Entertainment the Great Depression
Effects of the great depression on the public
The impact of the great depression was felt by all the economies of the world. The public around the world was affected by the economic crisis in various ways. Every part of the globe experienced economic and social problems of varying magnitude due to the reduced demand for consumer goods all over the world. During the great depression, the Americans only exported or imported the basic commodities such as food. Generally, the consumers buying power was inexistent which further reduced the profits accrued by the businessmen.
The immediate impact of the great depression in America was increased level of unemployment as more and more businesses and production units closed down due to reduced demand for consumer goods. Business started cutting down on their working hours followed by reducing the number of workers and eventually closing down. The lending institutions were not in a position to give loans to the business and the government had no abilities to assist the collapsing businesses in paying their debts. Eventually, the government, the businesses as well as the general public were left in the cold. Many of the families found themselves on the streets since they could not afford their expenses, parents abandoned their children, families broke down and poverty was very evident in the American society. There were many people around the world dying of diseases and hunger. The morale of the public and the desire to live was no longer present in the American public. The citizens lost their faith on the ability of the government because they expected that the central government could be able to care for them. There were no programs that the government had put in place to reverse the situation. Despite the negative effects of the great depression, the public learnt some lessons such as the need to manage what they have well. Moreover, the challenges of the great depression led to the emergency of imaginative and inventive generations in the United States.
Role of Entertainment in the Great Depression
Despite the many challenges experienced by the Americans during the great depression, they still had time to have fun. There were various forms of entertainment which included music, films, listening to the radio and games. The American public enjoyed music of a variety of genres during the great depression. The most popular and common genres among the Americans were Jazz music and big band. Duke Ellington is the most celebrated artist of the 1930s. He played almost all the genres of the time including jazz, gospel and blues among others. His music such as it dont mean a thing gained popularity throughout the United States and helped the public to divert their minds away from the challenges that affected them.
Due to the depressing challenges of the great depression, music played an important role in reviving the morale of the Americans. Listening to music provided relaxation to a large number of Americans and diverted their attentions from the challenges of the great depression. Songs helped to ease the helplessness and hopelessness brought about by the effects of the great depression. These songs included the brother can you spare a dime which was composed by Yip Harburg and played an important role in healing the experiences of the people and rejuvenation of hope and morale in the American society. Other songs that were written and performed to keep the American spirit and hope alive and divert the attentions included Al Dubin song, were in the money.
Another famous form of entertainment in the 1930s was films. It is important to note that some of the films created during the great depression are still popular today. Large numbers of Americans flocked to watch Walt Disney animation films. The most popular of these was The Three Little Pigs created in 1933. Walt Disney films provided entertainment to Americans of all walks of life, the young and the old and have since then evolved to be an American arts culture some of which are still watched today. Other Walt Disney movies famous films included the snow white and the seven dwarfs. Comedies were also a common form of entertainment and the laughter associated with it helped to ease effects of the economic crisis. Although the Americans were faced with adversity, comedies were a source of joy despite the challenges. The main plot of the comedies as well as the films was how the general population was struggling to deal with the impacts of the great depression. Towards the end of the economic crisis, comedies, films and movies from other parts of the world such as Europe and the Latin America were enjoyed in the United States though some of them were in foreign language. Although the movies and films of the great depression had different themes, their main aim was to provide an escape for the Americans from the global economic crisis. This form of entertainment provided an opportunity for the Americans to think about other things instead of their economic chores.
Another notable source of entertainment during the great depression was the radio. Many Americans listened to the radio which provided everything the audience required, the young and the old. The radios station provided various programs for different class of people. The radio was also a major tool used by President Roosevelt to promote the New Deal and rejuvenate the spirit and hope among the Americans. On many occasions, President Roosevelt spoke to the Americans on the radio where he assured them of his commitment to solving the economic problems. In total, Roosevelt gave thirty inspiration speeches and interviews on the radio. These speeches came to be commonly known as the Fireside Chats because he sat near a fireplace while he gave the speeches. Various entertainments in the radio include popular shows such as the popular children show, Little Orphan Annie, comedians show and music. Listening to these programs helped the general public to forget about the economic challenges and problems affecting them. The radio was not only a source of entertainment but also contributed in promoting hope and optimism among the Americans which was essential in the recovery of the country from the crisis.
Just as films, movies, music and the radio provided an escape from the realities of the great depression books also played an important role. Books provided pleasure among the Americans amidst the economic challenges. They therefore played an important role in keeping the spirit of the Americans alive. It was reliving to relax while reading an interesting book such as The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men which was written by the renowned writer of the time, John Steinbeck. This assisted the Americans in getting away with the challenges and hardships of life. Other than giving the reader a relaxation of the mind, the books reassured the reader that they were not alone being faced with the same challenges and there was hope for economic recovery.
As the Americans were experiencing the wrath of the great depression, newspapers and magazine chains were founded. Edwin Scripps was the first publisher to establish a newspaper chain in the beginning of the economic crisis in the late 1920s. Later, other newspaper chains were founded with the establishment of the United Press Associations and the International News Services. Some magazines such as Time had been established earlier in the 1920s but other periodicals such as the Fortune and Life emerged during the great depression. The competition in the periodical market led to imitation such as the establishment of Newsweek which was an imitation of the Time. These magazines and newspapers also acted as an escape as well as promoting home among the Americans.
The Americans also involved themselves in other forms of entertainment such as popular culture and games to keep their spirit alive. People living in the same neighborhood would meet in the evening to talks and play cards among other games. The churches and other social programs organized events where both the young and the old could meet other people and enjoy themselves to ease the effects of the great depression. Most of these entertainments were at no cost and many people saw it as the only way to alleviate the worries in their lives. Although sporting activities such as the American football was not as popular as it is today, it played an important role during the 1930s economic crisis. The high schools and college teams were a great source of pride to the society who turned up in large numbers to enjoy the games. Radios were also another form of entertainment that played a major role during the great depression.
Conclusion
The Americans were faced with many challenges during the great depression with many of them losing hope and optimism. Entertainment was used as an escape and a refuge to the problems facing the Americans during the economic crisis. Different forms of entertainment helped in keeping the spirits of the Americans alive and rejuvenated their optimism.
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