unit 16 american popular culture

AmericanPopularCultureMoviesandMusicPopularcultureOriginalusageinthe19th:Educationand“culturedness”ofthelowerclassesCurrentmeaning:cultureformassconsumptionJohnStorey:Everythingfrom“commonculture”,to“folkculture”,to“massculture”.Inpost-WarWar2,associatingwithcommercialculture.HowispopularculturedefinedintheAmericancontext?Beingconsideredanauthentic“cultureofthepeople.AmericanFilmEarlyYears–Moviesdidn’toriginateinAmerica.EnterprisinginventorsinEurope.Cinmatographe(电影放映机),1895,ParisVitascope(维塔斯科普)，1896，NewYorkCityThefirstoftheseearlytheatres:calledNickelodeons(五分钱娱乐场)andopenedinPittsburgh.Attractingover25millionviewersaweekwithoutlinguistic,cultural,orsocialbarriers.ThefirstAmericanstudio:theMotionPicturePatentsCompanybuiltintheNewYorkCityandformedbyEdisonin1909.TheAmericanmoviecapitalafter1913--HollywoodD.W.GriffithBirthofaNationTheHollywoodStudioEra–Between1916and1926theAmericanfilmindustrycameintothehandsofafewpowerfulcompanies.Five“majors”–Fox(Century-Fox),MGM,Paramount,RKO,WarnerBrothers“littlethree”–Columbia,Universal,UnitedArtistsPriortotheFirstWordWar:beingpreachyandsentimental,andsetinaworking-classmilieuIn1920s,cynicismandsensualityamongtheupperclassesanddemocraticoptimismgavewaytorampantmaterialismRudolphValentino拉丁情人Thefirstall-talkingpicture–LightsofNewYork,inthe1928Bythelate1930s,Hollywoodenteredintoartisticgoldenage–ChildstarShirleyTemplein1930sGonewiththeWindin1939TheMotionPictureAcademyofArtsandSciences(电影艺术与科学学院),in1927,Oscar/TheAcademyAwards.Inthe1950,twodevelopmentendedthestudios’controloftheentertainmentbusiness:TheoverwhelmingpopularityoftelevisionbegantoeatintostudioprofitsThestudioswereforcedbyFederalcourtrulingstoabandonthecontrolofdistributionandexhibitionthattheyhadmaintainedthroughmassiveconglomeratecorporationsInordertocompetewithtelevision,thestudioheadsstronglyurgedtechnologicalinnovation:Inthe1950smanyfilmmakersexperimentedwithwide-screenprocessesThemoviestradedabitofglamorforanincreasedsenseofrealisminthe1950sand1960sIn1956,manystudiosbegantoproducematerialespeciallyfortelevisionincludingcommercials.Asuspensepicture,Jaws(1975)andspectacleStarWars(1977)grossedover100milliondollarsandcracked200milliondollarsbarrierrespectively.Theearly1990ssawthedevelopmentofcommerciallysuccessfulindependentcinemaintheUS.Thelate1990s,anothercinematictransitionbeganfromphysicalfilmstocktodigitalcinematechnology.MeanwhileDVDsbecamethenewstandardforconsumervideo,replacingVHStapes.AsthecenturydrewtoaclosetheAmericanfilmindustrywentglobal,especiallyduringthefirstdecadeofthe21stcentury,therehasbeenanincreasingglobalizationofUScinema.AmericanPopularMusicsince1900Jazz–Jazzmusiccamefromthebackgroundofslaveswhowereusedtofocusingonthemusicunderthebondageforlongtime.TheychangedthenaturalmusicalscalefromEuropeandtookadvantageofthelocalballadandthereligiousmusicofthattime.Ontheseconditions,thejazzmusicturnedup.Characters:Bluenotes,syncopation,swing,call,response,improvisation.Thedevelopmentofjazzfrom1920sto1950’s⑴NewOrleansJazz新奥尔良爵士⑵swing:the1930sand1940swasanageofswing⑶Be-bop:areactionofswingRockmusicTheconstitutionsofrockmusic–PopRhythm-and-bluesCountry-and-westernRapmusicRapbeganin1971,intheBronx,withKoolHerc,whowasfromJamaica.Rapmusichadbeenblackrunandblackcreated.Mostimportant,itwasnotcreatedtocatertowhiteaudienceatall,althoughthemusiceventuallyfoundanaudienceamongwhitepeopleandhasbecomeoneofthemostpopulartypesofmusicinrecentyears.