Although the electronic television
was first successful in 1927, it was not until 1947 that it became viable commercially. The
prosperity of the 1950’s allowed many Americans to have TV sets in their home.
In 1949, 3% of families had television sets, by 1951, the number had jumped to
24%. Owning a television, which had once been a privilege, shifted to being the
norm. The dawn of the Cold War made many Americans believe that the purity of
American pop culture was invaluable in protecting traditional American ideals.
In 1952, the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters created
their own censorship guidelines, so that the government would not step in and
create their own restrictions. The goal of these guidelines was to encourage
American values and support a healthy American culture, which included keeping
violence, sex, and crime off the air waves.
Arguable the most popular show of
its time, I Love Lucy, is an
excellent example of how television was used to reinforce American ideals. With
its premier airing on October 15, 1951, I
Love Lucy, was the most popular TV show in America for 4 of its 6 seasons, with
more people tuning in to watch the birth of the TV couple’s son than to the
inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower. On October 15th, 1951, CBS
aired I Love Lucy for the first time.
The show starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who were married in real life. The
show featured Lucy, the bumbling and dependent housewife to Ricardo, the
domineering the breadwinning man of the house. Every attempt Lucy made to break
out of her mold as doting wife, fails with Ricardo having to come save her,
sending the message that women should stay at home, not only for the benefit of
their husband and children, but for themselves. At home, Lucy can be the pinnacle
of familial stability and relish in the American Dream. This message was
pertinent, for many women had had a taste of the workplace when their husbands
were shipped off to war, but I Love Lucy,
told them that it was alright to want
to break free of the home, but not to actually attempt to do so. I Love Lucy also kept within the
propriety standards set out by the National Association of Radio and Television
Broadcasters, with Lucy and Ricardo sleeping in separate twin beds for the
first two seasons of the show. Only when their son was born were the beds put
together under one headboard, yet, the separate twin sheets stayed, dividing
the couple. In general, Lucy and Ricardo were to mirror the hopes and values of
the American public, and sent a strong message as to the gender roles of men
and women in post-war society.
The television does not only
deliver sitcoms however, it also provided a new means for advertising to a
wealthier America. The commercials of the early 1950’s concentrated on repeated
and simple slogans. Take this M&M commercial, which repeats the slogan,
“M&M’s melt on your mouth, not in your hand”.
Aside form the traditional commercial however, some companies sponsored full
variety shows. One of the most famous, Texaco
Star Theater, was hosted by Milton Berle on NBC. Throughout the show’s hour
long time slot, Texaco employees were seen smiling an doing good deeds. The
theme song for the show is an elongated advertising pitch for Texaco, with the
closing song including, “Remember to be loyal, To our gasoline
and oil, When they save you time and toil you'll be glad”.
As the full power of television advertising was realized airtime became more
expensive and advertisements became shorter.
No comments:
Post a Comment