The Real Women Who Inspired "Chicago" Read this article. Also, take a good look at the original poster for the show.
Why, in the 1920's was the public so riveted by homicides committed by women? Did it involve the changing image of women in the jazz age? How did the history of the time in which the original play and subsequent musical were created impact the success of the show? And why is it still so popular today?
The “Roaring ‘20s” were a time of great change in American culture. Jazz became prevalent as African American musicians were on the rise during the famous Harlem Renaissance. Traditional values were threatened as seemingly innocent young women abandoned expectations and traded their reserved garbs for more risqué options. Due to this seemingly instant change, it was a shock to many when women began entering the wold of crime. Initially, all-male juries found it nearly impossible to convict a female perpetrator. Therefore, the majority of them were acquitted even when guilty. There were initially not many cases like this. However, this practice became more and more frequent. Goody-goody girls were out, and dangerous bombshells were all the rage (and all that jazz). It seemed as though women would rather completely warp their images than remain in the secondary situation they had always been in. At this time, women began to feel that they had a voice and were not simply at the mercy of other’s decisions. The author of Chicago, Maurine Dallas Watkins, was a trailblazer in women’s rise to journalism. Using a real-life situation of which she witnessed first-hand gave a strong sense of authenticity to the intense and strangely comical show. Her ability to twist such a serious situation into a form of entertainment broadened the field of possibility for writers and showed that she was a force to be reckoned with. The crimes that this show is based off of are not nearly as uncommon nowadays (pun intended), but other components of the performance make up for the missing excitement and shock-value. The flashy costumes and “dazzling” musical numbers give the audience a bit of understanding of just how big of a deal these crimes and subsequent trials were. The times at which this show has been important to display how shows work differently to carry across the same message to varied audiences. While the real-life situations which these scenarios were based off may not have been depicted identically as they occurred, the subtle changes and exaggerations work to bring the characters to life.
ReplyDeleteI loved your blog this week, it was surely “razzle dazzling”! I liked that you used the example of African American musicians to start off, it gave me a different view of the situation.
DeleteEmma, I think you did a great job conveying the history behind Chicago and how it impacted its production. The transition seen during this time period — both in regards to values/morality and the changing roles of women — had such a significant impact on it, and you did a fantastic job of describing this!
DeleteAs we know, during the 1920’s, things started to get pretty crazy. As seen in the musical Chicago, woman began taking a more active role in society. Rather than just being a housewife and a caregiver for her family, women began to have jobs and even started committing crimes. This image of a woman in the workplace already baffled people, so when women started to kill people, you could say it was a bit of a surprise. What was interesting to me was that the woman, as seen in Chicago, used their old stereotypes to get them out of it. For example in the jury scene of the play Roxie uses examples such as cooking, providing care, and being pregnant as way to make herself seem helpless. So the woman of this time were total savages to say the least. During this time no one was used to seeming things like that, hence why it was so popular. Today if a woman killed her husband, around here, we would probably be extremely interested as to why she did it. The only difference is that that woman would probably get caught lying under oath. The reason, I think, that this play is so popular is probably because of the interest that we all seem to have with Americans at different times in history. We all seem to be intrigued with how different the times were. Although, there still are a lot of things that happened in Chicago, the play, that probably wouldn’t have worked out in the 1920’s. Other than the actual story line of the play, It is also popular for a couple other reasons. The play includes a lot of musical numbers that include dancing which is extremely popular with theater crowds. Another thing that makes Chicago so popular is because of the inspirational roles. Not only are there three main roles, but all three of them show a completely different aspect of this time. Roxie, as played but Marcy Smith, in this case, shows the complexity of a murder committed by a woman during this time and how easily they could have manipulated the system. Velma, as played by Kendra, represents the powerful woman who is rowing upstream in the river of sexism. Velma is an extremely confident woman who probably scared most men during the 1920’s. Lastly we see Billy who is played by Logan Hoffman and Alex O’Neil. Billy Flynn claims that all he cares about is love, but we of course see in the the end her is only in it for the money. The characters in this play all show how Chicago is in the 1920s, and every one should come see it.
