This was the opinion of one of the best-known American musicians, Louis Armstrong. Armstrong’s career began in the 1920s. As a jazz musician, he became an essential part of the pop culture of that era.

Pop culture is part of consumer culture dictated by capitalism. And it was in the Roaring Twenties that these different forms of consumer culture were indeed popularized and shared on a vast scale.

History of American Pop Culture in the 1920s

The 1920s are often referred to as the Roaring Twenties in the United States and Europe. This term underscores the optimism of that decade in the wake of the devastation left by the First World War (1914-1918). Specifically, the 1920s were also a period of economic growth and stability in the United States.

This auspicious economic situation allowed some to focus on nightlife, entertainment, and the good life. Consumer advertising promoted cars and appliances like washing machines and vacuum cleaners, making people’s lives somewhat easier and allowing them more leisure time. Americans spent some of that time at the movies: the silent film was one of the primary forms of pop culture in the 1920s. They also perceived driving cars as a form of freedom.

At the same time, this period of alcohol Prohibition (1920-1933) translated into underground activities. They included speakeasy establishments that served illegal alcohol and played jazz. Breaking rules also came with the flappers—modern, fashionable women. They embodied the fast pace of urban life and were often featured in movies and advertising.

Consumer Advertising

Companies used the economic prosperity of the Roaring Twenties to promote consumerism. One of how they did so was through print and radio advertising.

Print advertising uses many of the same visual forms as other parts of pop culture.

Other advertisers preferred the comic-strip format with speech bubbles. This allowed the advertisers to provide large amounts of information, fit testimonials into the speech bubbles, and make the entire advertising look like an exciting comic book. The growing field of photography was also one of the preferred consumer-advertising genres. The documentary quality of photography made the advertising scenes appear realistic and made the products seem desirable.

Fig. 1 – Lucky Strike cigarettes, consumer advertising, 1931. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

Many advertisements promoted leisure time spent on relaxation while smoking and driving cars. Other ads promoted products meant to allow families more leisure time, such as vacuum cleaners and refrigerators. Refrigerators, like the ones manufactured by General Electric, were portrayed as the guarantors of health and safety in the family.

1920s Pop Culture: Figures

The 1920s were also essential for silent film and Hollywood’s rise due to the Roaring Twenties’ economic prosperity.