The popular culture and attitude of the 50's show a simple, happy time. Technological innovation is everywhere, families are smiling, life is good. Behind the superficial imagery, however, the 50's were a complex time where denial trumped reality. An entire generation was silently dealing with the aftermath of a horrific war, women and minorities were generally repressed, fear of the bomb and Soviet Union was everywhere, McCarthyism brought out the despicable crusaders, counterculture was brewing with the Beat Generation and the civil rights movement. Just wait for the fireworks a decade later when the fascade blows up!
While covering up frustrations with idealized imagery is nothing new in advertising, this era seems unusually delusional. They show families in harmony with industrial plants, dutiful kitchen-bound happy women, smart and earnest children, delicious food and laughing drinking men leering at hotties. It's so ripe for parody, it's easy to see where The Simpsons and Married With Children get their inspiration.
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3 comments:
Very true, never thought of it that way but your right. It's like the post I just put up on honesty. When we refuse to deal with the issues at hand and cover them with superficial happiness the result is often much more devistating than even our fear of facing the issue.
also refered to as the monolithic 50's. The american people were full of confidence, unaware that their greatest accomplishment ( ww2 ) was conceived with a very dark purpose in mind.
Delusion gets people through a harsh life.
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