Formerly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge of American History students at Lincoln County High School in Eureka, Montana; NOW dedicated to the educational pursuit of anyone interested in American polity.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
American History I
American History I students recently watched a film that described social and cultural impacts of Elvis Presley. EXTRA CREDIT: What were some of the effects that Elvis and his music had on American society of the 1950's?
Things in the 1950's were different. Things were more private. When Elvis Presley started becoming famous, a lot of things started to change. Elvis wasn't afraid to take some risks. He was different than most artists of that day. When he got on stage, he would sing, but it wasn't his voice that threw people off. It was his dancing that was quite sexual. It turned parents away. Females were head over heels for him though. it introduced the idea of sex even further. Elvis really put himself out there when he started to dress like a black of the time. His clothes were bought from black stores and it was very unusual for a white man to do such a thing. His music was all over the place. He sang things like rock and roll, rhythm and blues, folk and country. He mixed so many styles of music and it was peculiar to most. But, the kids loved it. One of the biggest things that Elvis created in the 1950's was equality. When kids showed up to listen to his music. it wasn't just one race. White and blacks came together and didn't even seem to care. They all were there for the same reason. They loved music. It was a change in the right direction.
Elvis helped with segregation in the south because he was a white kid, wearing black clothes, singing like a black guy and dancing like one to. Caleb Hull
The society of that time was very strict. Racial tensions were very high, and emotional expressions were not very common. Elvis helped break all those bonds through his music. He was a white man singing the forbidden black man music during a time when that was frowned upon. White kids began listening to music among crowds of African Americans. Elvis was also very open with his music and dance. His influence lead to teens becoming more open with their sexuality. He even changed the ways people dressed. Elvis's main contribution to the music world was that he brought rock and roll into popular views.
After the 1957 of Elvis Presley, ignited a passion, things started to change, T.V., cars, buildings, rock, sex, race, etc. Intertwine between whites and blacks came together because of Elvis Presley's music. Music made young teens forget about racism. Elvis changed the south by making himself be represented as a southerner singing black music and dressing like one. Because of Elvis's influence many teens following in his steps were viewed as juvenile delinquents by higher authority. Elvis had everything that was needed to be popular and famous; good looking, fashion, moves and social status.
Elvis had a great affect on society in the 1950's with his music in many ways. One of the ways that he affected people was by having his music be more than one style. He used R and B and he used Jazz and Country and other genres to make his own style, thus creating rock and roll. He upset many parents and elderly people because the way he danced was provocative. He brought people together because both black and white listened to his music. Whites would show up at back clubs because they liked the music that was playing there. Eventually, blacks were playing music with whites and people started to realize that race doesn't really matter much and we're all more alike than we might think. His music helped people to be able to express themselves with dancing and relating to the lyrics. He was mostly just liked by teens, but when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, parents started to realize that maybe he isn't that bad once they saw him performing on a highly regarded TV show.
When Elvis first came to become famous the whole country was worried about where we were going. After the war was over people just wanted to start having fun, and Elvis was very fun. Blues was mostly all black music so it was weird for both white and black people to start listening to the same music. Elvis was a white guy, but his music sounded black. People started to not notice race in music and just started listening to the music. Elvis' music and rock music in general was the first kind that was for teenagers, by teenagers. Elvis wore clothes that black performers wore. Elvis became a sort of sexual icon for girls. Because there was no sex ed. or anything like that back then, parents hated it. They thought his music was making their kids bad. Elvis had something for everyone, the rich and poor, the black and white, and the good and bad. TV was growing in popularity and Elvis made a few appearances that changed everything. He was a very sensitive person and that came off on everyone else. People believe that he made our country more sensitive and more comfortable with their feelings. They were no longer afraid to show their feminine side. Elvis people changed everything about themselves, from their appearance, all the way to the way they act and the kinds of people that they like. -Jaimie Soderling
Elvis had a large affect on the white teenage population of America. Elvis sang and dressed like a black singer, and white teenagers idolized him, which was a white conservative parent's nightmare. As Elvis became more popular with his suggestive dancing and non traditional music, teenagers became more defiant. This movement sparked the generation gap that described the cultural disconnection between a parent and their child during the 1950's. Alika Gillard
Elvis Presley was a young artist who took stress away from some people, while adding another stress on american white parents. Elvis was able to connect to the teenagers in the 1950's he knew what kind of music they liked and he was able to give it to them in a more acceptable manner. Teenagers in the 1950's began to listen to a lot of blues and black artist music. The kids like the rhythm to the music, but their parents disagreed. Their parents didn't want their "white" children listening to "black" music. The parents thought that their children were trying to be like the black artists and they didn't want that. Elvis came into the picture and was able to sing the "black" music but still be a white performer. This made the parents more comfortable, but they didn't like how he performed. The way Elvis gyrated his hips and moved while he sang, gave a bad example to the teenagers. Elvis was able to give people an escape from their hectic lives. During the 1950's people were still scared about the atomic attacks on America, and Elvis was someone who was able to take the nerves away for just a few moments.