ReplyDeleteThere were a few grammatical errors in your article, by the foundation and delivery were really good. I think that using the word “intrigued” was a very good choice to help convey the feelings towards women. Great job!
DeleteYour discussion was very interesting. I did not consider how women, while trying to shed their old stereotypes, used them to bolster their innocence in sticky situations. That really stuck out to me. Your discussion was very pertinent. Good work!
DeleteI think your analysis was very interesting. Emma already touched on the grammatical errors, I will not elaborate on them. As Jarret mentioned, I also found your mention of using their femininity to bolster innocence to be interesting. I must also mention your main reasoning for Chicago’s popularity, the historical period. I must agree, it is always a refresher to see something from the past, as contradictory as it may seem. Good job, overall.
Delete“All that Jazz” is one of the most popular “Chicago” songs, but what was with all the jazz about new music, women in the murder scene, and the musical “Chicago.” Firstly, music started changing, which changed people’s attitude toward their behavior. Jazz came about with a mew style that made women feel more ‘outrageous.’ They had become so used to being frail and helpless, but people like the women Roxie, Velma, and Kitty were based off of showed a new side to women that drew people in. They were sexy, surrounded by scandals, and everyone wanted to know what would happen to them next. The still sexist community made these women’s vicious crimes seem more like entertainment than murders. This led these ‘20s sensations to believe they could get away with whatever they wanted, and they did just that. Their new persona they had could draw in crowds. They were everything women weren’t supposed to be, which shocked those who put the gender into the ‘housewife’ stereotype. This play was so popular back then because it portrayed these true stories of women everyone kept up with all the time, the girls who made names for themselves. It gave a fun, upbeat, spunky twist to the most famous murder stories in that time period. This is exactly why “Chicago” is still so popular today. It is such and interest plot, murderesses battling it out to be most famous and yet innocent, with the interest twist that most character are based upon real people. When you think about it, that really draws people in. When you watch movie or read a book based on someone’s real life you think, ‘How did this happen to them? How was this actually real?’ This is exactly what I thought about the story of Roxie, Velma, and Billy Flynn. Not only do the characters grab your attention through their well developed personalities, but it’s all made even more interesting by the fact that they’re real personalities. The movie poster from the time perfectly reflects what the Broadway play is about along with the women at the time, sexuality, rebelliousness, and all that jazz.
ReplyDeleteMadison, I think your analysis of the history behind Chicago was phenomenal! As you stated, the behavior exhibited by women during a time of social change drew the attention of many reporters, who provided much insight into this turning point in American history. I also feel that it was important that you mentioned the curiosity that many have today, and how this is what draws many into the storyline. Great job!
DeleteThere were a few mistakes, but I loved the points you made in your analysis. I couldn’t believe that these stories were real either! I think you could have changed the ending a little bit to make it stronger, but it was great overall!
DeleteBeginning in the 1920s, a shift in the cultural and social aspects of America took place. Much of this change occurred due to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Out of this newly-received freedom, the image of the woman changed. Seen in the early 1900s as “prim and proper,” women were held to a certain standard to which they conformed . However, this changed, as women grew confident and felt less inclined to remain submissive. This change in the image of women also brought about a change in the decisions made by juries consisting of only males. Due to the reputation of females and the “standards of chivalry” present prior to the 1920s, they were oftentimes acquitted of any charges, even when they were quite obviously guilty. However, after the attainment of the right, and the social transition that proceeded, all of this changed. Juries, as shown by the Katherine Malm’s and Sabella Nitti’s trials, became more likely to convict women of crimes for which they were charged. The press covered these trials (especially homicides) fervently, as the American public was captivated by the rapid change that it saw within its nation (much of this interest was also due to the fact that the war was over and few experienced financial issues, so no one really had anything to gossip or be concerned about).
