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November 12, 2009 at 5:10pm
Subject: 1930s and today
'The Last Night of the Ballyhoo', is set in the late 1930s. During the Great Depression. The Great Depression, according to Wikipedia, it “was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century, and is used in the 21st century as an example of how far the world's economy can decline”. Today, we have the terrorist attack, which caused the War over in Iraq. I am going to go into detail, about the styles and life in the 1930s decade, and today's decade.
First, I want to discuss, the fashion. In the 1930s, the fashion for women were long skirts, cloche hats, short hair, wide shoulders, handkerchief skirts, clutch coats, and gloves. Most woman's hairstyles were smooth on top (for hats), curls bordered their face, and curls at the tips. A cloche hat, according to www.freedictionary.com, is “a close fitting woman's hat with a bell-like shape”. Wide shoulders, meant they wore shoulder pads. A clutch coat, is a dressy looking coat, that goes down by the knees. Women, wore gloves that went up to the elbows, with formal dresses. They wore normal length gloves such as fabric or leather material, with their daily clothing. The 1930s fashion for men, were drape cut/London drapes. Also, cummerbund, which is, according to www.freedictionary.com, is “a broad sash, especially one that is pleated length wise and worn as an article of formal dress, as with a dinner jacket”. Another fashion for men, is a white dress coat with a white dress shirt, as Adolph wore in Act 1: Scene 1, of 'The Last Night of the Ballyhoo'. Black bow ties, black trousers trimmed with a braid pattern sewed down the sides of the legs were popular, in the 1930s. Also, double-breasted suits, as worn by Adolph in Act 1: Scene 1, of 'The Last Night of the Ballyhoo'. A fedora was also popular, which is, according to www.wordnet.princeton.edu, “a hat made of felt with a creased crown”. Also, wide neckties with bold patterns, and a hat and top coat, as worn by Joe in Act:1 Scene 3, in 'The Last Night of the Ballyhoo”. In the early 2000s, clothes from forty years to the present, and majority of clothes from the 90s, were popular. From 2001 to 2002, sweater coats, were in style. Late 2000 to early 2002 bandanas with gems, and Phat Farm shoes were popular. Also, “tough guys wear pink”, became a trend, until 2007. In 2003, the style was trucker hats and vintage t-shirts, from American Eagle. Also, throw back jerseys (Fabolous, the rapper, made this style popular). In 2004, gel bracelets and designer glasses (with thick frames), were popular. Then, in the year 2005, in the hip hop industry, Kanye west made the 'grown man look' popular. Also, from 2004 to 2005, the 1930s and the 1950s styles, were in the trend. Capri pants, pin striped shirts, and shoes/boots with long pointy toes became a hit, in 2005. Then, in 2006, power suits, which is, according to Wikipedia, “a type of suit stereotypically associated with the 1980s. It is characterized by sharp cuts, wide shoulder pads and a stiff rigidity”. From 2006 to 2007, it was the 1920s fashion trend, that became popular. Now, 2006 to the present, it is skinny jeans. In 2007, the 'baggy style' lost in the fashion trend, and was replaced with expensive, close-fit designer jeans. Ballet flats also became popular, in this year. Also, from 2007 to the present time, argyle is popular. Argyle, according to Wikipedia, is “a pattern made of diamonds in a diagonal checkerboard arrangement”. Also, deck shoes (loafers), Bermuda shorts (walking or dress shorts), fitted caps, and gypsy/bohemian style are popular. Bootleg and flare jeans are also popular, today. In 2008, plaid and flannel button down shirts, hoodies, normal t-shirts, and sweaters take over the polo top and striped dress shirts (males). Popular today are track jackets. Today's popular shoes are Nike Air Force 1, and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star. Dickie pants, fit and skinny jeans, fit clothing, bright colors, the 80s fashion, and plaid are popular, today. A few popular hairstyles for women, today, are straightened hair, dyed hair and/or highlights. Also, the length of woman's hair varies. A popular length is long in the front, and short in the back. Men hairstyles today, consist of buzz-cut, spiked hair, wings, Mohawk, and long fringe. Men hair lengths, also vary. I feel that living in today's decade, is better than living in the 1930s decade, because we can experience a lot more styles.
In the 1930s, popular furniture was art decorations and depression era. Popular home colors, were brown and green. Celluloid radios, Duncan Phyfe dinning room furniture, vintage leather furniture, lacquered cabinets, cocktail bars, and club chairs was the furniture style, in the 1930s. Today's furniture id modern classics, and new design. I feel that the furniture style today, is more lively and stylish.
There was music in the 1930s. However, the famous music genre was 'Folk'. There were two folk heroes. One, was Woody Gutherie, and he was Americas best known balladeer. A balladeer, according to www.wordnet.princeton.edu, is “a singer of popular ballads”. The second folk hero, was Huddie Leadbetter (Leadbelly), and he was an African American. He sang about what African Americans had to go through, in the 1930s. In the 1930s, music with sound, came into the picture. These movies were musicals. Also, jazz, and big band with fifteen to twenty members, were popular. Country and western, were also popular, during this decade. Today's popular music is rock, metal core, pop punk, emo music, dance music, and others. The point. I am trying to make here, is in today's decade, we have a larger variety of music, and genres. We do not have to listen to one specific genre. In the 1930s, that was basically all they had, was jazz and folk, This is another reason, I think it is better to live in today's decade, than the 1930's decade.
Slang, in the 1930s was different, than today's slang. For instance, in the 1930s copper meant a policeman. Today, pig or cop means policeman. Genius, back then, meant a dumb person. Today, it means, a intelligent person. In 'The Last Night of the Ballyhoo', LaLa says, “...drilled in my skull”, which meant, someone said something over and over, to make her understand, something. Today we say, get it through your thick skull.
Vehicles, back then, were hydraulic brakes (four wheels), low pressure tires, heaters, and radios. Today's vehicles, are between nostalgic history, and forward-looking technology. Now, we have air conditioners, heaters, and Cd players. Also, we have, all-wheel-drive, and turbo charged cars. The 2008, decade winner, was the 2008 Smart Fortwo.
I feel there is one downfall, about living in today's decade, and that is gangs and violence. In the 1930s, is when gangsters, mobsters, outlaws, and others became popular. But, they was not as large, as they are today. In 2007, at least 30,000 gangs, and 800,000 gang members were all over the United States of America. Can you imagine, what the statistics are, now? Some popular gangs, of today's decade are the 'Bloods', 'Crips', 'Surenos', 'Nortenos', and street gangs. The 'Bloods' wear red bandanas. 'Crips' wear blue bandanas. The 'Surenos' wear blue bandanas, with a tattoo of a number 13, xii, x3, or southside. 'Nortenos' wear red bandanas, with a tattoo of the number 14, xiv, x4, or northside. The violence today is so much worse than it was, back in the 1930s, decade.
In the 1930s, the United States population, was 137,008,435. Today, the population in the United States, is 305,316,543. In the 1930s, and today, the worlds dominant race was and still is, the white race. In 1935, the first minimum wage was set. The wage was twenty-five cents per hour. The average annual salary was one thousand and five hundred dollars. Today, the average annual salary is forty-five thousand to fifty thousand. Car sales, in the 1930s, were $2,787,400.00. Today's sales, new and used combined, is $8,460,181,950.00. In the 1930s, life expectancy for males was 58.1; today, the life expectancy for males is 75.65. In the 1930s, life expectancy for females was 61.6; today, it is 80.69.
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