Post by Anita Page on May 31, 2017 0:05:31 GMT -6
Curious about my line of work, Darling?
I don't blame ya; it's quite the exciting career, indeed! In fact, the 1920's were a great time for the entertainment field because of the introduction to "mass culture" in the U.S. (which we can thank the thriving economy with extra money to spare for that).
With lots more money in people's pockets, households could afford to spend it on extra things like art, music, and entertainment. One of the most notable things people bought were radios. You could find a radio in almost any household by the time the decade was over, and along with those radios came radio stations that broadcasted advertisements, sports, home theater shows and comedies, and music.
While music wasn't anything new, a classic type of genre was first introduced during this time period - and it happens to be my personal favorite! Jazz music, though frowned upon for the "depravity" of it all by older generations, was greatly loved by younger people like me who found it exciting and new. It's especially fun to dance to! You may have even heard of a few steps, such as the Charleston, the cake walk, the black bottom, or the flea hop. Oh, how I love listening to men like Louis Armstrong in the evening!
Art was also a lively field at the time, bringing in art styles like surrealism to the surface. What is surrealism? Surrealism is an art-form that depicted the belief that the consciousness should give way to subconsciousness. In other words, that reality and rational thought should submit itself to dreams and abstract thought. This idea was connected heavily to Sigmund Freud, who studied the connection between the person and the psyche.
And now on to my specialty: the movies! While movies or "moving pictures" were not a new invention, it certainly became a more popular source of entertainment throughout the country during this time. In fact, many historians agree that perhaps a full three-quarters of American citizens attended the theater at least once a week by 1929. Hollywood became a big hit, introducing studios that you might have heard of before: Paramount, 20th Century Fox, & MGM... Even Walt Disney had started to piece together his own means of production as well, with his adorable Mickey Mouse making his appearance in 1928 in the cartoon short "Steamboat Willie."
And just like with the radio, movies helped shape the culture of the day, especially in its young people. Actors and Actresses (such as moi) depicted more free and unrestricted characters than previous stories had, encouraging more people to "let loose" and have a good time. Some actors, such as Charlie Chaplin, made comedies that humor and entertain people of all ages, while others like Rudolph Valentino liked to showcase passion and love on screen, sometimes in a somewhat controversial light. Though I must admit, he is quite the heartthrob!
Of course, being an actress, I am expected to be flamboyant at all times and express words through facial expressions and body gestures rather than actual words. This is because movies with sound were not invented until the year 1927, when the first "talkie" was created. But don't knock it till ya try it! Movies, even without sound, were still a darb way to relax and enjoy life.
Other sources of entertainment and pastimes were found in sports, most notably in baseball. Americans loved the sport so much, it was coined the country's "favorite game and pastime," and in just about every hometown and city, you'd see pick-up games being started on fields, backyards, and even on deserted streets. Some cities would even set up rivalry games and entire populations would come to watch and support their home team. If there's one thing people can say about America, is that it sure loves to rally behind its players! Including our beloved George Herman "Babe" Ruth, who played for the New York Yankees.
On the rise was another sport: American Football. Many colleges started to put together their own teams and compete against each other, the biggest school and competitor being Notre Dame. Some sports, however, were only barely getting started and weren't as popular or had as many courts to play in as other games did. An example of this was basketball, though it did have some amazing and talented players that took to the court in the 20's.
But like with many activities, sports were almost always segregated, and women were rarely seen taking the field as running, jumping, sliding, etc. were all deemed "unladylike" actions. But that isn't to say girls couldn't have fun either! Many women competed in sports like golf, tennis, and swimming. Universities and high schools across the country also put together their own all-women basketball teams and had their own inner competitions held.
And don't forget dance houses, operas, nightclubs, plays, and orchestra concerts as sources of fun either! The 20's were full of so many exciting things to attend, that there was no shortage of entertainment to be found. And here in Gatsberry, there's plenty to discover!
Care to dance with me sometime?