ReplyDeleteOf course, because of all of this mentioned above, the play Chicago, which centered around the murders that women committed during the time (and so also their changing image), garnered much interest from the American public. In addition to the history surrounding this transformed image, many also just sought entertainment. The standard of living, due in large part to the “return to normalcy” advocated for and enacted by Presidents Harding and Coolidge, had risen following World War I, so more citizens had the money needed to watch a play. As for today, much interest still remains for the play-turned-musical. For me, personally, I enjoyed reading into the history behind it, and how it impacted its production. Every piece of literature has a story behind it — one that is usually historically significant — and I think that this, along with the plot itself, all combine to make for a really interesting production.
Ugh! How did you manage to find all of the words I couldn’t? Seriously, I can’t get over how exact your choice of vocabulary is here, it really conveyed your point concerning the roles and situations of women in the 1920s perfectly. Really nice analysis of context, though I think I personally would have liked to see more references to how that impacts the text. Then again, maybe that would confuse the argument. Either way, I think this was well done.
DeleteThe 1920s were a time of unimaginable prosperity and dramatic shifts in culture that helped to shape the culture of today. People were making more money and living more lavishly, cares were not given, and women began to come out from their quiet, modest lives as homemakers and began to take up a more social lifestyle. That being said, I feel that the attention garnered by the murderous women of Chicago in the 1920s was largely due to the new position of women in society. Because they were no longer seen exclusively as the modest housewife, anything a woman did in the Twenties that did not involve cooking or cleaning captured the attention of the passer-by. Crime was no exception, but given that women were climbing sky-high in society but still considered sensitive and worthy of protection, women were easier to forgive and were thus easier to forgive. With that being said, I feel that the writing and production of the original Chicago in 1924 was meant to showcase this new position of women in society. Since people all over the country were beginning to pay more attention to women, what better of a time could such a play be put on? By the time the musical came out in the Seventies, women were once again a focal point in society. After World War II, women returned to their position of being modest housewives, but they once again broke the mold in the Swingin’ Sixties. Even though the Seventies were slightly tamer than the Sixties were, women continued to become more active in society, which I believe contributed to the success of Chicago’s musical revival. Given that women have been continuing to take more active roles in society, I believe that Chicago will continue to be popular. While I feel that the “Me, Too” movement is blown way out of proportion and is largely propaganda, I think that the awareness about women that it brings to light will continue to contribute to the success of productions such as Chicago.
ReplyDeleteGood job to everyone in the play! It was pretty good, this coming from someone who has never found theater enjoyable. It was great!
Jarret, you did a great job talking about Chicago and answering the questions thouroghly. I do not agree that the “Me, Too” campaign has been blown up into propoganda. I think it brings a great awareness to women, especially ones who have been sexually abused. It is finally opening people up to what happened to them and offering them a safe place and help to deal with it in the open. Other than that I think you did a great job!
DeleteThe 1920s were a time of development for the United States of America. World War I was over and life was back to normal, for the most part. Women were leaving the workforce and returning back as stay-at-home moms. The public of the 1920s was so intriguing and riveting to the public for several reasons. That was not a usual thing that occurred since women were back to the house taking care of children and the elderly. Women also were not able to be convicted for capital crimes in Chicago, no matter how much evidence there was to support the case. During the jazz age, the look on women changed significantly. They went from wearing rather conservative clothing to a “sexy” attire. So this outlook was very significant due to the fact that women were mainly looked at as objects or property to their husbands in the past. Women were also not public figures very often and tended to keep opinions and outlooks to themselves. The history of the play was so popular because it was such a bazaar storyline, but true. In the play today, the Hungarian women for example, may seem like an irrelevant side story. But this side story actually happened making the story and play that much better. People in today’s world are fascinated by this storyline because it carried from the 1920s, has a sexy style, and has such an abnormal story to it. The story is so fascinating and keeps everyone on edge and in the play!
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job of answering all the questions. I really enjoyed how you mentioned the part about the Hungarian story because it caused me to think more in depth about the play and what actually happens.by this I mean I completely agree that her story may seem pointless but it actually plays a significant role in the musical.
DeleteI really like how you touched in the fact about how much post war really brought with it. Good job!
DeleteI really enjoyed your mention of historical context. I had not even thought of World War I. I particularly enjoy your mention of the sheer unusual nature of this story. It is something I had noticed, although it seemed to “normalize” after I had seen the play four times from backstage. Great work.
