Remembering the U.S.A. And USSR Kitchen Debates of 1959 Before the bellicosity and belligerence exchanged by the United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the 1960s -- an era known today as the "Cold War" -- the two recently emergent superpowers engaged in the delicate dance of diplomacy in the wake of their shared victory in World War II. One of the most interesting examples of the doomed diplomatic efforts between American and Russian leaders was known as the "Kitchen Debates," as U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev squared off in an often rancorous debate amidst a truly unique backdrop. On July 24th, 1959, the respective leaders of the world's dominant capitalist and communist economic powers met at the opening of the American National Exhibition -- which was held at Sokolniki Park at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow as part of a 1958 agreement to emphasize mutually conducted cultural exchanges. After the Soviet exhibition was held in New York City in June of 1959, Nixon travelled to Moscow in the spirit of reciprocation, but it was evident from the humorous yet heated discussion with Khrushchev that reconciliation was a far less attainable goal. Both Nixon and Khrushchev were notorious in their respective country's political arena for speaking bluntly and allowing their tempers to take control of the conversation -- and as the pair toured the exhibition's display of a "typical" modern American home kitchen, the stage was set for each man to engage in brash behavior and braggadocio. By examining the actual transcripts of the Kitchen Debate and focusing on the childishly combative manner in which each man reacts to another,...
The careful concealment of emotion that is typical to high-level diplomatic conferences was quickly abandoned by the infamously emotional leaders, and the result was a conversation which quickly devolved into a schoolyard-style confrontation between a bully and his upstart nemesis. Immediately upon entering the American home kitchen exhibit Nixon points out a newly installed dishwashing machine, suggesting that Khrushchev may be impressed by the technological advancements made commonly available to American citizens. When the Soviet Premier expresses ambivalence to the machine, telling Nixon plainly that "We have such things," the capitalist representative responds with a salesman's bluster, while also levying a subtle critique of his communist counterpart's treatment of women, telling Khrushchev "This is our newest model. This is the kind which is built in thousands of units for direct installations in the houses. In America, we like to make life easier for women" (1959). The import of Nixon's borderline insulting statement should be considered in context, as modern scholars note that the "the American National Exhibition (ANEM) was the first Soviet mass encounter with America -- as America wanted itself to be seen --…
Did she on some subconscious level realize this irony and dichotomy? She does not deal with it in her book, but on some Freudian level it is certainly possible that she did. To recap, both of the authors Elaine Tyler May and Ann Moody see the institution of the family as something that was a mixture of limiting and liberating influences both for men and women during the 1940s, 1950s,
Kennedy won the election by a very narrow margin, 120,000 votes or 0.2% of the electorate. Most historians believe that the primary reason John F. Kennedy won the Presidential Election was because of the non-verbal "poor body language" on the television debate with Richard Nixon in 1960 -- especially valid since radio audiences overwhelmingly voted that Nixon had won the debate. Nixon's body language was furtive, he was perspiring,
Actors Studio David Garfield's glossy coffee-table history of the Actors Studio is a tribute to the number of film celebrities who have studied there: ranging from those who became famous as early exponents of the method, such as Marlon Brando, to more recent alums who continue to work regularly and whose artistic achievements have been celebrated with awards, such as Susan Sarandon. Yet the method's insistence upon total immersion in the
Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era. By Elaine Tyler May (New York: Basic Books, 1988). vii + 284 pp. Reviewed by in her book, Elaine Tyler May begins by describing a Life magazine feature involving a couple in 1959 who spent their honeymoon in a bomb shelter. This is the attention-grabbing start of a work that seeks to explore, in depth, the various components involved in domestic
However, although the 1950s may have prohibited sexual 'deviance' outside of conventional sexual norms, in the form of out-of-wedlock births and homosexuality, it was highly approving of sexuality within the bounds it defined as acceptable -- the age of newlyweds plummeted according to the natural average, and the birthrate skyrocketed. Marrying young and having children enabled "Americans to thumb their noses at doomsday predictions" and also signified the end
Lincoln-Douglas Debates and Politics in the Mid-19th Century To the Editor of the Freeport Press: I am writing today to express my strong support for Abraham Lincoln's candidacy in the upcoming Senatorial elections. There are many reasons why I have decided to vote for a Republican -- going against my life-long commitment to the Democratic Party -- not the least of which is the way in which Lincoln stood up to the
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