The Cheerful Robots of the 1950's

During the 1950’s, Americans were going through a lot of changes. Many of the changes had to do with lifestyle and economy. In essence, the “American Dream” was being realized once again only this time, it had more advertising, money, and conformity put in to it. Society was being molded and shaped by the idea of what freedom is. Unfortunately that idea was terribly wrong.

Towards the closing of the Cold War, Americans began attacking each other once again calling anything that wasn’t consider “normal” or “American” was unpatriotic. Fear is brought out of all this commotion and from this fear of being called un-American or unpatriotic; a person would do almost anything to be as far away from that image as possible. Thus, this would be an excellent time for the “image of freedom” to take hold.

Almost instantly, the U.S. is shown the wonders of suburbia. Houses lined up, one next to each other; the “perfect family” of a father, mother, and their 2.4 children. Americans were fed this idea that freedom was the result from having a family and a perfect suburban home along with a great paying job in the booming economy. Instead, all Americans were doing was basically conforming to an idea brought out of their own fear of being isolated from society. Americans would rather become “cheerful robots,” according to C. Wright Mills, than be their own people their own perception of what freedom is. The 1950’s demonstrates how out of fear and doubt, ignorance and conformity succeeds.