HOME   Reading Texts   "The Cult of Bebop"       ISSUES:   JAZZ CULTURE RACE                       HOME   Reading Texts   "The Cult of Bebop"       ISSUES:   JAZZ CULTURE RACE                     HOME   Reading Texts   "The Cult of Bebop"       ISSUES:   JAZZ CULTURE RACE                           HOME   Reading Texts   "The Cult of Bebop"

CULTURE Manifestation A range of distinctions existed between the mainstream culture and the Hip subculture.  From 52nd Street haunts, zoot suits, and horn-rimmed glasses to the hip lingo, Beboppers were identifiable.  Both black and white, musicians and audiences adopted these signs, alongside a musical appreciation of Bebop jazz. INTERPRETATIONS QUESTIONS OTHER SOURCES INTERPRETATIONS   These have been interpreted as "visible signs of resistance": lingo, dress, refusal to play the entertainer.  This implies that the cultural manifestations were representative of a cultural attitude - of nonconformity, but also of protest.  White and White:  Zoot suits are an example of African-American resistance and protest, through a distinctive aesthetic.  Linked to a "style warfare" consistent through history of African Americans.  A refusal to be subservient to whites.  On the other hand, this ‘zoot-suit culture’ had the ability to cut across the race line.  That is, this group was principally defined by culture rather than race.    DeVeaux:  The subcultural traits were linked to defining their place within culture, the industry and the marketplace. LINKING ISSUES  Culture Jazz History: Industry Control Jazz History: Popular forms Race: Segregation Race: Civil Rights QUESTIONS What reasons did Dizzy give for the 'visible signs' of the Bebop culture? How did these reasons differ to their social meaning? Did Dizzy draw distinctions between different types of manifestations?  What value did he give to different aspects of the culture? To what features or behaviours did Dizzy attribute an attitude of protest? Was this attitude linked to a common black experience? How did Beboppers define their group? Did race or culture seem more important?  See "The Cult of Bebop"  Lie One  Lie Two Lie Three Lie FourLie Four Lie Five  Lie Five  Lie Five Lie Six Lie Six  Lie Seven Lie Seven  Lie Eight Lie Nine Lie Ten Lie Eleven       OTHER SOURCES See Felix Belair, Jr., for an interesting (CONTEMPORARY?) interpretation of Hipster development, language, culture and morality in the ‘totalitarian’ nature of the postwar environment.  The Hipster as "the White Negro".