DeleteIn the 1920’s, mainly men had the power to do everything. Women did not do anything out of the ordinary. So when homicides came about done by women it shocked everyone because it was out of the ordinary. This drew attention from all over the area. I think this change helped women step out of their comfort zone and into something new and exciting. During the jazz age women went out to clubs, dressed how they wanted, danced when they wanted, drank. Everything was different, no more modesty and only leaving the house with their husband. In the poster shown, women are dressed in basically no clothes performing for an audience. No one before this time would ever dare to dance in front of men wearing skimpy clothing and singing. They wanted freedom and received it in the best way. They also helped create a new amendment that gave women the right to vote. It was definitely in the right era for this movie to be created because it was in the time of women changing evolutionarily. When the play and musical were created, it showed empowered women doing things out of the ordinary. I think that the way others saw it, was that women are now able to do anything they want. I also think it is still very popular today because of how successful women’s rights are. Movements and organizations promote such rights to help the people of America fully take advantage of their freedoms. Even women have now ran for president and almost succeeded. Everything is changing in the world that boost women higher and higher in society.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the times at which the play was performed and revived definitely contributed to their success. I felt that your discussion of how women have risen through the times was very pertinent. Good post!
DeleteThe 1920’s were a time of drastic change and turbulence. The play Chicago shows the public’s new obsession with female trials, and particularly homicides. This fascination came about due to the changing gender roles in the 20’s, where women were given (or, perhaps, took) a longer leash to act as they saw fit. To some, that was murdering a husband or lover. Since the days of women in the kitchen and working the house were still fresh in the minds of basically everyone, the public gobbled up stories of female murderesses.
ReplyDeleteYou answered some of the questions, but you definitely missed a few. Although, the work that you have is good. I just encourage you to start to write a little more. It appears that every week someone tells you to try to be a bit more creative in how much you write, yet you never attempt to write more. These blogs are supposed to be fun and help improve your writing, but you will only get out what you put into it..
DeleteMake this longer. Erase post and resubmit please.
DeleteThe point you made about taking a longer leash is good but you don’t really give yourself a long enough post to talk about the play at all.
DeleteThe 1920’s consisted of a time of political and social change. The economy was booming for the first time in months, people were moving away from rural areas and into cities. It seemed like everything was perfect at the time. People, mostly women, were tired of being treated unfairly so they decided to branch off and create their own new rules. Looking at the poster, it is very noticeable that the women are wearing very inappropriate clothing. Prior to the roaring 20’s, women were practically forced to wear very modest clothing, which included long skirts and shirts that very not low cut. If a women wore anything too revealing they might have gotten into lots of trouble. The public was riveted by homicides committed by women especially during the 1920’s because prior to this, women always seemed as if they were perfect and innocent meaning they could never hurt, especially murder, someone. While in court, all the women would plead and say how they were not guilty, even though they all admitted to killing their husband. When the public started to hear about all of the murders taken place, drama and some chaos broke out. Women were no longer viewed as sweet and innocent. In a form of art, this time period brought everything to color. Girls no longer wore dingy colored clothes. All the clothes were bright colors and extremely fancy and flashy. This play seems as if it’s a perfect puzzle piece to a story about the 1920’s. Everyone loved it because it told the story of six women who were accused of killing their husband. Also, the music in this play caught everyone’s attention since it was what everyone enjoyed listening to. Jazz was a very popular genre of music during Chicago. This play was filled with upbeat and catchy songs that everyone wanted to sing and dance to. Chicago was popular during the 1920’s because it depicted what this era was like. It will only continue to be more popular in this generation because some women are currently obsessed with having rights and being treated equally. Chicago perfectly exhibits what these women are trying to say. This musical teaches us a history lesson in a more entertaining way than normal. It truly is hard to believe that Chicago is based off of a true story.
ReplyDeleteThe revealing clothes in the poster really do show a new era. I think it’s good that you brought it up.
