Family Values
“In general my children refuse to eat anything that hasn't danced on television.” - Erma Bombeck
In the time of the 1950's, the typical nuclear, patriarchal family was forming, consisting of the working
father, the stay-at-home mother and at least one child, most often two children and one of each gender.
Television shows such as Leave It To Beaver and Ozzie and Harriet were the showcase for the so-called
"perfect family".
Scattered throughout the sea of television programming were many with titles that gilded the father's
image: Father Know's Best and Make Room For Daddy. Within these programs, were a multitude of fathers
with the same basic traits and characteristics. Father's in the television programming of the '50's were men of
stature, not just physically, but materially and in accordance to their family. These men that were being
personified through actors, were men who worked long, hard hours every week to feed and cloth his family.
When the father came home, he set down his brief case and called out, "Honey, I'm Home!" to announce his
arrival. Father's of the 1950's were also deemed very knowledgeable and one to go see if you needed help with a
moral dilemma. Father's of this time were strict with their children, telling Johnny to never give up and keep
getting back on his bicycle, yet never failing to show love and compassion when little Johnny fell off his bike
once more. This personification of the father figure was an example to men who watched what they could and
should be to their family.
Every evening they watched this show and every day they tried more and more to live up to the man that
they saw on television, and whom everyone admired. The construction of the suburbs in the nineteen fifties and
sixties made this portrayal of the father figure that much more believable to the average television viewer, most
of whom were also living in the suburbs. Although these fathers on television seemed to have the perfect life
and seemed easy to follow their footsteps, real life for most families was not what it was on television.
On the matriarchal side of the family, the mother did not escape dissection by the television viewing
audience either. The mother figure being portrayed at the time was parallel to that of the father figure; every
Ward Cleaver must have his June Cleaver. This mother figure was the woman of the house, who stayed home
during the day cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, and greeting the children with nutritious snacks after a day at
school. This woman was also the one who ran to greet her husband as he came in the door after a long days
work with a fresh, hot dinner waiting to be served and cooked just right. This portrayal, too, was misleading.
Women of the time, were staying home, but some too, were taking on full time jobs as well, which most
television shows at the time were not showing. One particular episode of I Love Lucy did show the main
character, Lucy, working in a factory at one point, but this was shown in a humorus way with Lucy "doing
everything wrong, trying to make wine by crushing grapes with her feet, shoving too many marshmallows into
her mouth, and being slapped in the face with a pie"*.
The effect of viewing this, seemingly, perfect woman on these programs had the same effect that
viewing the perfect husband and father had. Both of the roles the father and mother have to resume are difficult
in themselves; let alone the added pressure of trying to live up to the mother and father being play out on
television.
Along with the mother and father figures being played out to be perfect, the children were nothing less
than perfect angels. In Ozzie and Harriet, the children were upstanding kids who, occasionally made their
mistakes and then learned from them. Societies real children tended to be more into rock 'n roll, things that
adults at the time considered to lead to trouble.
*Lindop, Edmund. 2002. Television Takes Over. America in the 1950's. pg78
http://students.umf.maine.edu/~lovejoem/Page%201.htm
Teenage Life in the 1950’s
by Erika Cox
The word Teenager was created in the 1950’s due to the tremendous population of those in this age category and
because teenagers started gaining more independence and freedoms. Teenagers were able to buy more things like food,
clothes and music because of an increase in spending money.
Teenagers were also becoming more independent in the type of music they preferred to listen to, no more listening to
what their parents liked, teens flocked to the new music of the decade, which was rock and roll.
Growing up as a teenager prior to World War II, teenagers were expected to take life seriously. Males were expected to
join the military or go out and get a job in order to help bring in money for their family or to take care of their future family.
Females were taught how to take care of the household and prepare themselves to be a dutiful wife and take care of
children. Marriage and preparing for a family, more than education or a career, was seen as a definite in the lives of
teenagers. Also, teens had very little economic freedom, independence, and input into decision making prior to WWII.
However, in the 1950’s, expectations changed for the teenager. The economy started booming and families experienced
a great deal of economic power, freedom and independence, including teenagers.
New medians were created like television and AM radio that attracted teenagers. Also they were able to attend high
school dances, create clothing trends, dance fads, and hairstyles to name a few.
Things were starting to change. In the 1950’s, teenagers where more inclined and encouraged to attend college, find a
skill, and seek a successful career. Their parents had more than likely gone through the depression and a number of
wars, and now wanted something more for their children.
This resulted in teenagers receiving spending money and having more time to socialize with other teenagers. Of course,
this newly found independence would often result in conflict between the parents and the child.
The media played on these emotions and often portrayed teenagers as juvenile delinquents. Peers easily influence
teenagers, often at that stage in life what peers think and do becomes more important than what parents think and say.
Perhaps, some would say looking at society in general that the first indication or act of teenage rebellion began in the
1950’s.
Before the 1950’s, teenagers listened to the music of their parents, but when rock and roll came on the scene teens
swarmed to it. Even though teens were able to purchase rock and roll records because they were receiving extra
spending money, their parents were opposed to rock and roll music, they despised it, and thought of it as corrupting their
children.
This sometimes caused friction, it seemed as if teenagers were becoming more rebellious, defensive, and at times,
disrespectful, and that listening to rock and roll was the root cause of all this rebellion.
However, this belief was often exaggerated because parents didn’t understand the newfound independence and
freedom that they never experienced. Yet, rock and roll was something new and parents thought it was shocking and
terrible. They felt if their children were listening to this dreadful music that the end must be right around the corner.
Although, this wasn’t the case in every household it was in a large number of them. Because parents had never
experienced this they thought their children were doomed never realizing it was just a phase and it would be over with
once the teen reached adulthood.
Later on this clash became known as the generation gap. Nevertheless, with the help of adults, radio, rock shows,
concerts, and TV shows like American Bandstand opened doors for teens in the 1950’s to experience things teenagers of
the past never experienced. Despite all of the uproar, teenagers in the 1950’s played a huge part in the rise of rock and
roll music.