Things in the 1950's were different. Things were more private. When Elvis Presley started becoming famous, a lot of things started to change. Elvis wasn't afraid to take some risks. He was different than most artists of that day. When he got on stage, he would sing, but it wasn't his voice that threw people off. It was his dancing that was quite sexual. It turned parents away. Females were head over heels for him though. it introduced the idea of sex even further. Elvis really put himself out there when he started to dress like a black of the time. His clothes were bought from black stores and it was very unusual for a white man to do such a thing. His music was all over the place. He sang things like rock and roll, rhythm and blues, folk and country. He mixed so many styles of music and it was peculiar to most. But, the kids loved it. One of the biggest things that Elvis created in the 1950's was equality. When kids showed up to listen to his music. it wasn't just one race. White and blacks came together and didn't even seem to care. They all were there for the same reason. They loved music. It was a change in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteHe helped segregation and basically and i dont mean to mouth off he was a white guy singing black musics like rock or the blues. -Travis Branscome
ReplyDeleteElvis helped with segregation in the south because he was a white kid, wearing black clothes, singing like a black guy and dancing like one to. Caleb Hull
ReplyDeleteThe society of that time was very strict. Racial tensions were very high, and emotional expressions were not very common. Elvis helped break all those bonds through his music. He was a white man singing the forbidden black man music during a time when that was frowned upon. White kids began listening to music among crowds of African Americans. Elvis was also very open with his music and dance. His influence lead to teens becoming more open with their sexuality. He even changed the ways people dressed. Elvis's main contribution to the music world was that he brought rock and roll into popular views.
ReplyDeleteAfter the 1957 of Elvis Presley, ignited a passion, things started to change, T.V., cars, buildings, rock, sex, race, etc. Intertwine between whites and blacks came together because of Elvis Presley's music. Music made young teens forget about racism. Elvis changed the south by making himself be represented as a southerner singing black music and dressing like one. Because of Elvis's influence many teens following in his steps were viewed as juvenile delinquents by higher authority. Elvis had everything that was needed to be popular and famous; good looking, fashion, moves and social status.
ReplyDeleteElvis had a great affect on society in the 1950's with his music in many ways. One of the ways that he affected people was by having his music be more than one style. He used R and B and he used Jazz and Country and other genres to make his own style, thus creating rock and roll. He upset many parents and elderly people because the way he danced was provocative. He brought people together because both black and white listened to his music. Whites would show up at back clubs because they liked the music that was playing there. Eventually, blacks were playing music with whites and people started to realize that race doesn't really matter much and we're all more alike than we might think. His music helped people to be able to express themselves with dancing and relating to the lyrics. He was mostly just liked by teens, but when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, parents started to realize that maybe he isn't that bad once they saw him performing on a highly regarded TV show.
ReplyDeleteWhen Elvis first came to become famous the whole country was worried about where we were going. After the war was over people just wanted to start having fun, and Elvis was very fun. Blues was mostly all black music so it was weird for both white and black people to start listening to the same music. Elvis was a white guy, but his music sounded black. People started to not notice race in music and just started listening to the music. Elvis' music and rock music in general was the first kind that was for teenagers, by teenagers. Elvis wore clothes that black performers wore. Elvis became a sort of sexual icon for girls. Because there was no sex ed. or anything like that back then, parents hated it. They thought his music was making their kids bad. Elvis had something for everyone, the rich and poor, the black and white, and the good and bad. TV was growing in popularity and Elvis made a few appearances that changed everything. He was a very sensitive person and that came off on everyone else. People believe that he made our country more sensitive and more comfortable with their feelings. They were no longer afraid to show their feminine side. Elvis people changed everything about themselves, from their appearance, all the way to the way they act and the kinds of people that they like.
ReplyDelete-Jaimie Soderling
Elvis had a large affect on the white teenage population of America. Elvis sang and dressed like a black singer, and white teenagers idolized him, which was a white conservative parent's nightmare. As Elvis became more popular with his suggestive dancing and non traditional music, teenagers became more defiant. This movement sparked the generation gap that described the cultural disconnection between a parent and their child during the 1950's.
ReplyDeleteAlika Gillard
Elvis Presley was a young artist who took stress away from some people, while adding another stress on american white parents. Elvis was able to connect to the teenagers in the 1950's he knew what kind of music they liked and he was able to give it to them in a more acceptable manner. Teenagers in the 1950's began to listen to a lot of blues and black artist music. The kids like the rhythm to the music, but their parents disagreed. Their parents didn't want their "white" children listening to "black" music. The parents thought that their children were trying to be like the black artists and they didn't want that. Elvis came into the picture and was able to sing the "black" music but still be a white performer. This made the parents more comfortable, but they didn't like how he performed. The way Elvis gyrated his hips and moved while he sang, gave a bad example to the teenagers. Elvis was able to give people an escape from their hectic lives. During the 1950's people were still scared about the atomic attacks on America, and Elvis was someone who was able to take the nerves away for just a few moments.
ReplyDelete-Hannah Price