DeleteI really like how you included the music and how upbeat everything was then. The clothes were also a great add in because it is true, they were very bright and not dingy.
DeleteAmerica experiences changes and trends every single day, and one of the most prominent time periods of change was the 1920’s. They were known as the “Roaring 20’s” for a reason, lots of change and advancements were made, especially for women in particular, and “Chicago” truly exemplifies this. Previous to these times, there was not much deviation with the behavior and personalities of women. Most fit under the same stereotype- a girl who could cook, clean, do laundry, etc. and they were very much compliant with these expectations. They put up with it, not making a big deal of any of it. Then the 20’s arrived and all of that changed. To begin with, one factor that I definitely played a part in the increased role of women in society was the ratification of the 19th Amendment l, giving women the right to vote, which is something females had been working so hard at the time, and their job was now done. Combining this freedom from gaining the right to vote and the decrease of compliance in turn caused a new personality and character for a woman, which is definitely part of the reasoning why people were so shocked when these murders were committed. Before these events and the changing of personalities occurred, the public would always be quite surprised and shocked when any woman would commit this crime or something similar. For example, juries were more likely to commit women of crimes at the time, and had heavy coverage over murder stories with females. Chicago is centered around this, women who murdered their husbands and gained lots of attention from the public and press, become increasingly popular over time just like how real women in he 1920’s did. This still remains somewhat true in today’s world, we tend to cover events like this more than your more typical news stories, and Chicago is still a popular play.
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up the 19th Amendment because that defitently played an important role in women changing their societal roles. Also, I agree that these murders were shocking and brought in audiences. Great job!
DeleteI like how you showed how shocked people had become when these changes started occurring! The changes from housewives to cold-blooded murderers definitely gave people something to be shocked about.
DeleteThe sisterhood of fame and infamy—it is an inseparable, inalienable existence. The two endure as twin conditions indulging a culture of debauchery and depravity. Chicago, a vaudevillian style Kander-Ebb (+Fosse) musical based on Maurine Dallas Watkins’ 1926 play of the same name, is a provocative piece on justice, corruption, and celebrity culture. Watkins’ satire, which takes place in the very era she wrote, centers on two murderesses by the names of Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. The story follows their trials in both the public and private eye.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the most intriguing aspect of the story is its near refreshing look at cultures, systems, and notions on both the smaller and larger scales. You see, one of the most crucial aspects of the story is not simply that these characters are murderers dealing in the justice system, but that they are murderesses. Thematically, The story would fall flat without the explicit womanhood of both Kelly and Hart. In Chicago, there is advantage in misconception, and the show’s protagonists take perpetual advantage of the prevailing ideological presentations of femininity. Both women continually feign innocence by appearing according to the standard expectation of women from that era. They present themselves as dependent, weak, and scared for the sake of appeasing the system in which they reside (just look at “When Velma Takes the Stand”). They maintain this projection of the era’s “feminine ideal” as something akin to a disguise or an alibi.
This now antiquated idea of exclusively dainty femininity is what feeds directly into the media’s interest in these ladies. In a sense, the “counterculturalism” surrounding women who committed violent crime specifically contributed to its sensationalism. Violent crime directly contradicted the public’s idea of what a woman was capable of (right in the midst of an already changing perception of women), and that is what led to its sudden interest in homicides committed by women. Truthfully, there have always been mentally ill women capable of violence, but I honestly believe that the changing mindset of the 1920s is what contributed to the sensationalism of these crimes. I believe that the story was probably shocking and intriguing to audiences in 1926 for the same reason the public was interested in its subject matter. The musical Chicago first played Broadway in 1975, and I believe many would agree that the moral zeitgeist of the decade differed from that of the story’s period. The loss of shock value concerning women with agency that accompanied the change in beliefs and ideals is what allowed the musical to persist as a piece on the violent crimes of women. I think that contributes to its success today. No longer are we shocked by specifically the womanhood of the crime. Instead, we have an opportunity to retrospectively look to these prevailing ideologies and analyze the themes in context.
Anna, you did a great job analyzing the musical Chicago. You did a great job answering each question with a lot of detail and accuracy. I love how you encorporatsed counterculturism. Overall, you did a great job!
