1950s+Teenage+JENH

Jennifer Ejiofor Mrs. Lamanteer Humanities II: History 16 November 2011
 * In the 1950’s, men wore their hair in short military styled cuts. Some of the styles were a pompadour- with this the man’s hair is combed up from the forehead, flat top- a very short back with longer hair on the crown of the head, and the Duck's Tail cut- the style requires that you comb the hair back to the middle of the head, then with the end of a rattail comb, make a center part. Men’s hair was not supposed to touch their ears. It was even illegal in some parts of the country for men to have long hair. Men’s hairstyles were influenced by Elvis Presley, James Stewart, and Cary Grant. Since most men were used to wearing their hair short in the military having to keep it like this was not such a big deal.


 * In the 1950s, hot rods or motor vehicles that have been specially modified to give extra power and speed became popular among teenagers. The war was over and men had money to spend to improve their cars performance. Through hot-rodding men expressed themselves with their gaudy paint jobs and chrome pipes. Though, parents saw them as dangerous and a form of teenage rebellion. Hot rods also became associated with bad behavior.


 * Teens had become interested in a new type of music called rock ‘n’ roll. It evolved in the 1950's from rhythm and blues and spoke to teenagers with its youth-oriented lyrics. Artists like Elvis Presley and Little Richard became popular among the youth, but parents despised this kind of music. They thought it was corrupting their children and wanted them to listen to the music that they were listening to. Children continued to listen to rock ‘n’ roll because it was their music and defined their generation.


 * Teenage dating was revolutionized in the 1950s. Double dating was used to create a more open environment. Then, when the couple was ready they would began going steady. This concept of “going steady” took on a new meaning in the fifties. Before the war, it was a stage couples went to if they were considering marriage, after the war it was used more as a term for just dating. Men asked the ladies on dates and always paid. With teens now having their own cars they did things in them like necking (caressing above the neck) and petting (caresses below). Parents knew that things like this were going to happen so instead of trying to stop it, they did their best to contain it. Teens in the 50s changed the rules of dating and helped lay down the basis of dating rules today.


 * Dance also took on a new meaning for teens in the 1950s. Teens did not want to dance like their parents who constantly disapproved of the things they did so they created new forms of dance that went along with their new music, rock ‘n’ roll. Some of the dances were called the jitterbug, or swing, Lindy, the rock ’n’ roll, boogie-woogie or Bop. The word bop was a family of low swiveling Charleston-like steps danced in place, sometimes without a partner. Through dancing teens expressed themselves, and had something fun to do while listening to their new music.

Primary Documents   This is Elvis Presley who influenced teens through music and style. While being the King of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis captivated teens with his voice. He also heavily impacted the hairstyles teen boys wore with his famous pompadour.

“ [|Bridgeport Ban Stops the Music: Halts 'Rock 'n Roll' Teen Dances] ”  BRIDGEPORT, Conn., March 25- Police Superintendent John A. Lyddy had forbidden, until further notice, the issuance of permits for “Rock ‘n’ Roll’ teenage dance parties. Explaining that he was doing so because the situation was getting out of hand, he said today that he had acted upon the recommendation of Lieut. Joseph Couglin.

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> This is an excerpt from the New York Times on Mar 26, 1955. It discussed how in Bridgeport, Connecticut the police stopped a dance because they thought teens were going “wild” to the music. There was no real crime being committed, but to adults dancing to rock ‘n’ roll was unacceptable. They could not accept that teens were claiming a new culture all their own.

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> During the 1950’s the youth emerged creating their own fashion, music, and culture. The world came to know them as teenagers. Their identities developed with the creation of rock ‘n’ roll and their own dances. They began to stray away from what their parents did and came up with things that defined them. Parents did not like this and tried to restrict and control what they thought of as teenage rebellion. Even with their parents disapproving words teens did what they wanted and helped create the modern teenager. If they did not defy what their parents said we would not have things like our music, dances, and styles. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Works Cited <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"1950s Hairstyles." //Enjoy Your Style//. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.enjoy-your-style.com/1950s-hairstyles.html>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"America on the Move | Hot Rod by Henry Gregor Felson." National Museum of American History. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_607.html>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"Bridgeport Ban Stops the Music - Halts 'Rock 'n Roll' Teen Dances - Article - NYTimes.com." Editorials, Columns, Op-Ed, Letters, Opinionator and More Opinion - The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Mar. 1955. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60A13F7355B167B93C4AB1788D85F418585F9>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"Senior Wasteland." Welcome to Senior Wasteland. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://seniorwasteland.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"Teen Dances of the 1950s." Social Dance at Stanford. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/teen_dances.htm>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> "Teenage Dating in the 1950s." UMD Honors - Current Students - University Honors Courses. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://universityhonors.umd.edu/HONR269J/projects/sombat.html>.