Entertainment & Amusement
The 1920’s had many names, from The Jazz Age to The Roaring 20’s. During this time, many traditions were broken and new ones were developed. Women were once seen as housewives and stay at home moms, but during this time women began to become more independent by becoming working women and straying off from the social norms. As time went on the desire for equality grew enormously. Younger women decided to explore their social equality through various forms. They shocked the older generation with their risqué clothing, promiscuity, and forms of entertainment. Dancing, smoking and drinking, and dating became a big hit among young women.
What Did Women Do For Fun?
What Did Women Do For Fun?
DANCING
During The Jazz Age, dancing became a public craze among people all over the world. Dance halls and night clubs became extremely popular forms or entertainment during the late 1920’s. During the 1920s, one of the most popular dances was The Charleston. Originally, the dance was created in African-American culture but became widely adopted by people everywhere. Despite where it was created, The Charleston became connected with white flappers and speakeasies. The women could dance solo, with partners or in groups. Dance clubs all over the United States would hold dance contests where people could compete and invent new dance moves. The purpose of the dance contests were to discover original dances that would replace The Charleston and other popular dances. (1) Different dances were performed in dance halls, night clubs and speakeasies. Eventually various types of dances including The Charleston, The Foxtrot, The Shimmy and more were banned from dance halls all over the world for being indecent. (2)
Dance halls and night clubs were eventually looked at in a different light. People began to label them as immoral; the Spokane Daily Chronicle even called them, “Night clubs, dance halls girl’s worst enemy." The article states that night clubs, dance halls, and speakeasies in New York were in the worst condition in over the past 20 years. Advertisements for the clubs attracted young women to become involved in occupations like hostesses, escorts and dancers. Women were employed to accompany single men at clubs and show them a good time and to purchase liquor. Advertisements for jobs were exclusively targeted towards “young, attractive girls over 18, experience unnecessary." (3) This type of occupation and entertainment was thought to be girls’ first start downward.
SMOKING & DRINKINGIn the early 20th century women smokers were greatly frowned upon by the older generation and were arrested for smoking in public. As time progressed and women sought out their freedom, the cigarette industry saw the opportunity to market to women. The ads appealed to women by displaying confident young women and promising them slimming effects. Smoking in public soon became a symbol of social equality for women. The question why women smoke was asked during an interview with actress Irene Franklin. She began to explain that women smoke for the same reasons that men do. They were expressing a freedom and independence that they were once deprived of. (4) As more women began to pick up the habit of smoking in public smoking rooms were created in public locations. On January 28, 1920 in Chicago Illinois, the manager of the Woods Theater opened a smoking room just for the women. He stated that “the women smoke more cigarettes than the men do” (5).
Along with night clubs and smoking, women's equality also became associated with alcohol. Many of the reasons women drank alcohol were for the same reason they smoked. They were taking advantage of the changes in their new social equality. They drank in dance halls and night clubs as a way to be social and get out of the house. A seventeen year old from Chicago, Illinois said she felt lonesome at night and sought company. She met up with a friend and eventually they were induced to beer. (6) Dance halls and night clubs became the most popular places to drink until investigators found that 200 dance halls were selling liquor to girls under sixteen. Reporters stated, “The selling of liquor to girls is often the first step to their ruin.”(7) Many of the changes that women went through were deemed as immoral and frowned upon by the older generation. |
DatingDuring this era of drastic change, the standards for dating and relationships were now informal. The purpose of old fashion dating was to find their soul mate, but now women and men dated to be social and get to know the person before anything turned exclusive. There was no more need for chaperones or formal commitments, but different “guidelines” that people followed. Dates now consisted of going out into the city and going to movies or going dancing and the man was always expected to pay. Dating became a casual thing that most people engaged in. Dating is just another example of the different changes women went through during the 1920’s.
|
1. "Eccentric Dance Contest is Open," The Pittsburgh Press Mar 24, 1928
2."Fox Trot and Tango Banned by Amette," New York Times Jan 4, 1920
3. George E Worthington. “Night Clubs, Dance Halls Girl’s Worst Enemy,” Spokane Daily Chronicle July 9, 1928
4."Irene Franklin Discusses Girls and Bobbed Hair," Providence News Sep 26, 1922
5. “Women’s Smoking Den in a Chicago Theatre,” The Miami News Jan. 29, 1920 (associated press)
6.“Blames Bad Dance Halls,” Boston Evening Transcript April 10, 1913 (associated press)
7.George E Worthington. “Night Clubs, Dance Halls Girl’s Worst Enemy,” Spokane Daily Chronicle July 9, 1928
8.Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History (New York: W.W. Norton, 2006), 101
2."Fox Trot and Tango Banned by Amette," New York Times Jan 4, 1920
3. George E Worthington. “Night Clubs, Dance Halls Girl’s Worst Enemy,” Spokane Daily Chronicle July 9, 1928
4."Irene Franklin Discusses Girls and Bobbed Hair," Providence News Sep 26, 1922
5. “Women’s Smoking Den in a Chicago Theatre,” The Miami News Jan. 29, 1920 (associated press)
6.“Blames Bad Dance Halls,” Boston Evening Transcript April 10, 1913 (associated press)
7.George E Worthington. “Night Clubs, Dance Halls Girl’s Worst Enemy,” Spokane Daily Chronicle July 9, 1928
8.Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History (New York: W.W. Norton, 2006), 101