(note: you can hover over some of the terms in here for some exciting surprises!)
I don't blame ya; it's quite the exciting career, indeed! In fact, the 1920's were a great time for the entertainment field because of the introduction to "mass culture" in the U.S. (which we can thank the thriving economy with extra money to spare for that).
With lots more money in people's pockets, households could afford to spend it on extra things like art, music, and entertainment. One of the most notable things people bought were radios. You could find a radio in almost any household by the time the decade was over, and along with those radios came radio stations that broadcasted advertisements, sports, home theater shows and comedies, and music.
While music wasn't anything new, a classic type of genre was first introduced during this time period - and it happens to be my personal favorite! Jazz music, though frowned upon for the "depravity" of it all by older generations, was greatly loved by younger people like me who found it exciting and new. It's especially fun to dance to! You may have even heard of a few steps, such as the Charleston, the cake walk, the black bottom, or the flea hop. Oh, how I love listening to men like Louis Armstrong in the evening!
Art was also a lively field at the time, bringing in art styles like surrealism to the surface. What is surrealism? Surrealism is an art-form that depicted the belief that the consciousness should give way to subconsciousness. In other words, that reality and rational thought should submit itself to dreams and abstract thought. This idea was connected heavily to Sigmund Freud, who studied the connection between the person and the psyche.
And now on to my specialty: the movies! While movies or "moving pictures" were not a new invention, it certainly became a more popular source of entertainment throughout the country during this time. In fact, many historians agree that perhaps a full three-quarters of American citizens attended the theater at least once a week by 1929. Hollywood became a big hit, introducing studios that you might have heard of before: Paramount, 20th Century Fox, & MGM... Even Walt Disney had started to piece together his own means of production as well, with his adorable Mickey Mouse making his appearance in 1928 in the cartoon short "Steamboat Willie."
And just like with the radio, movies helped shape the culture of the day, especially in its young people. Actors and Actresses (such as moi) depicted more free and unrestricted characters than previous stories had, encouraging more people to "let loose" and have a good time. Some actors, such as Charlie Chaplin, made comedies that humor and entertain people of all ages, while others like Rudolph Valentino liked to showcase passion and love on screen, sometimes in a somewhat controversial light. Though I must admit, he is quite the heartthrob!
Of course, being an actress, I am expected to be flamboyant at all times and express words through facial expressions and body gestures rather than actual words. This is because movies with sound were not invented until the year 1927, when the first "talkie" was created. But don't knock it till ya try it! Movies, even without sound, were still a darb way to relax and enjoy life.
Other sources of entertainment and pastimes were found in sports, most notably in baseball. Americans loved the sport so much, it was coined the country's "favorite game and pastime," and in just about every hometown and city, you'd see pick-up games being started on fields, backyards, and even on deserted streets. Some cities would even set up rivalry games and entire populations would come to watch and support their home team. If there's one thing people can say about America, is that it sure loves to rally behind its players! Including our beloved George Herman "Babe" Ruth, who played for the New York Yankees.
On the rise was another sport: American Football. Many colleges started to put together their own teams and compete against each other, the biggest school and competitor being Notre Dame. Some sports, however, were only barely getting started and weren't as popular or had as many courts to play in as other games did. An example of this was basketball, though it did have some amazing and talented players that took to the court in the 20's.
But like with many activities, sports were almost always segregated, and women were rarely seen taking the field as running, jumping, sliding, etc. were all deemed "unladylike" actions. But that isn't to say girls couldn't have fun either! Many women competed in sports like golf, tennis, and swimming. Universities and high schools across the country also put together their own all-women basketball teams and had their own inner competitions held.
And don't forget dance houses, operas, nightclubs, plays, and orchestra concerts as sources of fun either! The 20's were full of so many exciting things to attend, that there was no shortage of entertainment to be found. And here in Gatsberry, there's plenty to discover!
Care to dance with me sometime?
(note: you can hover over some of the terms in here for some exciting surprises!)