After the War, Television and Music save the day! Entertainment of America 1945 - 1970

After the Great War with the Axis powers of World War two, life in the United State attempted to return to normal, and what better way to return to normal for any american household then to go to the movies, watch the various new shows on television, or visit your favorite sports team stadium, but this wasn't all anymore. The end of the war marked a new era in entertainment, new attitudes and personalities arose across america, including the 50's suburban dream, the rise of teenagers, the hippie lifestyle, and a sudden boom of protest movements for many separate causes, and it is with these changes in America that bring new light to what entertains the people, what they want to see vs what they grew out and away from.

Consumerism grew in the time from the 30s, where it became important to the household to have the newest of an appliance, and this was especially true when it came to television. In the 1940's television became more widely spread and used across the nation and by 1945 there was one in nearly every home. This is when the popularity television shows began to take hold, as a way to keep people in front of the tube, advertising companies help fund the production of weekly shows that lasted shorter periods than movies and came out with a new installment every week just like radio had done in past decades, through radio wasn't dead yet, much of the focus on radio shows was redistributed by the companies that sponsored and ran them to be aired on television as visual episodes instead.
In the 1950s, suburban life began to spread, and create a sort of blueprint for proper american family lifestyle. Starting with the Nuclear Family

which included a stay at home mom who takes cares of the chores and the kids, kids who had a weekly allowance of money to spend on whatever they wished for the first time, and Husbands who went to work and brought home the money to pay for this living; all of which lived in a suburban home, in a house much like many other duplicate houses.  And what helped set this tone of life in american's minds was none other than television. Sitcoms of suburban families living stereotypical lives but dealing with a new problem every week, leading to comedy and lessons learned, and boy did the families of the 50s love these shows.

One for example was "I Love Lucy", wich alone became majorly important to wife's specifically each week, where they couldn't bare to miss a single episode. but not all shows advertise this lifestyle and instead were directed to the younger generations, such as westerns, shows that showed life as it was or use to be in the west, with rough and tough heroic cowboys/sheriffs, standing up for the American way like the serious western "Gunsmoke" or the comedic western "Bonanza!". For the times these shows weren't on, the space was filled with game shows with quiz questions for cash prizes, which were both entertaining and educational(depending on the show).
The 60s brought a new era of television as the suburban lifestyle america began to break away into many new factions. new shows began to air focusing on different age groups and lifestyles. with new shows the attempts to be different by having new themes other than suburban life. like the comedy "Andy Griffith", about a sheriff, his boy, their Aunt, and an array of comedic townsfolk in their small town of Mayberry, like the popular Don Knotts. Then there was the "Beverly Hillbillies", where a family of deep mountain country folk who aren't use to city life strike oil and become millionaires, leading the family to move to Beverly Hills California of all places. Sci fi shows like the "Twilight zone" made people think about their individual lives and question reality, as well as provide enthralling stories of "what if" questions to spook, terrify, and thrill their audiences.

Another Sci Fi, which would become the gateway series to the future boom of what would be called fandoms was the popular space show called "Star Trek", taking place many years into the future, with a crew of explorers searching the vast regions of outer space and meet new lifeforms, building off the principle idea of manifest destiny. This show would bring millions of viewers together in this common interest and create what would be known as a convention. a gathering of fans to discuss and enjoy thier favorite show/movie/book series. not so surprisingly "I Love Lucy" also became a convention gathering fandom, though not as large as Star Trek.
From the 1950s to today one other form of television show dominated viewers interests and filled the remaining evening and morning timeslots where news, game shows, and other various shows previously mentioned did not take place, and that would be cartoons.

They were family shows but aimed to the younger demographics, with some parodying sitcoms with "The Flintstones" or "The Jetsons" being like the suburban life but in different eras of history, while others stared mischievous animals with human like personalities being smart and tricky to beat thier adversary, like "Tom and Jerry", which also usually took place in a suburban home but was about a mouse named Jerry outsmarting his feline enemy Tom. Originally cartoons began in the early 40s like with superman (based on the action comics) using his unstoppable strength and speed to overcome challenges but it wasn't until the 50s that cartoons really took root in society. it was in the 60s though that cartoons really began to branch out like the rest of society, with action shows with superheros, and other unique characters like He-Man and the masters of the universe, or Thundercats.

Even with all these wonderful shows, there was more to entertaining america then television, as it should be. Music for example really began to evolve as the post war lifestyle of america began to give birth to the term teenagers, who were much different than their parents in most cases, enjoying different music and art and wanting to be their own person, and music was one of the major catalysts for this effect, with the creation of Rock and Roll. Originally brought to life by African Americans, white musicians and singers soon took center stage and the style of music enticed teenagers with it's beat, rhythm, freedom of lyrics including sexual innuendos, and the enthralling artists who brought it to fans. it of course outraged many parents with its new style, the innuendos, and the strange attraction it had on their sons and daughters, like Elvis Presley who was to be known one day as the King of Rock and Roll, who particularly upset parents with his physical movements while on stage, but the teens didn't care as it was what they liked and its how they could express themselves happily. Elvis wasn't the only major hitter though in the rock and roll scene. in 1964, The Beatles came to america and was even introduced as 'the next Elvis" they were a huge sensation, with their peace and love filled music as well as thier hit rock and roll songs, they stole more of the hearts of teenage girls and like elvis, upset parents with their connection to the hippie lifestyle and oddly enough thier hair, for being completely un-American, and strange.

This era in American Entertainment extends far forward from here like each previous one, sometimes evolving, sometimes slowing down, and others speeding up way past all explanations, and every show, every spoken line or lyric, every piece of information brought to americans through these media of entertainment shaped the minds of those who lived in this era and through straight to today still. it would be criminal to not recognize there important in shaping our country, because it is from the influence of these mediums that shape our personalities, opinions, and morals; and for the most part, despite the protest of those concerned (however generally just and understandable worry) was a great thing for our society.