Television
One of the most influential pieces of technology that was introduced in the 1950s was probably the television. Although the television had been invented years before, it did not become a household staple until the 1950s because the broadcasting technology did not exist yet. In 1948 regular commercial network broadcasted television began in the U.S. and the first things that could be seen on the television’s 3 stations, CBS, NBC and ABC, were news and musical performances. As t.v. broadcasting caught on though, situation comedies or "sitcoms" began to be produced. These shows were instrumental in shaping how Americans’ viewed their own role in American society and what the ideal American society should look like, television became the ultimate propaganda poster.
Brief Clips From A Variety of 1950s TV Shows
The television culture began in the 1950s and progressed as year have passed. Can you imagine a world in which the television did not exist? The future of our world was influenced so completely by the television. Not only did it persuade people to follow the norms of society, it often times perpetuated stereotypes, gender roles, and racism. It also created a new generation of consumers, one like we hadn’t seen since the 1920s because of all the new advertising. For example, t.v. dinners (frozen dinners), along with t.v. trays were invented so that American families could enjoy a meal on Friday night in front of the television screen. It quite literally revolutionized our whole society and surpassed the radio, becoming the dominant form of media. |
By 1957 there were an estimated 40 million television sets in use. Over 80% of households had televisions. Television had become a hugely important vehicle for delivering news fast, accurately and now that people could actually see what was going on across the country television seemed to unite the country. News was not the only type of t.v. program though, family comedy sitcoms, action/adventure shows, game shows and of course advertising via commercials became immensely popular in the 1950s. Family sitcoms like Father Knows Best, I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver and The Donna Reed Show all depicted the “typical” American family and taught “good” American values. Action/Adventure shows like Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, and Gunsmoke glorified the American west and re-enforced the idea of the “strong man”. Game shows like Twenty-One or the $64,000 Question and Variety shows like Toast of the Town, hosted by big names like Bob Hope, Ed Sullivan and Jack Benny provided laughter to the average American household. Police Dramas like Dragnet gave families a more serious storyline to follow and became very popular.
|