DeleteIn the 1920s women weren’t really heard about in the media. Women stayed home to cook and take care of the children, but things were changing. The same thing happened in the twenties with women that happened in the fifties and sixties with teenagers, music was changing them. Up until this point in history women were meek and humble, they didn’t get involved in too much. They dressed modestly and didn’t speak until spoken to. Then the twenties came and it all started to change and women were no longer willing to sit in the shadows and watch the men have all the fun. If you’ve ever seen the movie Throughly Modern Millie is shows exactly what happened to women, they started cutting their hair into a bob, the skirts got shorter, makeup became less modest and people even wanted to have small boobs so their pearls would lay flat on their chests. These are the times characters like Roxie and Velma were living through, and they didn’t just live through it they made a HUGE impact in the pact in their time and ours. Of course Roxie and Velma aren’t real but the concept of them are. These “inspirational” characters in the play were mimicked from real women murders. Back in this time there was a string of husband killers all over the news so someone made it into a hit that continues to affect us today. The show was a great success, not only were women changing their appearance but they were standing out in a crowd, beautiful little murderesses. How could people ignore that kind of entertainment? It wasn’t like regular action movies or comedies, these were women “taking a stand” quite literally
ReplyDeleteI think stylistically your blog post is really great. I may be a bit biased because you mention Thoroughly Modern Millie (I’m not ashamed to admit that I love Sutton Foster), but I think your choices in the writing of your post do well to illustrate your point. I actually love your Second last sentence: “How could people ignore that kind of entertainment?” It’s very true. Also, I really liked your double entendre involving “taking a stand”. My only criticism is that it feels a bit choppy, but I don’t think that really severely affected the framing of your argument in a negative way. Good job!
DeleteThe musical Chicago is one full of murder, lust, and unbridled greed. The musical is about a few women who murdered their husbands one way or another and went to jail. With the help of a famous lawyer, a few of the girls get out of jail one way or another. The 1920’s was a time where society was extremely intrigued by murderous women. This is because it was uncommon or unheard of that women could commit murder. The articles said that, “Chicago was ready for a ripping-good yarn.” This musical did help the change image of women during this age because it showed how can be cunning and provocative. The 1920’s is where many women changed from their quiet and conservative way of life to a being more extravagant with clothing, speech, and action. The play was written and performed in 1924 and many people loved it. The musical came out in 1975, the jazz music and catchiness of it all made it extremely popular and it still is to this day. The show became really successful during this time because it made people remember the 1920’s and about the murderous women because it actually happened. This musical is still popular today because of the upbeat music and the action of the script. It is fun to sing and dance along to as well as mysterious because you do not know what will happen unless you have heard the story or seen the musical before. You can tell by the musical poster that the women are dressed in bikinis. This caused some skepticism because people thought it was too raunchy, especially if they wanted to bring their children. Today, the musical brings young adults a feel for how the 1920’s were and a good and interesting musical with a great backstory. It also brings adults and the elderly a good time to reminisce about their youth.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your opinion on the matter, because I can completely agree with it. I think you had great transitions from each point to another which helped your argument flow really well.
DeleteIn the 1920’s, the world saw women as no more than cleaners and mothers that were expected to stay home. The women who went against this stereotype were usually given the excuse that alcohol and jazz did it to them. This was also the case for women who really went against the sweet, innocent film placed over them. Murders by women were exciting to people because the ladies were breaking their shells. They were being rebels, and everyone likes a rebel. When they were tried for the murders, most of their defense was based upon the temptations of the world: alcohol, jazz, and pushy men. This changed how many people viewed women who were an active part of the jazz age. Women of jazz went to these dances in order to go against the status quo.
ReplyDeleteThe time period really helped the success of the play because it was written rather quickly after the original stories happened. The play does not use the real names of the people it is based off of, but most people from this time knew who the musical was referring too. This helped the success because the audience had the chance to relive the excitement of the murders. The show was also very popular because of the minor details such as costumes and the dancing. The women were not dressed modestly or innocently, rather they were dressed with very few articles of clothing which would be a typical outfit for a night out. These costumes added to the vibes the characters had to portray of denying or going against society. Also, the promiscuous dancing also reflected the true dancing in these clubs. Women were letting loose in the clubs, and they were having fun.
