Pink Flamingos

The American Dream, a staple of the 1950s, was one of luxury, safety and opportunity. A prominent motif during this time was a pink flamingo, which was a symbol of the “wealth and pizzazz” many Americans hoped to convey. Flamingos are a “subtropical species” that are native to South America, India, and Africa. They are water birds, so they live near lakes, lagoons, and other bodies of water. These birds have been respected in their natural habitats for ages, with ancient cultures worshiping these animals as gods. It was only in the 1950s that the bird migrated somewhere it had never been before. The flamingos began “wadding across an inland sea of grass” as American made plastic, brilliant pink variations of these birds that decorated suburban lawns. By using this ancient, special motif as a ornamental lawn decoration, Americans once again hope to capture the wealth and importance an object has. What was once symbolized “the sun god”, one of the most important gods, in ancient Egypt was commercialized by Americans, and through that mass production, effectively destroyed that importance. The American obsession with wealth caused a historically important motif, the flamingo to lose all its importance. As Americans attempt to capture the importance of these symbols, only to destroy that importance due to the mass production, creates a paradox that characterizes American culture. The 1950s were one of the first generations who embraced and typified this behavior. Perhaps the generation “that was ready to celebrate its new affluence” characterized the culture of “wealth and pizzazz” that Americans are known for now.