TV in the 1950's Reflected/Created Culture
             How many hours per week do you spend watching television? The average American child or adolescent spends 22-28 hours per week watching TV, which is more than any other activity other than sleeping. Did you know that there are more television sets in the world than there are telephones? Yes, even the television professionals find that one hard to believe. Our senses are attacked by the attraction of the visual message. These visual images are finely tuned to our way of thinking, whether we are hard working or lazy. TV delivers effortless entertainment and hot news. Throughout the 1950's television played an important role in molding the overall cultural development of the country-from the cars they drove, to the foods they ate, and finally to the united family life they endured.
             The addition of televisions to the home did not come overnight. In fact, it was not until 1956 that ¾ of all Americans owned a television set. (1950's Media, p.1) It began in the late 1920's when a jittery portrait of popular cartoon star, Felix the Cat, flickered onto a 2-inch, square screen as the first TV program. Technology in society was rapidly advancing, and TV was no exception. By the end of 1930, engineers developed a 25-inch, square screen, and the American public got their first look at TV. During the 30's, the few hundred proud owners of TV receivers saw little but an occasional test pattern. Most often they stared at a blank screen and admired the quality of the hardwood cabinet that housed the disappointing (to that point) electronic marvel. However, frustration and their disappointment would soon change into curiosity and fascination. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt showcased the television at the World's Fair in New York City. This spawned the de!
             velopment of regular broadcasting and dramatically improved television programming.
             The 1940's ...