A dance craze or fad dance can be a trademark move or a full dance style. Every year we see new moves. Some catch up big time like la Macarena, YMCA and Gangnam style but eventually they all die out and stop being cool. Here is some living proof of the theory of (dancing) evolution:
In the 50s: Twisting
TWISTING
This Iconic move actually arrived late at the party. Developed in 1959, the move is performed by standing with the feet shoulder
width apart, the torso is squared to the knees and hips, the arms are
held out from the body, bent at the elbow while the hips, torso, and legs
rotate on the balls of the feet as a single unit and the feet grind back and forth on the floor. Sounds complicated? Well, the appeal of the dance was that anybody could do it, and do it they did! The twist became the world's first worldwide dance craze. While this dance was perfected in 1959 to the beat of Hank Ballad's song 'The twist'; it did not become a major dance craze until the early 1960's with the release of Chubby Checker's version of the same song.
Nowadays: Twerking
TWERKING
Twerking, is arguably easier than twisting, but unlike twisting it is not intended for guys and girls equally. Twerking consists usually of a femaledancing to popular music in a sexually provocative manner with thrusting hip movements and rear shaking at a low squatting stance. While twerking has been around since the early 1990's, it peaked in popularity late last year thanks to the work of artists like Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, and Big Sean. The move has faded in popularity but it is still the latest dance craze of American pop culture.
Some things change for better, others change for worse. Which did this one?
Often people ask me how such a young man like myself can be into old music. What is so great about 1950s and 60smusic? They wonder. Almost every time I avoid explanations and reply something to the effect of: 'that's just what I like'. Less often when pressured for a more comprehensive reply, I like to explain to people how the
caliber of the performers back in the day was much higher than it is
now.
An example of this is Jay Z. Not too long ago Jay Z performed in front of a fifty thousand fans crowd for the Made
in America set. The show was on fire, however, in the middle of the
performance he forgot the lyrics to one of his songs (a pretty
reasonable mistake); Jay Z then attempted to cover it up by having the
crowd sing the gaps he couldn't recall, which raised the awkwardness as
he struggled to catch up. This is nothing out of this world and if you ask me, the way he handled it seems like a pretty natural reaction for any singer that may forget the lyrics to a song.
Well, now take Ella Fitzgerald. The beloved late 40s sensation was in concert in Berlin in 1960, when she decided that she will go ahead and sing her own version of the popular 50s standard 'Mack the Knife'; and so she did! Except she too forgot the lyrics of the song halfway into it. What did she do? She improvised and made up the rest of the song, of course!. Not only that, but while
improvising she also delivered one of the most impressive vocal
performances of all time. So good was her 'made up on the spot' version
of Mack the knife that she was awarded Best Female Vocal Performance and
it contributed to her album be inducted to the Grammy hall of fame.
Now, don't get me wrong! I really don't mean to say that all 50s artists are better than all current artists, every period has had its fair
share of awesome music and performers. What I do think, though, is that today's
music industry's standards are overall lower than they used to be. Many
Labels and artists are only in it for the money, and while money has
always been a factor and there's nothing wrong with profits, Artists
also used to have a great deal of passion and love for their audiences.
That's all I want in music, and the 50's had tons of it!
Imagine you had a little radio that you use everyday (Maybe you actually do!) and then suddenly, it began tuning in frequencies from 55 years ago. Perhaps these frequencies bounced back from outer space after reaching 61 Virginis, (you know! that distant solar system that scientists say is just like ours). Come to think of it, this sounds like a good starter for that Sci-fi novel I've been meaning to write...Anyhow, these frequencies have taken you back to March 28 1959. You scroll through the stations.
WCBS Newsradio 880, You're Listening to your host Jack Sterling and this is the Jack Sterling Show! Today in the news: China dissolves Tibet! and will Hawaii actually become the 50th state? It's a Maybe so far, more on this coming in the next hour...
While kids these day would probably have a hard time distinguishing this broadcast from a regular 2014 News report if they came across it, the natural response should be: Whoa, Am I tripping...Tibet? Hawaii? Wh't in the world!?
You then Scroll to the upper bandwidth and what do you hear? 1959's #1 hit billboard, and a personal favorite, Stagger Lee by Lloyd Price.
Oh and what a treat you've caught! Stagger Lee is a song that talks about the fate of Billy Lyons who was murdered in a ballroom over a gambling debt by his acquaintance [you guessed it] Stagger Lee. The song's narration is based on a true story and its up-beat is irreverent at best. This tune was deemed too brutal and over the top in 1959. It quickly got censored and an alternative 'less violent version' began appearing on the radio. However censored it was, The Original Stagger Lee still managed to become a #1 hit making it the first censored single to reach the top of the charts.
Modern Rappers and underground musicians owe Mr. Price's Stagger Lee a huge debt for daring to push the limits of conventionality. Anybody can be a rebel nowadays, but back in the 50's it was some dangerous ground to be standing on, to put it mildly. Now, turn off your little radios, cats and chicks and tune in for my next post!
