The+Cult+of+Celebrity+in+the+Roaring+20's

= The Cult of Celebrity in the Roaring 20's = toc

** Thesis **
The notion of the celebrity first arose in the 1920's because of a combination of many factors. With a surge of nationalism that arose from the U.S.'s success in World War I, the increasing influence of the media that resulted from development of the radio, and the post-war economic boom, Americans for the first time had begun to view national heroes as celebrities. Celebrities became a unifying element of the 1920's because they were symbols of national pride that were universally admired by Americans, and epitomized the extravagance of living in the high flying economy of the time.

Overview
At the end of World War I, returning soldiers found the U.S. in a brief but deep recession caused by the end of war time production. However, the economy soon rebounded with the addition to the labor force that came from the returning soldiers, and a shift to mass production and increased consumption. With the booming economy fueled by enormous consumption of material goods and pro-business government policies, technology developed rapidly. By the beginning of the 1920's, radio broadcasting had become feasible, and many households had a radio set. This new medium for media and entertainment made it possible for Americans to be constantly in tune to the news. As a result, celebrities such as baseball star Babe Ruth, champion boxer Jack Dempsey, and aviator Charles Lindbergh arose as embodiments of the national pride and economic prosperity that swept the country. Everyday people were awed and completely absorbed by stories such as Ruth's performance of 60 home runs in 1927, the legendary Dempsey-Carpentier boxing match, and the sensational and tragic kidnapping of Lindbergh's baby son. These celebrities were a product of the nationalism and materialistic tendencies of the time, and represented the high living spirit of the 1920's.

**Background**
- Born February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland. Died August 16, 1948 at age 53. - The most famous baseball player of all time. - Played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Braves at the end of his career. - One of the first players to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. - His longstanding record of 714 career home runs stood until it was broken in 1974, about forty years after he retired. - He was often heard on radio programs, and had several of his own programs, such as //The Adventures of Babe Ruth//, //Here's Babe Ruth//, and //Baseball Quiz//. - Made several appearances in films, such as a cameo appearance as himself in the 1928 film //Speedy//. - There were many legends of him; for example, there is a famous story that he "called his shot" prior to hitting a home run in the 1932 World Series.

- His performance in the 1927 season was legendary; he became the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season, a record that stood until 1961, and led the powerful New York Yankees to win the 1927 World Series. - His sale from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees in 1919 was highly publicized; he was sold for $125,000, which today is equivalent to $1.5 million.

Effect On American Culture
- Ruth was the world's first celebrity athlete; he was an icon of American greatness in the 1920's. - Tom Stanton, a baseball historian and author, has said, "It's difficult to convey to people today just how just how popular a sports figure Babe Ruth really was in American history. He's the most mythologized figure in American sports history- a huge icon. Of all the colorful figures that existed during 20's and 30's, Babe was at the front of the line".

- At the time, Babe Ruth was by far the highest paid athlete in America; he epitomized America's booming economy and mindset of consumption media type="youtube" key="uS7Iq_I0i6M" height="312" width="380" align="right" - In 1930, he made more money than President Herbert Hoover; he made $80,000 that year while the president made only $75,000 (Today, Ruth's salary would be equivalent to a little more than $1 million). When asked about this, Ruth remarked, "Why not? I had a better year than he did". This remark created even more admiration for him, because it brimmed with the confidence that defined American life at the time.

- Ruth was used in an enormous amount of advertisements. He was one of the first athletes to receive endorsement; companies used his nationwide fame and admiration to sell their products.

- B orn June 24, 1895 in Manassa, Colorado. Died May 31, 1983 at age 87. - Prizefighter/Boxer in the 1920’s

 - Nicknamed “the Manassa Mauler,” Dempsey also occasionally fought under the name “Kid Blackie”  - Held the world heavyweight title in boxing from 1919-1926  - Now a member of the International boxing Hall of Fame, having retired with 66 career wins, 6 losses, and 11 draws - Was featured on the front of TIME Magazine  - Jack D empsey once said, ”I was a pretty good fighter. But it was the writers who made me great.”



