Katie Riely
Senior Composition 12-2
Mrs. Wacker
14 December 2006
The Influence of Pop Culture
After the Civil War, industry began to boom, printed media flourished, and new products were developed to improve lifestyles of all Americans and to make lucrative profits for the growing businesses. Advertisements appearing in the popular magazines and newspapers featured symbols which soon became easily recognizable by the public. Soon consumers began to rely on specific logos and slogans for their purchases. Culture now began to experience a change because the public no longer was totally self-sufficient but was starting to depend on all areas of society for items needed for surviving and for entertainment. People’s dependence on all areas of society and their identification with specific trends in social behavior has resulted in what is described as pop culture.
Pop culture’s defined as the aspects of contemporary lifestyles that are well known and generally accepted; it involves patterns that are wide spread within the population (“Pop Culture”). In the 1870s and 1880s, America saw the birth of signature products such as Coca Cola, Quaker Oats, and John Deere; these symbols soon became a part of the language and thought patterns. Other symbols that soon influenced everyday life were Smith Brothers, Mr. Peanut, Aunt Jemima, the Uneeda biscuit boy, the Morton salt girl, the Campbell’s soup girl, and names such as Borax twenty-mule team, and Proctor and Gamble’s moon (Morgan 7). These symbols have come to offer a rich portrait of the American consumer heritage (Introduction). By the early part of the twentieth century, brand names, titles of movies, billboards, music, and celebrities were involved in creating the attitudes of the consumers. Pop culture has an effect on all people no matter what determines what individuals think about themselves (Ferguson Introduction).
Consumerism became a favorite pastime by the 1950s. New gadgets such as electric stove, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators gave woman a break from work. The focus of the time was baby-booming families and the idea of woman being good housewives. Outdoor pool parties, barbeques, and cocktail parties were popular. Fashions were also dictated by fashion houses and celebrities. Christian Dior and Coco Chanel with Charles Jourdan made “the new look.” The stiletto heel was made in every color possible in order to match every outfit perfectly. This was a time for poodle skirts, pony tails, saddle shoes, penny loafers, and colored sneakers with bobby socks. For men the grey flannel suit began its reign in 1953. Tired of wearing dark suits, men looked for the trim, quiet look and wore Levis jeans, Converse sneakers, and leather vests (Yeager).
During the 1950s television became popular because most homes finally could afford to have one. Shows such as I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners were popular with all age groups. Movies such as Rebel Without a Cause and The Beatnik Culture brought thousands to the theatres. Stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bordot, and Elvis introduced sex appeal. Marilyn Monroe became the symbol of the ideal woman. Her bleach blonde hair and pouty look was soon copied by many woman (Riddler 7). During this era rock music was developed from black rhythm and blues and white up-tempo country music (Tyson 222), and as it developed it incorporated Tin Pan Alley (Rockwell 222).
Senior Composition 12-2
Mrs. Wacker
14 December 2006
The Influence of Pop Culture
After the Civil War, industry began to boom, printed media flourished, and new products were developed to improve lifestyles of all Americans and to make lucrative profits for the growing businesses. Advertisements appearing in the popular magazines and newspapers featured symbols which soon became easily recognizable by the public. Soon consumers began to rely on specific logos and slogans for their purchases. Culture now began to experience a change because the public no longer was totally self-sufficient but was starting to depend on all areas of society for items needed for surviving and for entertainment. People’s dependence on all areas of society and their identification with specific trends in social behavior has resulted in what is described as pop culture.
Pop culture’s defined as the aspects of contemporary lifestyles that are well known and generally accepted; it involves patterns that are wide spread within the population (“Pop Culture”). In the 1870s and 1880s, America saw the birth of signature products such as Coca Cola, Quaker Oats, and John Deere; these symbols soon became a part of the language and thought patterns. Other symbols that soon influenced everyday life were Smith Brothers, Mr. Peanut, Aunt Jemima, the Uneeda biscuit boy, the Morton salt girl, the Campbell’s soup girl, and names such as Borax twenty-mule team, and Proctor and Gamble’s moon (Morgan 7). These symbols have come to offer a rich portrait of the American consumer heritage (Introduction). By the early part of the twentieth century, brand names, titles of movies, billboards, music, and celebrities were involved in creating the attitudes of the consumers. Pop culture has an effect on all people no matter what determines what individuals think about themselves (Ferguson Introduction).
Consumerism became a favorite pastime by the 1950s. New gadgets such as electric stove, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators gave woman a break from work. The focus of the time was baby-booming families and the idea of woman being good housewives. Outdoor pool parties, barbeques, and cocktail parties were popular. Fashions were also dictated by fashion houses and celebrities. Christian Dior and Coco Chanel with Charles Jourdan made “the new look.” The stiletto heel was made in every color possible in order to match every outfit perfectly. This was a time for poodle skirts, pony tails, saddle shoes, penny loafers, and colored sneakers with bobby socks. For men the grey flannel suit began its reign in 1953. Tired of wearing dark suits, men looked for the trim, quiet look and wore Levis jeans, Converse sneakers, and leather vests (Yeager).
During the 1950s television became popular because most homes finally could afford to have one. Shows such as I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners were popular with all age groups. Movies such as Rebel Without a Cause and The Beatnik Culture brought thousands to the theatres. Stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bordot, and Elvis introduced sex appeal. Marilyn Monroe became the symbol of the ideal woman. Her bleach blonde hair and pouty look was soon copied by many woman (Riddler 7). During this era rock music was developed from black rhythm and blues and white up-tempo country music (Tyson 222), and as it developed it incorporated Tin Pan Alley (Rockwell 222).
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