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Life and works of James Dean
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James Dean was born in a small town in Marion, Indiana and grew up a performer, Jimmy tap danced, acted in plays and used all other artistic outlets he could get a hold on. James went to school in California to study pre med but later dropped out only to later enroll back into college to become an actor. James appeared first on television for a pepsi commercial and later moved into acting on broadway in musicals. Only staring in three movies one of which was released a month after the twenty-four year olds death. East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant James Dean was an influential actor whose untimely death had an enormous impact on American culture. James Dean was influential to the kids in the 1950’s he embodied all that the fed up
teens felt and was a posthumous academy award nominee. He died at a young age but left a legacy that has moved into the 2000’s.
The history of the twentieth century would not be complete without mentioning the impeccable influence of one of the best and biggest singers of all time. But before he started making his indelible mark in the sands of time, he started out from very humble beginnings, under the care of his loving, working class parents. Elvis Aaron Presley was born January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi to Gladys and Vernon Presley. Although, Presley was supposed to be a twin, his supposed twin brother, Jesse Garon, sometimes spelled Jessie was stillborn. Elvis Aaron Presley was an incredible American Singer, Musician and Actor with inspirational quotes such as this “Fingerprints are like values; you leave them all over everything you do.”
Dizzy Dean was born Jay Hannah Dean in Lucas, Arkansas. His father was a farmer, and his mother died when he was young. Dean was the middle child. He had an
In less than forty years, the city of Compton went from a shielded suburb near the confines of Los Angeles, to a terrorizing image of American culture. The results of this transformation and creation of “gangsta rap” is still well renowned today. Through de jure segregation, Reagan economics, undermining of black prosperity, N.W.A., and “Boyz n the Hood”, the city of Compton told its story and became a global image. This paper will analyze the shift of culture in Compton and the transcendent cultural effect it formed in America.
Have you ever had one of those days that were so bad that you desperately needed a night at the ice cream or candy store? The 1970’s was that really bad day, while the night of self- indulgence was the 1980’s. Americans love to escape from our daily stress, and of all the products that allow us to do so, none is more popular than the movies. Movies are key cultural artifacts that offer a view of American culture and social history. They not only offer a snapshot of hair styles and fashions of the times but they also provide a host of insights into Americans’ ever-changing ideals. Like any cultural artifact, the movies can be approached in a number of ways. Cultural historians have treated movies as a document that records the look and mood of the time that promotes a particular political or moral value or highlights individual or social anxieties and tensions. These cultural documents present a particular image of gender, ethnicity, romance, and violence. Out of the political and economic unrest of the 1970’s that saw the mood and esteem of the country, as reflected in the artistry and messages in the movies, sink to a new low, came a new sense of pride in who we are, not seen since the post-World War II economic boom of the 1950’s. Of this need to change, Oscar Award winner Paul Newman stated,
Folklores are stories that have been through many time periods. Folklore include Legends, Myths, and Fairy Tales. Legends are traditional tales handed down from earlier times and believed to have a historical basis. Myths are ancient stories dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes. Fairy Tales are fantasy tales with legendary being and creators.
The media has been a part of the daily life of the American people for the longest time, because of this fact, the media influences the decisions and views of how people should live. One big part of the media that tends to start to develop a sense of how the day-to-day American should live is Disney. Since kids are the main source of Disney’s billion dollar industry children have become an important dimension of the social theory (Giroux 1999: 65). “Within this context, television emerges as a consumer-oriented medium that reflects advertisers’ desire to reach a young, upscale, and primarily White audience” (Goodale1999; Henderson and Baldasty 2003: 100). As a result other races and ethnic groups other than white Americans are often put aside when it comes to the social media view of how Americans should live.
Nathan Abshire is considered an integral part of Cajun history for his influence in re-popularizing “old style” Cajun music after World War II. He helped bring back the traditional sounds that returning Cajun soldiers wanted to hear and helped heal a small part of a wounded nation.
