1960's

The sixties was centered around the youth of America. The new generation mainly focused on changes in society. Several changed were recognized and affected education, values, lifestyles, laws, and entertainment.

Theater, film, radio & television

Broadway productions had become prohibitively expensive for adventurous offerings, so producers resorted to musicals and work elsewhere. Therefore, theater expanded outside of New York City. The most prestigious playwright of the sixties is Edward Albee, who wrote Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This movie starred a beautiful actress and had many relations to alcohol and tension between couples. Basically, it represented the 1960's in a nutshell. The 60's had a major boom of failed marriages because the people of the 60's were not as moral as the generation that had come before them. Many people believed that marriage was a simple thing that they would enjoy, but they soon came to the realization that they were wrong. Alcohol was also extremely relevant to the 1960's. The consumption of alcohol was at an all time high in the 60's, so the fact that the movie had many relations to alcohol was nothing abnormal to men and women. In fact, it was appealing to them because it made them feel more "normal" and "accepted." This of course would be called a pathos appeal, because it touches them on a personal level.

According to studies done by the National Cancer Society, 80% of people in the 1960's were smokers. In the movie and film industry, several popular actors and actresses all smoked cigaretts, which was both an ethos and pathos appeal. It was an ethos appeal because the actors and actresses were well known and famous, which gave them credibility. When people saw them smoking, they would think it was "cool" and okay. This in turn would then touch them on an emotional level because if their favorite actress smoked and they didn't, then they would be left out.

Movies

Movies became more political, commenting on the arms race as in Dr. Strangelove. Sex became more explicit, and occasionally nontraditional, as in Midnight Cowboy, Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, and The Graduate. Six James Bond Movies, including Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger, combined sex and violence and were enormously popular. Previous taboos on sex, violence and language, were ignored, resulting in the need for a new film code by the MPAA.

Radio

Radio continued to be the primary means of listening to music. The major development was a change from primarily AM to FM. When Chubby Checker introduced the twist on the show in 1961, a new craze was born, and dancing became an individual activity.

Television

Television offered the second prime time cartoon show, the Flintstones, in 1960.It appealed to both children and adults and set off a trend that included Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Jetsons, and Mr. Magoo.

Education

During the sixties, college campuses became centers of debate and scenes of protest more than ever before. In 1966, James S. Coleman commissioned by the government, published Equality of Educational Opportunity, a landmark study that led the way to forced integration and bussing in the 1970's.

Toys

California surfers took to skateboards as a way to stay fit out of season, and by 1963, the fad had spread across the country. Barbie dolls, introduced by Mattel in 1959, became a huge success in the sixties, so much so that rival toy manufacturer Hasbro came up with G. I. Joe, 12 inches tall and the first action figure for boys. Slot cars overtook toy trains in popularity.

Fashion

The 1960's began with crew cuts on men and bouffant hairstyles on women. Men's casual shirts were often plaid and buttoned down the front, while knee-length dresses were required wear for women in most public places. By mid-decade, miniskirts or hot pants, often worn with go-go boots, were revealing legs, body wear was revealing curves, and women's hair was either very short or long and lanky. Men's hair became longer and wider, with beards and moustaches. Men's wear had a renaissance. Bright colors, double-breasted sports jackets, polyester pants suits with Nehru jackets, and turtlenecks were in vogue.

Important Historic and Cultural Events

1961-Peace Corps created by Pres. Kennedy 1963 - Martin Luther King delivers his I have a dream speech 1963 - Pres. John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas 1963 - Lyndon Johnson becomes President of the United States

Music

Elvis returned to the music scene from the US Army, joining the other white male vocalists at the top of the charts; The Tamla Motown Record Company came on the scene, specializing in black rhythm and blues, aided in the emergence of female groups such as Aretha Franklin, as well as some black men, including James Brown. The Beach Boys began recording music that appealed to high school students. The Beatles, from England, burst into popularity with innovative rock music that appealed to all ages. The Righteous Brothers were a popular white duo who used African American styling to create a distinctive sound.There was a major change in popular music in the mid-1960's, caused in part by the drug scene. Acid Rock, highly amplified and improvisational, and the more mellow psychedelic rock gained prominence.