Today, we normally go to the movies or play sports for fun, but what did people back in the fifties do?
Television was a big thing in the fifties. Though it was invented in the twenties, the television didn’t become popular until the early fifties. One show that was aired a lot was “Duck and Cover”. This featured Bert the Turtle and it taught children how to duck and cover if an atomic bomb came. Other popular television shows were the Honeymooners, The Addams family, Andy Griffith Show, Brady Bunch, Batman, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and I Love Lucy. Three- dimensional television had already been invented, but was considered a failed attempt during the 20’s. At the beginning of the early fifties, it became a successful way of watching television. The people loved it! They would watch it for hours and hours until it made their eyes hurt. Most of these movies, however, were only 5-10 minutes long and were black and white. Art and literature was also very popular during this time period. Most art included abstract expressionism. Artists like Jackson Pollock and Clifford Still used expressionism. Art was also shown in architecture. Houses would be built with the designer’s ideas, most of which included a ranch- style décor. Books written during this time period were meant to reflect on the issue of finding self- happiness. Books included Go Tell It On the Mountain, The Silver Chalice, and Ponder Heart. One of the more famous books during this time was The Door in the Wall. |
People wouldn’t always entertain themselves with television and books though. They would play games like checkers and tic tac toe. They also played trivia games, word searches, hangman, and crossword puzzles that would come in the morning paper.
Rock and Roll was the most memorable part of the fifties. There was the “King of rock” (Elvis Presley), American Bandstand, and doo- wap. Once teenagers started to go to malt shops and cafes with jukeboxes, sock hops and “bubblegum” music was popular amongst them. Teenagers would buy there own records and music after they began to get jobs. This was when the term teenager began to be used for the first time. Once they were able to buy their own things, they were not considered “kids” anymore. The music was meant to reflect on the easy going and prosperous lives of the citizens. The tunes were upbeat and had a “swing baby swing” feel to it. |