Televisions role in the 1950s

Televisions role in the 1950s The 1950s were a period of American pride and honor. Times were great following World War II, the postwar economy was booming and never have so many people had so much time on their hands. People were in the spending mood and the businessmen found a medium in which they can get their products to the consumers. The television came into be the medium in communicating to the people. Unlike the radio before it, the television made it possible to view live events right in ones living room. The earliest television sets started appearing households was in the mid-1940s. By 1949 the tides were turning and the television was overtaking the radio. By 1955 the television had taken over completely, and one can be found in almost every American household. It became a way for families to bond in the newly created suburbs. The television united the American society by showing the nations politics, promoting capitalistic consumerism in advertising, and portraying images of the ideal! By the end of 1952, the television had permeated well into America with 19 million sets in American households. People were now being introduced to politics through the television. Instead of just reading or hearing about political events in the newspaper or on the radio, the people were now able to watch them on television. The first politician to achieve stardom through the television was Estes Kefauver. Estes was a Senator from Tennessee, who was such a poor speaker to audiences that he grabbed their attention through sympathy. In 1948, Estes ran against Senator Tom Steward, and in the process, to challenge the powerful machine of boss Ed Crump in Memphis. He won the election handily, and stopping organized crime in America was next on his list (Halberstam: The 1950s). By 1951, the New York area alone in the previous twelve months, the number of homes with television se...