Chicago captures the crazy obsession with women who were not following the societal rules. It shows how women can do anything they want, just as much as men. This basis of women becoming themselves was very important in the 1920’s because of the 19th Amendment being passed which enabled women to become active members in the government voting. Chicago also presents and empowering cases with its story of “murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery,” as Bryce and Nick says in the opening line.
I really like that you talked about the little things like costumes. It’s not something I thought of before but it really does make an impact on the show today and back in that time period.
DeleteIncluding a quote from the show was a good idea especially that specific quote it literally tells you exactly what is about to happen.
DeleteDuring the 1920s, it was an oddity for women to be seen as the center of attention in any situation, such as a woman being a lawyer, a reporter or a murderer. Prior to the Jazz Age, women usually remained as housewives and didn’t have an actual job or career. This role changed for many women once this age started, women started getting jobs and going to college. The main image of women completely changed, some for the better, and some for the worse. During this time, there were 35 “husband killers” all in one year, when previously in time, women weren’t of much interest. However, a spike of interest in women arose when Beulah Annan was accused of shooting her lover in the back. This murder was out of the blue for many people, therefore it was a good story and an effective way to make money in the media. Many women saw this story as an opportunity of fame, which led to many more murders of husbands by their wives.
ReplyDeleteThe original play in 1924 was very successful, mainly because of the extreme change in the image of women and a rising interest in this change. This success was revived during the 70s, when in 1975, the musical was brought back to life. This revival occurred because of similar circumstances that again, brought more interest to the lives of women. After WWII, many women had went back to being housewives and not going to college. Later in the 60s, women had started to go through a similar change that happened in the twenties. More women than ever had entered the workforce. Also, organizations such as the National Organization for Women was founded in 1966. This led to many people seeing a wider view of the opportunities women attained. Women were expected to have the same jobs and careers that men had and were expected to be equal with them all around as well. Even today, this show remains successful due to the constant change in the role of women and the current importance they have to our country. Around 90% of women today have received a high school diploma or more and more women have started playing a role in politics. Overall, women have continually been changing and the musical Chicago has continually become more and more popular.
I thought you used great events in history to fully support your argument, it really solidified it. That along with the stat about women receiving high school diplomas. Great work.
DeleteI love how you brought up factual evidence from that time period. It really made your argument believable. This was very well done nice job!
DeleteThe 1920s were a time of change. New music, such as jazz, was arising as well as women’s rights. Known as the Roaring 20s, the 1920s was a time of success and trying new things. Before the 1920s women had little to no say in their lives. After the nineteenth Amendment was passed, women finally had some power. Women were not only getting jobs, but committing crimes as well. With this new power, women felt that they could do anything, and obviously they weren’t gonna take any crap from their husbands. People were in awe of this new image of women, fearless and empowering. The interesting thing is that women were never convicted on their crimes. Male juries could never find such sweet women guilty of committing a murder. They created sob stories for the women, making the people of Chicago pity them. Jazz music also played an important role in the play Chicago. It was such a new style of music and women wanted “All that Jazz.” The play was so popular at the time because it was based off of mostly true stories of women at the time. It drew huge crowds in because people wanted something new and interesting. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly were the main stars of the show. With two juxtapositioning personalities, it showed how to women could be so seemingly different but committ the same crimes of murder. The 1920s were a sort of rebellious period of time which is what made people love Chicago so much. The play is so popular today because people just love the history behind it. It is unlike any other play of the time. People today like to see the unexpected, and Chicago is surely that.
ReplyDeletePs I loved the play and everyone that was in it did an amazing job!!
I thought it was interesting that you talked about Velma and Roxie being juxtapositioning characters, I’ve never thought of them like that and I’m even in the play. Good job!
