The influence of popular culture and news media, 1917-80

The influence of popular culture and news media, 1917-80

1. THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF CINEMA

   • By 1917 biggest entertainmen media in USA. Until 1920s, movies had no sound recording so 'silent' movies had pianists
   • After war, movies boomed especially 1920s. movies gave people an entire evening out
   • By 1941, nearly 10,500,000 movie theatre seats, one seat for every 12.5 people
   • movies reviewed in magazines & some magazines devoted to lives of Hollywood stars
   • movies gave people escapism & fed their fantasies by developing genre movies
   • REGULATING THE MOVIES
     • impact of movies on society seen as not always positive
       • complaints near end of 20s - female stars too scantily dresses, drank/smoked too much. gangster genre made crime/violence look attractive
     • scandals involving stars led the movie studios to act before the gov could. produced the Hays Code 1929-30 (clear rules for behaviour in movies
       • 1930-66 all movies had to confirm to the code. Idea behind it- movies should improve society by being morally improving films
       • Studios also, began to build a 'morality clause' into contracts, whereby stars had to sign up to good living
   • INFLUENCE OF THE STARS
     • Clara Bow, known as the 'It' girl specialised in 'flapper' roles
       • young women who had seen the movies tried to resemble her style - clothes and hair, wanted to behave like her
     • Stars expected to behave in a way that fitted their screening image. Not all obeyed studio policy - some went to clubs drinking/drugs etc - reported in gossip magazines
     • Shirley Temple earned $5,000 a week. average wage was under $2,000 a year
   • 1930s/40s about 90% of all films worldwide were made in Hollywood
   • theatres segregated seats for minority groups or simply excluded. Separate theatres created for minority groups

2. THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF POPULAR MUSC

   • Jazz music swept, due to record players & radio
     • many jazz & swing players were black - gave some people racist reasons for disliking it
   • $75 million worth of records sold in 1929
   • specialist record labels such as 'race records', providing jazz & blues music by black performers
   • By 1935, sales dropped significantly - radio sales taken off & radios played popular music for free
     • context: Great Depression, less money for everything. records became more of a luxury

3. THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF RADIO - more in folder

   • 1920/30s grew rapidly
   • frist, radio stations were independent airing anything, however, needed money to keep going & so self advertising
   • Radio Act of 1927 to set up federal licensing of radio stations & share out the airwaves
   • politicians/ religious speakers used radio to get a message to the nation
   • radio ownership rose rapidly
   • brought the world to peoples front rooms; music, drama, news, debates People felt part of a mass culture all listening together.