I believe that the biggest sociological development of the late 20th century was not “the pill” or Vietnam, rather it was the creation of the suburb. After WWII, everything we know about 20th century culture stems from this primum movens. Suburbs placed the alienated man into pleasant wasteland. It is no secret that Percy understood this, and therefore Binx lived in Gentilly, a middle-class suburb of New Orleans, in The Moviegoer.

I am no sociologist, and certainly have not attempted to carefully study the subject, but I suspect that the creation of television allowed the suburbs to grow out like weeds across the American landscape. Before television, people needed to take advantage of common community anchors to feel connected. This could include church, the Rotary club, the corner diner, even the local theater. After Ed Sullivan, we could sit alone–in our isolated homes separated by well-manicured lawns–and achieve a pseudo-connection that approached the communal spirit once achieved through actual human interaction. We knew what others would be talking about tomorrow. What is more, it was a common experience shared by millions coast-to-coast; a community no longer bound by the confines of provincial word-of-mouth.

Without television, do you think that most Americans would be satisfied driving their long commutes to and from work if they knew the only entertainment waiting for them at home was the local newspaper, a good book or listening to the radio? I suspect that the yearning to feel connected would drive them back to the city where options abound.

Certainly rural America existed long before the suburbs, but farm communities possess a unique sense of place. Farm towns and other remote small towns exist for a purpose, and the community is tied together through the execution of that purpose (farming, fishing, a factory, etc.).

I believe that television was the single greatest game-changer of the modern era. It amplified and influenced every societal and cultural change that followed. Today’s fascination with online social media is just a branch off this tree planted in the 1950s.

Tags: alienated, community, television

2 comments