The Roaring Twenties

I was thinking in the shower today about all of the different eras we've been through throughout the years. The hippie sixties, grunge of the nineties, disco seventies, and rock and roll eighties. But it got me thinking even more, sure those decades really did influence pop culture today, but what about the era that influenced them?

I came to the thought of the twenties, my personal favorite of all. Better known as the "Roaring Twenties", it was a time of dramatic social change at the same time of World War I.

Women began to break away from the traditional Victorian styles their mothers and grandmothers adored. They cut their hair to now what is known as a "bob", dresses exposed their knees and arms, and the use of cosmetics boomed. It was a time of liberation. Women were now part of society as they worked in factories while their men were off to work. Society was finally becoming co-ed.

It was a time of the rise of art deco, an influential architectural and art style from Belgium. With its geometric shapes and bold, contrasting colors, art deco was a change from the way artists took inspiration from nature.

Prohibition, the banning of alcohol, was put in place to "fix" social problems. How could this not outrage people? Speakeasies were born- little underground, undercover, secret clubs for drinking and socializing. Only those who were someone, or those who knew the passwords, could get in. Famous gangsters, like Al Capone, rose from these speakeasies.

The Harlem Renaissance was during this time. Jazz music became popular with all groups of people.

Hollywood was created. Classic, and to-die-for-famous actors, like Rudolph Valentino, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and Charlie Chaplin. Disney's Steamboat Willie was Mickey Mouse's debut and Felix the Cat was one of the most popular cartoon characters of his time. Warner Bros. and Universal Studios dominated the cinema box-offices.

I love the twenties. The change that happened during that time greatly affected pop. culture as we know it. If I had to choose one decade to live in, it'd be 1920 America.