Popular Culture and Mass Media Quiz

PDF page 784: With a greater generational consciousness than previous generations, the baby boomers sought to define and redefine their identities in numerous ways. Music, especially rock and roll, reflected their desire to rebel against adult authority. Other forms of popular culture, such as movies and television, sought to entertain, while reinforcing values such as religious faith, patriotism, and conformity to societal norms.

PDF page 784: With a greater generational consciousness than previous generations, the baby boomers sought to define and redefine their identities in numerous ways. Music, especially rock and roll, reflected their desire to rebel against adult authority. Other forms of popular culture, such as movies and television, sought to entertain, while reinforcing values such as religious faith, patriotism, and conformity to societal norms.

PDF page 784: In the 1940s, various evolutions of uptempo blues, jazz, and country music gave way to Rhythm and Blues, a genre predominantly created by Black artists and marketed to Black audiences. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was widely credited with delivering the first true Rock and Roll performance with "Strange Things Happening Everyday," and was a major influence on artists of the time. Several years later, Jackie Brantson, singing with Ike Turner's Band, released "Rocket 88," which became a chart-topper and is another contender for "first Rock and Roll recording." Aided by new technologies such as the "45" (or single record), the jukebox, and the solidbody electric guitar, R&B and Rock and Roll artists soon gained the attention and purchasing power of young White people. Rock and roll music celebrated themes such as young love and freedom from the oppression of middle-class society. It quickly grew in favor among American teens, thanks largely to the efforts of disc jockey Alan Freed, who named and popularized the music by playing it on the radio in Cleveland, where he also organized the first rock and roll concert, and later in New York.

PDF page 784: In the 1940s, various evolutions of uptempo blues, jazz, and country music gave way to Rhythm and Blues, a genre predominantly created by Black artists and marketed to Black audiences. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was widely credited with delivering the first true Rock and Roll performance with "Strange Things Happening Everyday," and was a major influence on artists of the time. Several years later, Jackie Brantson, singing with Ike Turner's Band, released "Rocket 88," which became a chart-topper and is another contender for "first Rock and Roll recording." Aided by new technologies such as the "45" (or single record), the jukebox, and the solidbody electric guitar, R&B and Rock and Roll artists soon gained the attention and purchasing power of young White people. Rock and roll music celebrated themes such as young love and freedom from the oppression of middle-class society. It quickly grew in favor among American teens, thanks largely to the efforts of disc jockey Alan Freed, who named and popularized the music by playing it on the radio in Cleveland, where he also organized the first rock and roll concert, and later in New York.

PDF page 784: In the 1940s, various evolutions of uptempo blues, jazz, and country music gave way to Rhythm and Blues, a genre predominantly created by Black artists and marketed to Black audiences. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was widely credited with delivering the first true Rock and Roll performance with "Strange Things Happening Everyday," and was a major influence on artists of the time. Several years later, Jackie Brantson, singing with Ike Turner's Band, released "Rocket 88," which became a chart-topper and is another contender for "first Rock and Roll recording." Aided by new technologies such as the "45" (or single record), the jukebox, and the solidbody electric guitar, R&B and Rock and Roll artists soon gained the attention and purchasing power of young White people. Rock and roll music celebrated themes such as young love and freedom from the oppression of middle-class society. It quickly grew in favor among American teens, thanks largely to the efforts of disc jockey Alan Freed, who named and popularized the music by playing it on the radio in Cleveland, where he also organized the first rock and roll concert, and later in New York.

PDF page 784: In the 1940s, various evolutions of uptempo blues, jazz, and country music gave way to Rhythm and Blues, a genre predominantly created by Black artists and marketed to Black audiences. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was widely credited with delivering the first true Rock and Roll performance with "Strange Things Happening Everyday," and was a major influence on artists of the time. Several years later, Jackie Brantson, singing with Ike Turner's Band, released "Rocket 88," which became a chart-topper and is another contender for "first Rock and Roll recording." Aided by new technologies such as the "45" (or single record), the jukebox, and the solidbody electric guitar, R&B and Rock and Roll artists soon gained the attention and purchasing power of young White people. Rock and roll music celebrated themes such as young love and freedom from the oppression of middle-class society. It quickly grew in favor among American teens, thanks largely to the efforts of disc jockey Alan Freed, who named and popularized the music by playing it on the radio in Cleveland, where he also organized the first rock and roll concert, and later in New York.

