in the nineteen twenties is written by Sylvia Plath, and it's called “Daddy.”
Flappers were a new revolutionary type of woman that came about in the early 1920s. Daughters of women that fought for suffrage and equal rights, they had no interest in politics, and even less in the issue of ´social norms´. Girls from well of families drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, and took part in ´petting parties´. They cut their hair in bobs and wore short skirts that went up above the knee, Which at the time was socially unacceptable. Many people were appalled by the ways of the flapper, some even taking the case of immodesty to court. But the flapper movement would not be stopped, and would pave the way for the modern woman.
The 1920’s are commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Many factors during the time played significant roles in earning the decade this name. Economic conditions and developments in the arts and entertainment were some of the most impacting among these factors. Economic conditions and developments in the arts and entertainment helped create the reputation of the 1920’s as the Roaring Twenties. Economic conditions gave people a feeling of economic prosperity. They also allowed people to buy a lot of things on credit. Developments in the arts and entertainment created a culture of free expression by granting women the ability to express their opinions more clearly than they were able to in years prior and encouraging jazz and dancing.
A flapper was a modern woman of the 1920’s with bobbed hair, short skirts, and dramatic make-up. (sparknotes.com) The flapper was also used to represent a new type of young woman. It represented a woman that was bold, rebellious, and energetic. Only a small percentage of American women were flappers. The image of the flapper had a huge impact on the rest of the nation’s fashion and behavior. Most women began to cut their hair short. It was called bobbing. Many parents wouldn’t allow it. To the older generation, it seemed taboo to have short hair. Some of the daughters of these people felt old-fashioned for not having their hair cut short. (Hakim, 42) Before the twenties, it was rare for a woman’s ankle to be glimpsed upon beneath long skirts. Yet, during the ’20’s, the ankles were highly visible as the hemlines for women’s skirts rapidly went up and up, as
Rarely has the world seen such a unique decade in time as the Roaring Twenties. It was an age of prosperity and change. The United States experienced a recession that was followed by a period of unlimited prosperity. Although the United States encountered both positive and negative experiences, it proved to be very influential in the future. The 1920's were definitely "Roaring" in more ways than one. There were major changes in American Society during the 1920's that took place. Many new industries emerged during this decade that influenced society and the American way of life. Even the federal government had different feelings about the business industry. The characteristics of this decade made the 1920's
This was also a time of optimism and desire. Money was a major foundation of society in America. Seeing as the decade was fixated on beauty, power, and wealth, people felt they could forget about their pasts and could become anyone they wanted, as though they could become an elite member of economic or social power. Flapper girls were also a new development of lifestyle during this era. Flappers were a new image for women, ditching the old and traditional lifestyle for a new, outlandish one. Being able to cut their hair short, wear short skirts, go out dancing and drinking without a man with them, and begin to speak their minds was a huge thing. From a world where the man is the one in the house that works and the woman stays home and takes care of the home and children to partying and making more carefree and promiscuous choices in their personal lives, this was a fascinating and empowering experience for some women. Though most women certainly did not adapt the extreme party lifestyle, many women at least adopted the fashion style and wore shorter skirts and got their hair cut into the bob style. For the women, being a flapper made them feel independent and powerful, and they freely practiced manipulation over rich and morally questionable men using seductive and promiscuous means. Due to the fact that so many people
The first reason “The Roaring Twenties” became a title for the 1920s is because of the progression in politics. Just coming out of World War I the United States needed to be turned around. In the early parts of the 1920s the United States was going through a process called demobilization, which is “The process… or transition from wartime to peacetime production level and employment levels”. When 4.5 million men coming back from war and seeking employment and putting the recently employed women back out of work and with the start of numerous riots, America was in desperate need of a president who could lead them out of the turmoil. In the election of 1920, Warren G. Harding was elected president. “Harding ran a pro-business platform that promised tax revision, higher tariffs, limits on immigration, and some aid to farmers.” Harding also promised that America would return to normal during his presidency which captured the attention of the distraught Americans. Harding did many great things for America such as merging companies which brought “greater efficiency and high profits” to businesses. Towards the end of Harding’s presidency
The 1920s was nicknamed the “Roaring Twenties” because every action had a voice. Every event or amendment was supported by some type of individual or group. Certain individuals made opportunity for American citizens, such as Henry Ford. Because of business leaders like him, Americans once confined to their city of work, can now live miles away. This era was full of trial and error. Trial and error can be supported by the fact that a new amendment repealed a past amendment. America was shaped politically by Congress, stereotypes, and mass production. The 1920s wouldn’t be the same without the leading automobile industry, “New Women”, and the Eighteenth Amendment.