Easily Influenced

The black and white views, ideals, and pastimes of American teenagers burst into Technicolor during the 1950s, transitioning from a traditionally strict and preemptively decided future to a life of rebellious freedom filled with rock-n-roll. Teenagers everywhere experienced the generational gap between themselves and their ‘folks during a revolutionary post-WWII time, when life was to be enjoyed and fun was to be had. The standard of American living was quickly changed during this influential decade, the typical white middle class way of life was ever popular and prosperous, children aged fifteen and up became known as ‘teen-agers’, a generation of high school aged children whom received freedom and time to spend which ever way their young hearts desired. But with freedom comes rebellion, and that is just what America’s first generation of teenagers did, they rebelled. It seems that the teenagers circa 1950s rebelled against just about everything which was right in their lives; because once one is given a taste of something… they always want more. That first taste would be of freedom, freedom to do as they pleased… music, clothing, dating, friendships, sports, driving… anything, it was under their responsibility and choice, parental guidance wasn’t as strongly invoked as it had been in days of yore.
Before the 1950s, young males were expected to sustain jobs or join in the efforts of the war, to help provide for their families and their country. In turn, young women were expected to master all things domestic (cooking, cleaning, sewing, and mothering) and to be good housewives once they were married off. Things changed after the war, people realized the importance of happiness, safety, and family… thus joining the military wasn’t as strongly suggested as it was during the 1940s. The 1950s were typically a wholesome time, families sat together around a TV set to enjoy a relatively mild comedy show, children hula-hooped and played with slinkies, and teenagers, being on the cusp of adulthood, began to experience life as most young adults know it. Nights were spent at sock hops, drag races, drive in movie theaters, and diners. Roller skating, biking around, and cruising in either the family car or your own, was the way to get around. Poodle skirts, fitted sweaters, denim jeans, leather jackets, saddle shoes, and penny loafers were in style. Sounds peachy keen, right?

Wrong. With all of this new found freedom and leisure time, teenagers began to develop into their ‘own’ generation. They could listen to whatever music they wanted to, because they had more spending money. Music developed along with the teenagers and it began to reflect the challenges and nuances of life. Rock-n-roll was born! The fast paced, hip shaking, rhythm filled music began to take over… becoming a way of life. Gone were the pureness and simplicity of twist and the mashed potato… now you had all sorts of suggestive and progressive lyrics and dance moves flying around. To be rockin’ and a rollin’ was to be cool, if you weren’t with it, then you were considered a wet rag. You catch my drift? The music inspired and even in some ways guided teenagers into their own rebellion, a rebellion against authority and conformity in their lives. Attitudes of teens changed, they quickly became nonchalant, defensive, secretive, and even at times disrespectful. Artists like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Bill Haley put out hits, which eventually became the soundtrack to a 1950s teenager’s life. Music is easily the biggest influence in a young adult’s life, it effects everybody in some way, shape, or form… teenagers especially, with their fragile developing self conscious selves. The ethnic and infectious tones of du-wop music helped put African American musicians on the map with teenagers, musicians who were Caucasian but sang with an African feel grew to be enormously popular with teens as well, so of course… parents of typical white middle classed teenagers associated this ‘jungle music’ with their teens rebellion. This of course, propelled the teens to rebel even more against what their parents chose, just because that’s what teenagers do.

Fast-forward to the next decade, the 1960s… a time of peace, love, and yes… music. The 60s were a revolutionarily radical and transitioning time, most often when you think of the 60s, you think of psychedelic drug use, rock music, freelove, civil and women’s rights, anti-war movements, and space exploration. This was a time when teenagers really came into their own and broke the mold, change was craved and they did whatever was in their power to make change happen. The ‘baby boomers’ of the previous generation were growing up and at this point, were in their teenaged years. Rebellion was once again popular amongst teens, as they too, rebelled against what the ‘man’ (also known as their parents) wanted them to be. This was the age of youth, the age of new thinking… thus being, new ways of education, entertainment, lifestyles, laws, and values came to be. The 60s were all about free thinking and nonconformity, they were also about… the Beatles, said to be one of the influential and popular bands ever. Four English blokes and their catchy music invaded American radio and television sets in what was aptly named, The British Invasion, in which popular bands from Britain came to America, their music’s popularity growing rapidly like a wild fire. With all this new music came new dance moves, which is one of a teenager’s favorite ways to express themselves. Dancing and music went together hand in hand, they were both ways in which teenagers could break out and express themselves… so that’s what they did, whether it was on a television show broadcast like American Bandstand or at a club or a giant festival like Woodstock. As with all music that a child of a parent listens to, music of each decade was examined and critiqued by adults for its suggestive and vulgar lyrics. What parent wanted their fifteen year old listening to a song about LSD? (The Beatles. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.". Parlophone, 1967) Although the parents of the 60s were seen as more accepting and freedom endorsing, there were some limits on what they wanted their children to do, which brings us back to teenagers rebelling, again, only this time... it’s current.

We live in the 21st century, a new millennia, a revolutionary time, but it seems to me that every decade is revolutionary… with each generation comes new things. Teenagers of today’s modern day time still face the same problems teenagers of decades past faced. There is still the ever present craving and need to rebel against societies norms, teens today still deal with the pressures of parents, academics, sex, and drugs. And teens today still express themselves in music and dance. With each generation that I have examined, similarities pop out. Through out the fifties, sixties, and now… we’ve had to deal with war of some form… whether it is chemical, revolutionary, civil, political, or nuclear warfare, we’ve all had to watch our nation face it. The draft was present in a pre-50s time, anti-war sentiments raged through the 60s, and currently the nation is dealing with both. Tying this back into music and dance, all of themes still hold to be true today. Teenagers still sway together to songs of the past, but they also bump-n-grind to today’s current hip-hop/rap songs about demoralizing women and how cool it is to be a thug.

We all have a soundtrack to our lives, a choreographed number to some significant occurrence, or a special song that helps us zone out… dancing and music are what has been bringing together generations for well, decades, its universal and timeless for each coming generation.