PDF page 784: The theme of rebellion against authority, present in many rock and roll songs, appealed to teens. White artists began covering popular songs by Black artists, and following in their footsteps. In 1954, Bill Haley and His Comets provided youth with an anthem for their rebellion—”Rock Around the Clock” (Figure 28.14). The song, used in the 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle about a White teacher at a troubled inner-city high school, seemed to be calling for teens to declare their independence from adult control.

PDF page 784: The theme of rebellion against authority, present in many rock and roll songs, appealed to teens. White artists began covering popular songs by Black artists, and following in their footsteps. In 1954, Bill Haley and His Comets provided youth with an anthem for their rebellion—”Rock Around the Clock” (Figure 28.14). The song, used in the 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle about a White teacher at a troubled inner-city high school, seemed to be calling for teens to declare their independence from adult control.

PDF page 785: Haley illustrated how White artists could take musical motifs from the African American community and achieve mainstream success. Teen heartthrob Elvis Presley rose to stardom doing the same. Thus, besides encouraging a feeling of youthful rebellion, rock and roll also began to tear down color barriers, as White youths sought out African American musicians such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard (Figure 28.14). While youth had found an outlet for their feelings and concerns, parents were much less enthused about rock and roll and the values it seemed to promote. Many regarded the music as a threat to American values. When Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a popular television variety program, the camera deliberately focused on his torso and did not show his swiveling hips or legs shaking in time to the music. Despite adults’ dislike of the genre, or perhaps because of it, more than 68 percent of the music played on the radio in 1956 was rock and roll.

PDF page 785: Haley illustrated how White artists could take musical motifs from the African American community and achieve mainstream success. Teen heartthrob Elvis Presley rose to stardom doing the same. Thus, besides encouraging a feeling of youthful rebellion, rock and roll also began to tear down color barriers, as White youths sought out African American musicians such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard (Figure 28.14). While youth had found an outlet for their feelings and concerns, parents were much less enthused about rock and roll and the values it seemed to promote. Many regarded the music as a threat to American values. When Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a popular television variety program, the camera deliberately focused on his torso and did not show his swiveling hips or legs shaking in time to the music. Despite adults’ dislike of the genre, or perhaps because of it, more than 68 percent of the music played on the radio in 1956 was rock and roll.

PDF page 785: Haley illustrated how White artists could take musical motifs from the African American community and achieve mainstream success. Teen heartthrob Elvis Presley rose to stardom doing the same. Thus, besides encouraging a feeling of youthful rebellion, rock and roll also began to tear down color barriers, as White youths sought out African American musicians such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard (Figure 28.14). While youth had found an outlet for their feelings and concerns, parents were much less enthused about rock and roll and the values it seemed to promote. Many regarded the music as a threat to American values. When Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a popular television variety program, the camera deliberately focused on his torso and did not show his swiveling hips or legs shaking in time to the music. Despite adults’ dislike of the genre, or perhaps because of it, more than 68 percent of the music played on the radio in 1956 was rock and roll.

PDF page 785: The HUAC hearings also targeted Hollywood. When eleven “unfriendly witnesses” were called to testify before Congress about Communism in the film industry in October 1947, only playwright Bertolt Brecht answered questions. The other ten, who refused to testify, were cited for contempt of Congress on November 24. The next day, film executives declared that the so-called “Hollywood Ten” would no longer be employed in the industry until they had sworn they were not Communists (Figure 28.15). Eventually, more than three hundred actors, screenwriters, directors, musicians, and other entertainment professionals were placed on the industry blacklist. Some never worked in Hollywood again; others directed films or wrote screenplays under assumed names.