Yukatan

Altschuler Essay

Brad McVicker- HST122B

12-8-12

Rocking ‘n’ Rolling Into Every Teens Heart

Before the 1950’s, there was no such thing as a “teenager”. At the age of 12 or 13, children would work full time, instead of go to high school to get a full education. But thanks to the economic boom of the early 1950’s, teenagers were a recognized part of society. Teenagers always had to be caught up with the latest trends in the world, and introduced in the 1950’s; the rock ‘n’ roll revolution was born. Elvis Pressley swept the nation with his singing and dancing style, driving parents wild, and making teenagers fall in lust. In the 1950’s the teen culture was rock ‘n’ roll, and with this teen culture came more controversy than any nationwide phenomenon before it. In All Shook Up, Glenn Altschuler describes how rock ‘n’ roll might as well have been the worst drug in the world, because teens everywhere would do anything to see their favorite performer live, no matter what their parents had to say about it. Why was rock n’ roll so hated by parents everywhere? What was it about rock ‘n’ roll icons and music that drove teens to act so berserk? How did teens seem to forget all about the rock ‘n’ roll stars of the 1950’s and move on to the “British invasion” of the early 1960’s so quickly?

“Many adults feared that the weakening of traditional morality, diminished authority of parents, clergymen, and teachers, and availability of condoms and penicillin were making promiscuity safe, accepted, and universal to the post-World War II generation” (Altschuler 67). The craze of rock ‘n’ roll did not make sense to parents. Adults taught their children to be Entire cities were banning rock ‘n’ roll performers from coming to their city. The fans at these rock concerts were getting so rampant that violent acts were happening while these concerts were going on. In five separate cities, rock ‘n’ roll shows were banned because of the violent acts committed at these shows. On multiple...