**The Dempsey - Carpentier Fight and its effect on America** - Fight between American Jack Dempsey and the European title-holder and French war hero, Georges Carpentier: labeled "The Fight of the Century" in the hopes of attracting a large audience  - Almost 100,000 people were in attendance & the fight grossed almost $2,000,000. This was the largest crowd ever assembled for a boxing match, and at the time the largest crowd ever assembled for any sporting event in the United States  - One of the first nationally broadcast sporting events over the radio, it achieved a listening audience of about 300,000 people  - Introduced sports as a form of entertainment for the general population  - "In an age where man seemed to be guided by amoral forces beyond his control, the Dempsey-Carpentier fight represented man as master of his fate" (Randy Roberts, author of //Jack Dempsey: The Manassa Mauler// ) - Dempsey ended up winning the fight, and his win brought him unprecedented popularity as a result of not only the fight's attendance, but also the media portrayal as the "fight of the century"



Background
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- B orn February 4, 1902 in Detroit, Michigan. Died August 26, 1974 at age 72 - Considered by many historians to be the first modern "celebrity" - Airplane pilot, the first to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in one flight solo - Earned many prizes and trophies, receiving accolades from major world leaders across the globe - His fame was only heightened by tragedy when his child was kidnapped, and later discovered to have been murdered media type="youtube" key="lDxOyhLQ1Oc" height="390" width="480" align="right"

Trans-Atlantic Flight and Its Role in the Media
- The "Orteig Prize" of $25,000 was offered to the first pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a single flight. Six men died before Lindbergh attempted his flight - Lindbergh planned to take off from Roosevelt Field, New York, and land at Le Bourget, Paris - Flying the //Spirit of St. Louis//, Lindbergh flew a total of 33.5 hours, traversing over 3,600 miles - He was met by about 150,000 people on the runway, who carried him bodily from the plane - A few pieces of his plane were actually ripped off as souvenirs for watchers - News of the landing reached the United States within six minutes, when an announcement was posted in the window of the //Times// building. - Massive celebrations broke out across the globe - Footage of the takeoff was played in movie theaters - Lindbergh quickly received telegrams of congratulations from heads of state, including President Coolidge. - After landing, Lindbergh's life was largely scheduled by interaction with the media. 75 cameras, including 25 moving picture cameras, met him as he stepped outside after arriving in Paris. He was interviewed by hundreds of pressmen, who were excited to meet him after the //New York Times// agreed to give up their exclusive rights to the interview.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The first thing we want to get into our heads is that this boy is not our usual type of hero that we are used to dealing with. He is all the others rolled into one and then multiplied by ten...” -Will Rogers

"The Crime of the Century"
- In 1932, Lindbergh's oldest child was kidnapped, and a ransom note demanding $70,000 was found. - Eventually, the baby was discovered dead not far from the Lindbergh residence. However, the ransom money had already been paid. - By tracking the serial numbers of the gold certificates with which the ransom was paid, the police eventually tracked down and arrested Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh. - The entire case, from kidnapping to trial, was avidly followed by the media and the public. - The story contained both fantastical crime and celebrities, which led to a degree of media coverage rarely seen previously. - Many listened to the radio to receive more timely updates than those found in newspapers - Even the trial was widely covered, with many reporters sneaking microphones and cameras into the courtroom

The Role of Celebrities Today
- Celebrities are, similar to the 1920's, still an object of fascination, but since the 1920's, with inventions such as the internet, media coverage of celebrities has skyrocketed. Celebrities are no longer just covered in the newspaper, they are all over the internet, and and with it, the privacy of publicly-admired figures has been penetrated even more. Gossip magazines such as People Magazine, the National Enquirer, and US Weekly publish the latest news and stories about celebrities, ranging from affairs to arrests, just in order to get magazines sold regardless of the personal consequences to the celebrity. - "The hero was distinguished by his achievement; the celebrity by his image or trademark. The hero created himself; the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name." (Daniel J. Boorstein, Historian)