American culture and society in the 1920s

1920s Culture

American culture and society in the 1920s

American society and culture during the 1920s, usually called the Roaring Twenties, underwent a major transition from being a war-torn country to becoming an economically prosperous society, giving birth to mass and popular cultures. Having experienced the effects of the First World War, America experienced an initial dip in its economic growth; however, the nation immediately recovered by the year 1922. During this period, the economy prospered because of numerous improvements in the production of consumable goods and products, not to mention the increase in manufacturing of new technologies, such as the development of automobiles and home appliances.

The 1920s was noted for its contribution to the creation and development of mass and popular ("pop") cultures. These cultures pertain to the prevalence of consumer culture in America, wherein Americans became avid consumers of new products produced in the market. In effect, as a result of this proliferation of new consumer goods, advertising and marketing strategies also became rampant. Advertising and marketing goods and products become part of the popular, or pop, culture. In the popular culture, these consumer goods and products became part of Americans' everyday lives, and were also used in every part of consumers' lives, with the production of paraphernalia that advertises and endorses a product, while at the same time appearing "cool" and "popular" by wearing or using the paraphernalia depicting the popular brand or product.

With the proliferation of pop culture materials and paraphernalia, it became inevitable, then, that American culture would also be defined by the proliferation of advertising materials, such as print ads most widely advertised through magazines, as well as radio broadcasts, commercials and films/movies. Both the advertising and film industry became influential in creating the new mass culture in the country because these media made possible the endorsement of new and existing products. Through TV and film, products/brands were able to bring out specific images that appealed to the audience, depicting images of prestige, popularity, 'coolness,' or simply, mass appeal. Although in large part, TV and film helped proliferate the new mass culture, print ads were also influential in promoting products/brands that cater to the public, as exemplified by some popular ads advertised in popular magazines during the 1920s.

Looking at 10 (ten) ads published in magazines in the 1920s, the influence of the new mass culture becomes apparent when looking into the content and product endorsed in each advertisement. These ads promote the following products and/or brands: Campbell's vegetable soup in can, Cadillac, Packard cars, Servel refrigerator, Snider's tomato catsup, Maytag washer, Heinz catsup, Pebeco toothpaste, Eden washing machine and Franklin (sedan car). These ads occupy one whole page in a magazine, although it is noticeable that the most number of advertisements came from cars (Cadillac, Packard and Franklin), and generally, home appliances (Servel, Maytag and Eden) and food products (Campbell's, Snider's, Heinz and Pebeco). These three main categories demonstrate the priorities and values of American consumers during this time -- that is, it is apparent among these ads that Americans highly consumer food products, home appliances and cars.

The heavy advertising space given to food products reflect how this high density of food products translates to the heavy consumption that Americans allot to buying food products. Why the need to advertise basic necessities such as tomato catsup, vegetable soup, or toothpaste? This is because there are numerous products of the same kind, differing only in brand and packaging. These ads of different brands under the same product category illustrate the effectiveness of advertising in making people perceive the need to buy more products than what they actually need. In the new American mass culture, consumers are made to realize the need to buy more products, each product answering a specific need or want, appropriate to the consumer's lifestyle.

These ads also illustrate the development of new values that American consumers have acquired, being consumers of material goods and services. These new values show the regard for materialism, which is considered a good trait, especially in the 1920s wherein Americans favor the 'good life' that is becoming popular not only among Americans belonging to the elite class, but among the working class as well.

It is noticeable, however, that despite illustrating the image of 'good life' among American consumers, it seemed that these ads were catered only to white Americans, which are often depicted as belonging to the elite to middle social classes. Further analysis also showed that apart from the under representation of minorities in these ads, white American women were the 'staple' elements contained in an ad. Although some of the ads appropriately use a woman -- that is, usage of a woman to advertise a food product -- there were also instances in some ads, specifically car ads, wherein women seemed to be objectified. Car ads are classic examples of the objectification of women in advertisements, wherein oftentimes, association between the cars advertised and woman depicted are inevitably linked together, creating the impression that a car is a want that needs to be achieved, in the same way that the consumer would want a woman. In these ads, the under representation of minorities and inappropriateness of using female models in the ads were highlighted as their salient features.

Despite the inappropriate representation of females and under representation of minorities in popular print ads in American magazines during the 1920s, they were very much a part of the new mass culture. In fact, all Americans, whatever their gender, race and social class, became part of the new mass culture, as each American contributed to the increased consumerism and materialism, responding to his/her need to consumer a specific product or brand, whether it is a need or just a want.

And because pop culture has advertising and the mass media to promote its products and goods, the new mass culture further widened, while at the same time, new "groupings" emerged, which were also economically-motivated. Products and brands were created and developed to cater to a specific target market. For each socio-economically determined target market (i.e., the elite, middle class or working class), there is a product and brand that satisfies the individual's needs and financial capability to buy this product or brand. Thus, as socio-demographics influence the individual's capability to consumer a product/brand, the products and brands themselves adjust to these differences among consumers, thereby capturing a substantial part, or oftentimes, all parts of the consumer market.