James Byron Dean came into this world on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. His parents, Winton Dean and Mildred Wilson had no idea the legacy their son would leave behind-or that he would leave the world so soon. His father lived a life of farming before James came along, but once he did, his dad became a dentist. Not only did he switch occupations, six years after doing so, he packed up the family and relocated them to Santa Monica, California.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the 1980’s? The crazy hair styles, the new and improved things that were being created made this time alive, and fun. To be born in the 1980’s would have a been a privilege, who wouldn’t want to be known as “The decade that defined…. “US!” The 1980s was a decade that began on January 1, 1980, and ended on December 31, 1989. This decade was a great social and economic time period for people living in the 80’s. The world was becoming more developed as well as everyone in it. This decade became the “Look at me” generation of status seekers. The 80’s made a new breed of billionaires and money makers. “The decade began with double-digit inflation, Reagan declared a war on drugs, Kermit didn't find it easy to be green, hospital costs rose, we lost many, many of our finest talents to AIDS which before the decade ended spread to black and Hispanic women, and unemployment rose,” according to Peggy Whitely of Lone Star College. Although this time seemed like all fun and games, there were many problems. People say we lost the meaning of “We” and it suddenly became “I.” Citizens were realizing that you couldn’t depend on others around you; they were coming up with new ideas, and inventions to allow things to be more efficient. Although the 1980’s suffered a huge change for the American people, the fads and fashion part of the people strived, as well as the inventions. These two things will be some of the most historical, yet fascinating parts of the 80’s generation in American History.
The American rock band Nirvana impacted American culture and society by paving the way for the punk rock subculture into mainstream corporate America. Punk rock music stems from the rock genre but has its own agenda. The crux of punk rock is that it is a movement of the counterculture against the norms of society. Punk rock in itself is made up of a subculture of people who rejected the tameness of rock and roll music during the 1970s. (Masar, 2006, p. 8). The music stresses anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian ideas in its lyrics as well as scorns political idealism in American society. Before Nirvana unintentionally made punk rock a multi-million dollar commercialized genre of music, underground rock paved the way for the punk rock genre by creating core values that punk rockers drew upon.
As World War Two came to a close, a new American culture was developing all across the United States. Families were moving away from crowded cities into spacious suburban towns to help create a better life for them during and after the baby boom of the post-war era. Teenagers were starting to become independent by listing to their own music and not wearing the same style of clothing as their parents. Aside from the progress of society that was made during this time period, many people still did not discuss controversial issues such as divorce and sexual relations between young people. While many historians regard the 1950s as a time of true conservatism at its finest, it could really be considered a time of true progression in the American way of life.
On February 8, 1931, James Bryon Dean was born to Winton and Mildred Dean in Marion, Indiana. Dean was extremely close with his mother, who referred to him as James Bryon. On June 7, 1935 Dean's family moved to California when James was only five. On April 14, 1940 Dean lost his mother to cancer. He was then sent by his father to Indiana to live on a farm with his aunt and uncle, Marcus and Orlense Winslow at the young age of nine. He was filled with great grief over his mother's death for the rest of his life. Years later in an interview Dean stated, "My mother died on me when I was nine years old. What does she expect me to do? Do it alone?" When Dean entered high school, his strong points were debate and drama. On April 14, 1949 the Fairmont News read, "James Dean First Place Winner in Dramatic Speaking." He also graduated high school in June of that same year. Dean then moved back to California and attended Santa Monica City College and lived with his father and step mother, where he majored in prelaw. Dean earned Cs and Ds in law classes, but As and Bs in acting. That following year, he transferred to the University of California to study theatre, but he later quit school to get as many auditions as possible, and at this time he worked as a parking lot attendant. His first professional acting role was in a soft drink commercial, which lead to a role as John the Baptist, in a television Easter special called "Hill Number One."
By the sixteenth century, Europe had seen many changes in leadership, arts, sciences and lifestyle. Religion was the next area to make a transformation in European society. For centuries the Catholic Church had been the center of European religion until Martin Luther and John Calvin called for change. Luther and Calvin courageously spoke out against the Catholic Church to show that there were other ways to live a Christian life.
The Beatles reached such high popularity in the United States due to the fact that unnerving events, such as the assassination of president John F. Kennedy, had shaken the public and created a need for some sort of change in the mood. Therefore, this group of four charismatic young men was the icing on the cake with their uplifting and fun mood. Another factor that lead to their popularity was their unpredictable nature which entertained and marveled their audience. Americans held an interest in British culture, and had exported much of their popular music to England, however, American Beatlemania was a time when they could receive something in return. The Beatles also stood out due to the fact that they performed as a group of four equally contributing members,
Reading and writing. Painting and drawing. Dancing and singing. Just a few of the many forms of entertainment that shape American culture. Many people seek various outlets in their leisure time, both active and passive; and whether it be sports, TV, music, etc. most can agree that entertainment is a fundamental aspect of today’s society. Although its influence is undeniable, some people (like those that Neal Gabler writes about in his book Life the Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality) may argue that this is bad for our society, only leading to corruption. While history can support Gabler’s idea that entertainment has the potential to negatively affect our morals and social order, it has also been beneficial to our society and can be used in constructive ways. Whether entertainment is good or bad is dependent on the person and how they chose to utilize what is around them.