Finding and exploring new sources of entertainment has always been a way for different societies to escape the stresses of their working lives and find some enjoyment in distraction. Therefore, it is no wonder that the American entertainment industry has undergone such a tremendous evolution in such a short space of time. Now, society is able to enjoy a rich variety of different types and genres of entertainment, with new concepts and ideas being developed every day. Though there is too large a scope of industries to explore all at once, here are some facts about the development of some of the most commonly enjoyed entertainment industries in America today.
Magazines
The first American Magazines were published in 1741, though they were not met with much success at the time. However, over time magazines became incredibly popular in America, first as sources of intellectual information, and later as forms of entertainment and amusement for the masses. By 1922, ten American magazines were profiting from a circulation of more than 2.5 million publications, contributing to the mass media culture we are so used to today.
Gambling
From friendly wagers to sporting bets, gambling has been a part of history for countries across the world and still continues to be today with the invention of online casinos such as Unibet. Of course, there is one place that comes to mind before all the rest when you think of bright lights and blackjack tables: Las Vegas. However, while it is now considered the front runner for entertainment and casinos, you might find it interesting to note that gambling was actually outlawed in the state of Nevada from 1910 until 1931. In fact, though the first casino in the area was built in 1931, it wasn’t until 1941 that the first resort was built on the Vegas strip, called the El Rancho Vegas.
Music
Since the growing popularity of the blues in the early 1900s, which began as a melancholy mixture of work songs and gospel melodies, music comprised a large part of the American entertainment industry throughout the 20th century. From there, music evolved into a range of genres, such as jazz, country, rock and roll, soul, hip hop and disco. Disco saw the introduction of music created especially for club and dance settings, and lead to a new era of music altogether. Even now, music still continues to change and grow, with many millennials enjoying such new creations as Electronic Dance Music, or EDM.
Cinema
Cinema has been an integral part of the history of American entertainment for over a hundred years. The first movie was created towards the end of the 19th century, and the cinematic experience quickly evolved from there. According to Britannica, multiple-reel films made an appearance at the very start of the 20th century, and although there were initial difficulties in trying to widely distribute feature-length films, by 1914, the organization of these processes had begun to straighten out. In 1916, there were over twenty thousand movie theatres in the united states, and now the US film industry creates billions of dollars a year in revenue.
