The 1950s were a time of considerable cultural change in America. Although this decade is often remembered for its battles; the physical war in Korea and the ideological war with the Soviet Union, the politics of the 1950s revolved around opposition on the domestic front as well, especially as new gender roles were being defined in preparation for the sexual revolution of the 1960s. .
Although Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (released in 1963) remains to be the first and most revolutionizing piece of media to procure the theme of women's liberation, the origins of the social movement and its themes of feminine equality and heightened social status can be found in prior works of media, and specifically, in music. The top-40 song "Whatever Lola Wants" by jazz-singer Sarah Vaughan illustrates this presence. Vaughan's success as a performer was directly attributed to "her 'one of the boys' attitude" as stated by a musical scholar at Duke University. (http://www.duke.edu/~omn) This status"ensured that she was guaranteed a place as a serious musician in the male dominated world, rather than being demoted by her fellow musicians to the status of a "mere vocalist". The lyrics of "Whatever Lola Wants" clearly elaborate on the female voice's powers of persuasion and open defiance to be categorized as the submissive partner of the relationship (as women so previously were). Vaughan sings:.
I always get what I aim for.
And your heart and soul.
Is what I came for.
Whatever Lola wants (Lola wants).
Lola gets (Lola gets).
Take off your coat.
Don't you know, you can't win.
Unfortunately, the message of women's liberation was not heard as loudly as it should have been due to the masculine dominated music industry (and greater society) which forced it to remain a melody and not a roar as it would in the following decade. .
When referring to a male-dominated music industry, it is perhaps most appropriate to refer to a single man though who the formidable presence of the 1950s both musically and culturally.