I was curious about what made Betty Boop so popular and did a little research. I found that Betty Boop was a representation of the ‘flapper age’, ‘flappers’ were a term given to young women in the 1920s who were energetic and free, and embraced a lifestyle that was deemed as outrageous and immoral by society. They are now considered the first generation of independent American women, and are credited for pushing the barriers in economic, political and sexual freedom for women.
The flapper age was over by the time that Betty Boop came about, but she was well-loved by Depression-era audiences as she reminded them of the carefree days of the 1920s. Betty Boop is also had an influence in music; her cartoons helped to promote and expose the public to jazz and swing. Her cartoons also helped to preserve America’s vaudeville tradition (comical, theatrical pieces that often combine pantomime, dialogue, dancing and song), something that was based on the contributions of unacknowledged African-American performers.
