Conformity And Consumerism In The 1950's

The 1950s were a time where ignorance was bliss. Technology was advancing rapidly, consumerism was on the rise, and suburban life was the status quo. However, underneath all of this, Americans dwelled in fear. With nuclear war becoming more of a reality, U.S. citizens occupied themselves with the latest trends. This was especially prevalent in advertisements. America could not get enough of it as advertisements of what to buy and how to act were seen everywhere. Because these ads encapsulated the perfect American lifestyle, they showed how atomic weaponry could be positive, how conformity and consumerism was a must in family households, and how the typical family should look and behave.
The first advertisement depicts a man viewing an atomic

The daughter and son are both holding a piece of bread covered in jelly with text above them saying, “We do… you should, too!” The ad implies that every suburban household family should provide and enjoy Jane Parker White Enriched Bread (Page 42). This ad screams conformity and consumerism. When looking at the ad, it hides this loss of individualism because the entire family looks the same. Also, it reinforces the role that every mother should buy a specific brand of food, train, or car if they want to keep their kids and husband happy. It was a homogeneous lifestyle that became part of suburban culture as Boyer states that “...The new suburban communities were quite homogeneous economically, racially, and demographically” (Boyer, 121). Consumerism was no different. Everyone bought as much as they possibly could. Boyer describes it as, “The ads’ images of young parents and excited children hovering worshipfully around the new Chevrolet, Zenith TV set, or Kelvinator refrigerator conveyed a potent unspoken message: Consumption itself gave life meaning” (Boyer, 122). People wanted to show off their luxuries because they wanted other people to know how prosperous their life was. By buying Jane Parker Bread, other families could indirectly show off to other people that their children were only provided the best food. Everyone wanted to be looked at and cherished by their peers, so both conformism and

This picture is different from the other ads because it is from the Goodyear Car and Home Merchandise Catalog (Page 39). It is the cover photo of the catalog because it depicts the perfect household family. The husband is front and center, while the wife plays a subordinate roll tending to the garden. The children are washing the car, and their dog is running towards them. This was the ideal image as Boyer states that, “Advertisers offered endless variations on a single image: the young, white, middle-class nuclear family in a new suburban house, tending the weed-free lawn, or gliding along in a shiny new car” (Boyer, 122). Another thing that is emphasized drastically in the Goodyear Catalog is the automobile. In the 1950s, over 75% of Americans owned a car because it was a representation of the American dream (Boyer, 115). It was a necessity for family households. For example, owning a car was such a big deal that, “The attempt to live in Nassau or Suffolk Counties without an automobile is both foolish and impossible, residents say” (I & J, New York Times, 47). If a family didn’t own a car, they were typically looked down upon by their neighbors. While the Goodyear ad demonstrated many positives to family life, it concealed the realistic side of the automobile industry. No one was concerned of the impact that cars would have on the environment