1950s Pop Culture and American Consumerism Zach Panzarino Sarah - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1950’s Pop Culture and American Consumerism Zach Panzarino Sarah Lara

American Consumerism ● Boost of Purchases ○ Better jobs after the war ○ Lack of consumer goods during the war ● 20 million refrigerators, 24.1 million cars, 5.5 million stoves ● 5 million televisions per year

Clothing ● Men wore gray flannel suits ● Women wore dresses ● Teenagers were represented by James Dean

Rock ‘n Roll ● Teeneageers were looking for excitement and freedom ● Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry ● Elvis felt that dancing was important in addition to singing ● Helped create the generation gap Elvis Presley

Racial ● 1952- The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 was created ● 1954- Racial segregation was ruled unconstitutional in public schools ● 1955- Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus

Sports ● Baseball: Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Henry (Hank) Aaron, Juan Marichal ● Football: Jim Brown and Frank Gifford ● Golf: Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer ● Boxing: Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano Hank Aaron

Travel 1956- The Federal Highway Act 1958- The first domestic jet-airline passenger service begun

American Television ● 8,000 sets in use in the 1940’s grew to 40 million sets in use in the 1950’s ● First shows were comedy, action or adventure ○ game shows also became popular late in the ‘50s ● Made sports one of the top sources of entertainment ● Advertising presented a new market

Citations ● Popular Culture of the 1950s." N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http: //admin.bhbl.neric.org/~mmosall/ushistory/textbook/Chapter%2027% 20Postwar%20America/ch%2027%20sect%203%20Pop%20Culture.pdf>. ● Bradley, Becky . "1950-1959." American Cultural History . Lone Star College- Kingwood Library, 1998. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. ● "The Rise of American Consumerism." PBS . PBS, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general- article/tupperware-consumer/>.