DeleteI liked how you pointed out that the women were never actually convicted because of the male juries. That is defitently something that was taken advantage of in the 1920s. Great job sady!
DeleteI like how you brought history into play in your blog. The nineteenth amendment was a significant event in the era that I did not really think about.
DeleteI thought how you touched on the 19th amendment was really interesting, I never thought about that aspect. Great job!
DeleteChicago is a musical about infamous women who have murdered their husbands. It draws inspiration from the real life cases in its time period. While the idea may seem kind of dull, it was actually extremely revolutionary and exciting for its time. The play was created in the 1920s, a time where women had a very specific role in society. They were expected to conform and be very ladylike. There was a huge controversy at the time about how women were starting to change, so you could imagine the reaction from the public when they see 5 women in basically no clothing singing about how they killed their husbands. This is evident in the play’s original poster. It shows seven women who are basically wearing nothing. This really drew people in because nothing else had the guts to attempt something so scandalous at that time period. The secret to the play’s success was the chaos and controversy that came along with it. It is human nature for that controversy to attract us, we all have that secret desire for bad and craziness inside of us, why else would we be so attracted to drama? Chicago manipulates this flaw in our system by giving us exactly what we want, even if we don’t know that we want it. This is why Chicago was such a hit, it brought out that crazy side that was not typically seen at the time. Chicago has maintained its popularity due to its incredible music and power to really suck an audience into the time period. Someone watching the play really feels like they are in the time period, and that is an amazing accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that the audience feels like they are a part of that time period! I love how you brought up the controversies of that time. This analysis was very well written.
DeleteI liked how you talked about the scandals that were involved in the play and how controversy tends to attract people. Also, I completely agree with the statement that we are attracted to controversy whether we know that we are or not.
DeleteI like how you mentioned that women had a specific role in society so it was different. The fact that it was so different is what made the play good, nice job.
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ReplyDeleteThe 1920s was a time of change, a time when women began to undertake a new role in society. Fostered by improving economic conditions and quality of life, society became more aware of the injustice associated with "tradition." Traditionally, women were - to a large extent - immune to criminal punishment on grounds of inherent "innocence." The logic was that because women are, supposedly, an unwitting and submissive people, they are innocent. This status quo was perpetuated by juries that upheld this preconceived belief until the 1920s. The cultural transfomation that occurred during the 20s was controversial, thus the trials on which "Chicago" is based were especially intriguing to the public. Following the first world war, justice was a more pressing issue than ever before. Without war and with economic prosperity, the public interest was fixed on these social questions. Chicago capitalized on these interests, and commercialized the trials of various women who were featured in the play.
ReplyDeleteChicago remains relevent and equally important today, over one hundred years later. Still, the impartial and objective application of law has not been achieved in the current justice system. There are still questionable trials that, although not necessarily relating to women, relate to other demographics, and appear to have certain biases impact the verdict. Chicago is an entertaining and also true story that continually shows certain aspects of society that - through decades of cultural transformation - have not changed.
The 1920s can best be described as a time of change. Women’s suffrage reached new heights, jazz came into the spotlight, and a new play, dubbed Chicago, caught the eye of the American public. Chicago managed to steal attention by storm, much like the two leads. What caused this extreme reaction to a show, even one as famous as Chicago? It must be kept in mind that only a few years ago, a woman wearing anything less proper than a full dress was scandalous, a woman leaving the home without her husband was an absurd notion, and women entering voting booths was unheard of. Simply, women were expected to maintain a particularly strict public standard. This standard can be found being broken in almost every regard throughout Chicago. One of the earliest scenes features a woman, Roxie, killing her adulterous lover while her husband was away. That one scene defied almost all social standards for women of the day. The poster, in particular, shows the simple defiance of standard that is Chicago. A team of women, one of which is a minority, wearing less than a dress, and not accompanied by any men. That is ultimately what made Chicago such a phenomenon, the absolute defiance of the societal expectations of the time. It pushed the role of women to the forefront of every viewer’s mind.
ReplyDeleteI liked that you talked about how women weren’t allowed to vote, as well as their dress. It really stood out and made your argument stronger. Great job!
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