American Futurism in the Atomic Era

Consumer Culture

            The post-war decades mark a significant transformation in American consumerism. The Cold War heightened fears for in defense of capitalism and the future of the American way of life. The arms race and the space race, at their core, were the battles for economic domination. With government organizations, private businesses, and media outlets working together, the 1950s and 1960s were prosperous times for white Americans who were part of a growing middle class economically. Production shifts and population booms were significant contributors to this economic change, however, technological advancements allowing for increased marketing as well as the push for expenditure during the Cold War also deserve credit. Futurism was a tool in this marketing, both as a goal for production ventures and a theme for public consumption. These changes mark a beginning of the consumer culture period which continues into the 21stcentury.[1] Trends in promoting spending had occurred in the interwar years, particularly with the introduction of art deco and early streamline design, however, that marketing was selling the idea of being on trend of the modern period, not necessarily the future push seen in the Cold War. Lifestyle magazines such as audience targeted the variations of Life magazines and men’s magazine, Colliers, embraced the themes of futurism as a tool to promote spending and support of public expenditure on ventures that were technologically aligned. 
            The announcement of President John F. Kennedy’s intentions to put an American astronaut on the Moon in 1961 allowed businesses and agencies to capitalize on the fervor of the space race. Anti-Soviet rhetoric had been on the decline in general news outlets leading up to the launch of Sputnik and Kennedy’s speech renewed the sentiment that positive steps were being made to win the race of ideologies. However, the novelty of going to space won out in marketing in the 1960s as people were also interested in new technologies that were made possible through industrial advancements. The evolution of plastics, synthetic materials and transportation technologies propelled this transition forward for the consumer.[2]




 


[1] See Megan Prelinger, Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957-1962, (New York: Blast Books, 2010); and Branden Hookway, Cold War Hothouses: Inventing Postwar Culture, from Cockpit to Playboy, (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004).
[2] Megan Prelinger, Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957-1962, (New York: Blast Books, 2010) 10-40, 10.

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