Bobby soxer (subculture)
Bobby soxers were a subculture of young women in the mid-to-late 1940s. Their interests included popular music, in particular that of singer
The presence of bobby soxers signaled a shift in American youth fashion. Businesses and corporations noticed that they were able to profit from the burgeoning consumer power of teenagers—especially among girls—and began to aim products at younger buyers, creating a new subset of American culture.[6][7] Teenagers became more prominent in society as they participated in activities such as dancing and going to the movies.[8][9] Music and dancing grew more popular among teenagers in the 1940s; the most popular types of music were swing and jazz, which were favored by bobby soxers.[10] The increased popularity of music made it a big part of the lives of bobby soxers, as they frequently discussed their favorite musicians with each other and bonded over records.[10]
Etymology
The origins of the phrase "bobby soxer" date back to a 1943
History
In the early twentieth century, teenage girls did not receive much attention from producers of consumer culture and popular culture.[14] Around this time, women began accessing the public sphere with the help of an increase in commercialized leisure.[15] This included public entertainment spaces such as movie theatres and dance halls.[15] As women grew more involved with the public sphere, their desire to stay at home notably decreased; social commentators of the 1920s and 1930s noted that young Americans were spending less time at home with their parents and more time engaging in leisure activities with friends.[15] From this growing engagement in leisure activities came a notable rise in interest in consumer culture among young girls, which coincided with a desire from businesses to speed up a growing development in the creation of teenage girls' culture.[15] It was not until the 1940s that American advertisers began capitalizing on the consumer power of teenagers – particularly teenage girls – and created a new market that focused on prolonging adolescence.[7] This boom also saw an immense rise in teenage consumer power in the American music industry, especially among young girls.
Singers such as Frank Sinatra became
Music became much more popular among teenagers in the postwar period. Popular songs of the 1940s followed a consistent pattern of avoiding controversial subjects and reinforcing idealized traditional values.[19] The content of these songs often focused on courtships rather than taboo topics such as sex.[19] Such content proved to be popular among teenage girls, who celebrated what was happening in their lives, (i.e. dating) through song.[8] Bobby soxers enjoyed jazz and swing music, with dances and listening to the radio being two of the most popular activities among teenage girls.[8] Music and dance proved to be an integral part of teen culture in the 1940s, as they contributed to the formation of friend groups, the enjoyment of leisure activities and even more mundane activities such as homework.[8] Bobby soxers frequently engaged in debates over their favorite artists, bands and records, and they often made connections between their favorite songs of the time and important events occurring in their lives.[8]
Fashion was also popular among bobby soxers. A typical bobby soxer outfit included bobby socks – the inspiration for their nickname –
When the 1950s arrived, the "teen revolution" was in full swing. A 1956 edition of the PTA magazine declared that "the trouble with teenagers started when some smart salesman made a group of them in order to sell bobby sox."[8] By then, teenagers began listening to rock and roll music while an explosion of mainstream teen culture occurred. As Frank Sinatra began performing more mature music, artists such as the Beatles and Elvis Presley became new teen idols.[22] However, as bobby soxers grew into their twenties, they soon followed teenage norms of the time and began settling down with husbands and children.[22] The bobby sox style remained popular well into the 1950s, but original bobby soxers left their fanatic days behind as they entered adulthood and prioritized work or family life.[8]
Portrayal of bobby soxers
Film and television
The inclusion of bobby soxers in film and television began during the early 1940s, almost immediately after the phrase "bobby soxer" came to prominence in the mainstream media. Initially, young girls were portrayed as delinquents in
Media
Most media outlets portrayed bobby soxers to be highly enthusiastic, sometimes to the point of hysteria. Newspapers noted bobby soxers for their dedication to Frank Sinatra and other teen idols. A 1945 article in The Guardian reported on one bobby soxer who "[was] known to have sat through 56 consecutive performances, which means about eight consecutive days."[12][clarification needed] Bobby soxers were also reported to have waited for so long to see Sinatra that they experienced hunger, fatigue, and dizziness.[12] Bobby soxers were portrayed to be disinterested in the crisis of World War II. Seventeen magazine – which launched in 1944 to cater to teenage girls – published letters from readers who wrote asking for "more articles on dating and shyness... stories like those on atomic energy are very boring."[20]
Impact on teen culture
Bobby soxers are not the first known enthusiastic fans of musicians; fan culture dates back to the seventeenth century, and fanatics of musicians have been documented as coming to prominence in the 1860s.[16] However, they were the first to have developed from modern American teenage culture and played a significant role in its development. Bobby soxers are credited as the predecessors of later teenage culture movements such as Beatlemania.[18]
Bobby soxers and their teenage peers had a considerable impact on the financial aspects of teen culture in the years following their entry into American culture. Broadly speaking, the teen consumer market exploded greatly in the 1950s; it reportedly amounted to approximately $10 billion by 1959, with expectations at the time estimating it would double by 1970.[25] In 1961, for instance, records – which sociologist Jessie Bernard describes as a crucial aspect of teenage culture – were reported to sell $75 million worth of copies annually.[25] The girls that participated in teenage consumer culture were known as "teen tycoons" due to their consumer power.[25] The likes of such power can still be seen today among teenage girls as youth consumer culture has expanded immensely and has become a paramount component of teenage culture.[26]
In addition to material purchases, the power of bobby soxer friend groups was equally important to the teen culture. Former bobby soxers who became housewives with part-time work developed a noticeable peer culture with each other, setting the stage for teenage culture to grow in years to come.[27] Author Kelly Schrum noted that at the start of the 1900s, teenage culture was insignificant and essentially non-existent; by the start of the 2000s, teenagers were a prominent presence in American culture with high spending power.[26] Today, the number of research companies that specialize in researching and advertising to teenagers has increased immensely, and the market for teenage girls has become much larger and more profitable than it has ever been.[26]
See also
- Bubblegum pop
- Teenybopper
References
- ISBN 9780304366361.
- ISBN 9780313312991. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 978-0-253-21802-5. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ISBN 9780813122564.
- ^ a b Smith 2015, p. 153.
- ^ ISBN 9781349731343.
- ^ Schrum 2004, p. 8.
- ^ a b Schrum 2004, p. 98.
- ^ a b c Schrum 2004, p. 62.
- ^ a b c d "Frank Sinatra and the 'bobby-soxers' | 1940-1949 | Guardian Century". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ "Definition of BOBBY-SOXER". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ Schrum 2004, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d Schrum 2004, p. 15.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-6235-6585-5.
- ^ a b Holden, Stephen (December 11, 2015). "Frank Sinatra: A Hundred Years On, the Voice Resonates Still". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d Conger, Cristen (n.d.). "How Bobby Soxers Worked: Frank Sinatra and Bobby Soxers". HowStuffWorks. Archived from the original on 2012-04-19.
- ^ S2CID 32342634.
- ^ S2CID 142532788.
- ^ a b Snelson 2010, p. 885.
- ^ a b McNearney, Allison. "1950s Parents Had No Idea What Their Kids Wanted to Do at Parties". HISTORY. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ a b Snelson 2010, p. 878.
- ^ a b Schrum 2004, p. 142-144.
- ^ S2CID 146519820.
- ^ a b c Schrum 2004, p. 175.
- ^ Schrum 2004, p. 18.