American Bandstand: The Creation of a New Generation
by Kingsley G.
What started out as a musical television show quickly turned into a cultural phenomenon with the creation of the teenager.
American Bandstand debuted nationally on August 5, 1957. Since October 7, 1952 it had been a local show broadcast in Philadelphia. The show in its idea was centered on the popular music at the time. All of the top artists would come and perform their music while also performing the latest dance steps on stage. For many people at home this was the first time that they could listen to music and see the artists at the same time.
In 1956 Dick Clark took over as the show’s host and brought with him a charismatic personality. Clark’s personality gave the show a face Americans could identify with. He made Americans feel comfortable and created a relationship with them. This relationship drew them into Bandstand and made them regular viewers. This relationship made the show last thirty-three years.
But to all the viewers at home, mostly teenagers and preteens, it was the Regulars that made the show worth watching. The Regulars were the teenagers who appeared on the show on a regular basis, hence the name. They would have dance competitions to show off the latest dance steps. They would also do interviews with Dick Clark, answering questions about whether they liked a new song. Many of the responses determined whether or not a disc jockey at a radio station would play the song. A new generation suddenly appeared; the teenager. No longer did children make the leap directly to adulthood. American pop culture had made room for adjustment. Teenagers were now being seen as valid members of society. The culture had things uniquely direction towards them.
The culture was making a subdivision specifically for those people ranging in age from 13 to 25. Every week the teenager would tune into American Bandstand and was suddenly drawn into a new world of their own. They could dream about being musicians or dancers on the show. Watching the show, they would mimic the singers and practice the hottest dance moves.
The broadcast was a new form of mass media attention. All of a sudden the latest dance steps, songs, and fashion styles were being widely distributed to these teenagers who were glued to the television. This helped the teenagers develop their sense of style and their taste in music. They were having all these different choices thrown in front of them each week.
American Bandstand controlled the form of expression. The Regulars were told what to wear and how to dance. But it gave teenagers at home something to aspire to. Parents could rest assured that the television show would not show anything too racy or controversial.
The music itself was becoming much more powerful. Especially in the early sixties towards the Vietnam War, music was becoming more a form of expression rather than merely an art. Music had the new amazing way of influencing people to think and believe things.
American Bandstand was a revolutionary show that not only had an impact on the 1950’s, but it also changed American pop culture forever. It challenged the way American adults looked at children and the way children thought about themselves growing up.
Sources:
“American Bandstand.” Classic TV Shows. 12 October 2006.
What started out as a musical television show quickly turned into a cultural phenomenon with the creation of the teenager.
American Bandstand debuted nationally on August 5, 1957. Since October 7, 1952 it had been a local show broadcast in Philadelphia. The show in its idea was centered on the popular music at the time. All of the top artists would come and perform their music while also performing the latest dance steps on stage. For many people at home this was the first time that they could listen to music and see the artists at the same time.
In 1956 Dick Clark took over as the show’s host and brought with him a charismatic personality. Clark’s personality gave the show a face Americans could identify with. He made Americans feel comfortable and created a relationship with them. This relationship drew them into Bandstand and made them regular viewers. This relationship made the show last thirty-three years.
But to all the viewers at home, mostly teenagers and preteens, it was the Regulars that made the show worth watching. The Regulars were the teenagers who appeared on the show on a regular basis, hence the name. They would have dance competitions to show off the latest dance steps. They would also do interviews with Dick Clark, answering questions about whether they liked a new song. Many of the responses determined whether or not a disc jockey at a radio station would play the song. A new generation suddenly appeared; the teenager. No longer did children make the leap directly to adulthood. American pop culture had made room for adjustment. Teenagers were now being seen as valid members of society. The culture had things uniquely direction towards them.
The culture was making a subdivision specifically for those people ranging in age from 13 to 25. Every week the teenager would tune into American Bandstand and was suddenly drawn into a new world of their own. They could dream about being musicians or dancers on the show. Watching the show, they would mimic the singers and practice the hottest dance moves.
The broadcast was a new form of mass media attention. All of a sudden the latest dance steps, songs, and fashion styles were being widely distributed to these teenagers who were glued to the television. This helped the teenagers develop their sense of style and their taste in music. They were having all these different choices thrown in front of them each week.
American Bandstand controlled the form of expression. The Regulars were told what to wear and how to dance. But it gave teenagers at home something to aspire to. Parents could rest assured that the television show would not show anything too racy or controversial.
The music itself was becoming much more powerful. Especially in the early sixties towards the Vietnam War, music was becoming more a form of expression rather than merely an art. Music had the new amazing way of influencing people to think and believe things.
American Bandstand was a revolutionary show that not only had an impact on the 1950’s, but it also changed American pop culture forever. It challenged the way American adults looked at children and the way children thought about themselves growing up.
Sources:
“American Bandstand.” Classic TV Shows. 12 October 2006.
posted by Leslie Madsen-Brooks at 10/16/2006 01:17:00 PM
3 Comments:
That was a very interesting post. It made me think of today's TRL and the fact that media is so influential in our world. I saw a correlation between American Bandstand and the emergence of the teenager, but TRL and MTV today has been a major factor in the development of Tweens. It scares me to think, what next?
I definitely agree. I think that this concept has been transformed to follow the current pop culture. Music is continuing to influence our lives dramatically. MTV is proof that a song can reach much further beyond the lyrics themselves.
I really liked that the post also talked about what the regulars were wearing becasue they became the first image advertisers to teens. I think that the thought of the birth of the teenager in the 50s is also so important because they make up so much of todays advertising market. By them making up so much of the market, a lot of what we see today is geared towards them. Other part of the show which is a part of the times is that it was free, teens were able to listen to the music without having to buy the record. Besides being able to listen to the music they had an internalizing experience by seeing where the songs came from (who sang them), the fashions, and the moves. All things which they took with them into their daily lives.
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