Popular Culture

After
World War II
United States History
Grade 11
By: Ms. Rodarte

Context
American society dramatically changes after World War II
Increase in Consumerism
A rise in youth subculture
Discussion Question: With reason and evidence, provide
an analysis on the environmental effects consumerism has
on society. What policies can the United States implement
to protect such resources?
Jazz Music
Originated among African
Americans in the South
Moved North during the
1920s
Spread to different parts
of the country
Chicago, New York,
Kansas City, & Los
Angeles
This meant different styles

Buddy Collette & West
Coast Jazz
Dizzy Gillespie & Bebop
Jazz
Discussion Question: What
regional implications can you
hear through West Coast Jazz
and New Yorks Bebop jazz?
Rock n Roll
Alan Freed
Disc Jockey
From Cleveland, Ohio
Creator of Rock N Roll
Definition of Rock N Roll
Rhythm and blues + country +
pop = rock n roll
Rhythm & Blues was electronic
music combined with
traditional blues
Elvis Presley
The Power of Music
Music industry caters to
youth
Create inexpensive 45-rpm
records
Affordable & available to a
wider audience
Few white musicians
acknowledge the debt
they owe to African
Americans rhythm and
blues
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Why would white artists not
publicly acknowledge the
influence African Americans
had on their career? If you were
a white artist, would you
recognize African American
influence in the music you
produce? Why or why not?
Television & Film
Huge growth of television
Television promoted
consumerism
Ads for the newest products
Popular shows
Comedic & family oriented
Leave it to Beaver (1960)
Movie theatres become
popular as a result of the
Baby Boomers becoming
adolescents
Films depict:
Youth: Insightful
Adults: Boring
Example: Rebel Without a
Cause
Television & Film cont.
Sports
Professional athletes
served the military during
World War II
Leagues lost a lot value
Sports leagues were first
integrated after World
War II
Became a popular
broadcast on television

Jackie Robinson
Architecture
Housing shortages after WWII
Men return to war and get married right away
This results in young families looking for homes to start a
family
Introduction to suburbs
Standardized suburbs
Levittown, New York
Spread throughout the country
White Flight
The rise of automobiles
Increase in motels, drive-in restaurants & movies, as well as
shopping centers
Art: Abstract Expressionism
Developed in New York in the
1940s
A.k.a. The New York School
Break away from conventional
techniques and subject matters
Spontaneous
Abstract
Promote individuals style
Jackson Pollock
Leading artist of this movement

Jackson Pollock, Full Fathom
Five (1947)
Art: Pop Art
Emerged in the 1950s
Definition: Alter images
taken from
advertisements and
popular culture
Comic strips
Movie posters
Road signs
Andy Warhol
Leading artist of this
movement
Andy Warhol,
Campbells Soup Cans (1962)
Literature
Popularity of science fiction
Fear of nuclear destruction (elements of the Cold War)
Concern of the growing power computers were having in
society
Beatific Writers (1950s)
Rejected social conformity
Centered in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Greenwich
Village
Attracted college students