Entertainment

Abby Belisle Madeleine Anderson Brooke Buxbaum Kris Cody

Television- TV was a new electronic device in the fifties that really united the nation. It was now something that not only the rich could afford, but the middle class could too, which means that all americans were watching the same shows and news at the same time. Televisions were in almost all american living rooms and it became a big part of life at home. People talked to each-other less and ate meals in-front of the TV as opposed to a family at the dinner table. In the fifties if you had a television, you would be considered as a really cool kid. Even because there were a lack of shows back then, it was new so people were entertained by anything and not always looking for more. In 1956, some scientists did a study on how much kids ages 10-16 watched television. It was proven that an average kid watched six hours of television a day which was equal to how long they went to school everyday. Television really formed our culture like many other electronics and entertainment of the time.

Radio- Radio was still used as a way to communicate news, but many of the shows that were aired on radio were now on TV as well as radio. Radio was rapidly losing popularity to the television, radio started to shift from news and stories lines to music. Listening to music on the radio lead to the transistor radio, making it even easier to listen to music because a transistor radio was portable, so it could be listened to outside and installed in cars. Also, transistor radios were very cheap and easy to make.

Movies- In November, 1952, movies became more than just movies. They made the first 3-D movie, called Bwana Devil. Everyone was raving about how amazing the movie experience had became but the fascination didn’t last very long. Some popular movies of the 1950’s were Singin' In the Rain, Seven Samurai, //Rear Window, On the Waterfront, Bridge on the River Kwai, All About Eve, Ben-Hur, Vertigo, Some Like It Hot,// and //The Seventh Seal//. Major movie companies were creating anti-communist movies and action movies about the infantryman fighting on the Battle of the Buldge. //High and the Mighty// was a film about the life onboard of a World War II cargo ship and an airplane disaster type movie. //To Hell and Back// was a film about a World War II GI and hero on the battlefront. //The Sea Chase// was a movie about the the captain of the German freighter and his adventures during World War II. Movies were now a new form of propaganda. There were five popular movies supporting anti-communism and making American citizens afraid of Russia's form of government. One movie was the //Diary of Anne Frank// which showed the story and struggle of a young girl and her family who were hiding but then discovered and put in concentration camps.

 Music- The nifty fifties were a great time for music. Everyone was in a good mood, and music helped people dance and forget about everything. The new genre “rock and roll” was fun that let people rock out. It could be heard everywhere, whether you listened to it live, or on a portable radio. New singers came out, and were big hits like [|Elvis Presley], [|Buddy Holly] , or [|Little Richard]. Elvis Presley probably had the greatest impact on the early Rock and Roll stages. His main audience were teens, and with his good looks and unique sound, you would have to be a fool not to like him back in the day. Little Richard was another inventor of Rock and Roll, and appealed to all colors because he was black. He made an impact on people and helped define what Rock and Roll really sounded like. Lastly, Buddy Holly was probably Elvis’s biggest rivalry. Holly was a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Unfortunately, in 1959 he died in a plane crash and his career was ended short. With the rise of Rock and Roll's new popularity, black artists were becoming more popular with audiences of all colors, and showed the world that they could create music just as well as whites. Music in the fifties also made dances. The Mambo, the West Coast Swing, the Cha Cha, the Bosa Nova, the Stroll, the Jive were popular in the 1950's as well as many of the older dances such as the waltz, the jitterbug, and the foxtrot. Overall, music was a big hit. 

Hula Hoop- The Hula Hoop was first used in Ancient Greece for sports and recreation but the next big debut that the Hula Hoop had was in the 1950's. It became a popular pass time for children and teenagers of all walks of life in America. It was the perfect thing to do in your small suburban lawn or something to let you exercise in a fun, exciting way. In 1958, Richard Kerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin released the first plastic hula hoop. They were based on the hawaiian hula dance. The Hula Hoop was a very inexpensive form of entertainment and only cost $1.98.

Mr. Potato Head- The Mr. Potato Head was created by George Lerner of New York City in 1952. It was based off a game that originally used actual potatoes called "Make a Face", Lerner sold his invention to the Hassenfeld Brothers of Rhode Island, who owned Hasbro Inc.. Hasbro then started selling the toy, originally Mr. Potato Head came with a styrofoam head and all the facial attachments, but Hasbro also included a note stating that vegetables and fruits could certainly be used as a substitutes. Mr. Potato Head was also the first toy to be advertised on television. In 1985, Mr. Potato Head received four write-in votes in an election for mayor of Boise, Idaho. Later in 1950 Mr. Potato Head got married to Mrs. Potato head, and in the 60's brother and sister yam joined the family. Mr. Potato Head, and family, became a phenomenon, soon there was a line of houses and vehicles for the family. Soon a couple of pets were adopted and became members of the Head family. Finally in 1964, Hasbro introduced the a line of Mr. Potato Head's with plastic heads instead of styrofoam. Mr. Potato Head is still a treasured toy for many a little kid and provides hours of limitless fun.

Barbie- In March of 1959 Ruth Handler created a soon to be world wide toy, Barbie. This fashion doll was modeled after a German doll called Bild Lilli. Barbie has become very contraversial and many lawsuits have occurred surrounding the parody of this doll and its lifestyle. The doll was manufactures by the american toy-company Mattel Inc. After the original Barbie Mattel started manufacturing products like the Barbie head, which was used for making hair-do’s. These days Barbies from the 60’s are collectors items and one sold for £9,000 in 2006. BIBLIOGRAPHY~ Mr. Potato Head- http://www.skooldays.com/categories/toys/ty1048.htm http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/PotatoHead.htm http://f00.inventorspot.com/images/mr_potato_head.jpg

Hula Hoop- http://blog.al.com/finaltaxi/2008/01/large_Hula-Hoop_1958a.jpg http://www.loti.com/50s_fifties_hula_hoop.htm

Movies- http://www.filmsite.org/50sintro3.html http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/movie-pages/movie_50s.html http://www.impawards.com/1952/posters/singin_in_the_rain.jpg http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads/2009/07/Italian-Movie-Poster-Seven-Samurai-19297.jpg

Barbie- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie#Competition_from_Bratz_dolls http://www.jennyhaniver.com/uploaded_images/Barbie%27s-friend-Midge-722783.jpg