Inflation sometimes makes us wish we had a time machine. While today one dollar may only seem good for a small convenience at a dollar store, not including the sales tax; back in the early 50's it was enough to have a nice time.
Hungry?
No they did not need value menus in the 50's. When it came to satisfying your hunger $1 could afford you:
McDonald's
5 pure beef hamburgers, 1 soft drink and 1 side of fries.
Kansas Supermarket
10 Pounds of Potatoes, 1 pound of Apples, 1 pound of Bananas, 2 pounds of cabbage, and 2 cans of Campbells Tomato Soup.
Daily needs
What can you get at your local shops for $1? 2 packs of chewing gum, if you're lucky? Think (50's) again...
Pharmacy
1 bottle of dish washing soap, a giant pack of powder detergent, 5 rolls of toilet tissue.
Gas Station
5 gallons of Gas.
Post office
50 stamped envelopes, and 16 post stamps.
As a kid of the 90's, there are many things I wish I had experienced about this decade, and these prices are some I wouldn't mind having now.
Most things change; it is a fact of life. For this series of topics 'Then and Now' I will present you all with an icon of modern times contrasted to its 1950's era counterpart. You be the judge of which era did it better.
Today's Icon
Today's icon is a widely acclaimed and beloved symbol of childhood, Mr. Potato Head. It bears the distinction of being the first toy product ever advertised on Television. It came out in 1952 and it was a hit.
In the 50's
1952's Mr. Potato Head
You might be surprised to learn that the original Mr. Potato kit, did not include a potato. Children were expected to supply a real potato to which they could stick the variety of body parts. The toy did however include a body with a torso. The charm of this toy was that you could design a human with a potato head.
Nowadays
2014's Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato head has come a long way, but the way has not been long enough that it let him unrecognizable. The main concept has remained; it's still a potato to which you attach things. Today though, it is no longer a real potato, but a plastic one and Mr. Potato Head is no longer necessarily meant to represent a man with a potato head, but rather a human-like potato. Most people younger than 20 would not even think that this toy existed before the Toy Story movies came out.
Some things change for better, others change for worse. Which did this one?
John Lennon once said: ''Before Elvis, there was nothing.'', Though there is some truth to that in a musical sense, I find it more suitable to apply this quote to a bigger picture and take Elvis as a metaphor for the pop culture of the 1950s, (I'm sure Mr. Lennon would allow the deviation.) For before 1950's, there was pretty much nothing. Okay, Boogie Woogie and R&B were before the 50's and yes, a few social changes took place in the 20's, but nobody would argue that these pale compared to Rock and Roll and the birth of modern civil rights. A lot of things went down during this decade, hence I like to call it: The grandfather decade of rebellion.
The question is: What triggered this ''rebellion'' during the '50s? Was it in fact Elvis Presley? Rock and Roll? was it the roaring birth rates? or was it Television? ...maybe the hairstyles? The answer is indeed all of the above...right, maybe not so much the hairstyles; though they were really cool.
All American Girl Lucy and her Cuban husband Ricky, From 'I love lucy'
There were a few things that made the 1950's exciting. A big one was that it introduced most of the nation to household Television, a device that caught on faster than any novelty since the light bulb. To put it in perspective, in 1949 around 7% of US Households owned a TV set; By 1959 the number had soared to 90%. National television news coverage of the civil rights movement helped transform its viewers by showing Americans the evils and violence of racism and by presenting the dignity of the African American people in the quest for equality. Popular Television sitcoms like 'I love Lucy' ignited controversy by presenting an interracial couple in a way that everybody could relate to and enjoy. TV forced producers to fire white actors who played black characters on radio.
A very different worldview was absorbed by the primary regular viewers of television, the baby boomers.
The early 1900's profiled similar to other periods in the American journey, a big war set the scene, but the government told us to 'keep cool'. Soda, Radio and Freedom were in demand and the thriving entertainment, lights and flappers later became the definition of 'classy' and 'chic'.
We had some rough times in the 30's, but Americans provided for their have nots and empty stomachs with big bands, theater and baseball. In the 1940's, a united country saw the impact of war and the might of industry. Then there was the 60's, by now the nation was divided like congress on a budget session. A liberal youth was at war against the establishment, integrationists against segregationists, anti-war vs pro-war...Whoa. not so fast! perhaps you think. When did 'it' hit the fan?, and what about the 1950's?, you know! the point of this blog! Well my friends, The 1950's was the Point of no return. During the following series of posts, We'll venture on what made the the 50's rock!
You then Scroll to the upper bandwidth and what do you hear? 1959's #1 hit billboard, and a personal favorite, Stagger Lee by Lloyd Price.
No they did not need value menus in the 50's. When it came to satisfying your hunger $1 could afford you:
