There was entertainment long before
radio and television, even though it’s hard to believe. Back in the day and
still to this day, leisure is something that comes after the survival needs are
met (such as food shelter, etc.). As time went on, meeting those basic survival
needs became easier and easier, the amount of leisure time went up.
First there were such things as
ritualistic ceremonies and family dinners for entertainment. Then as time went
on, people started painting on walls and they were better able to develop and improve
in on their personal skills and talents.
With the Neolithic people, there
have been such discoveries as percussion instruments that we can assume they
played and listened to for entertainment.
It wasn’t until times such as Ancient
Egypt, that we see the different rankings of people (high class, middle class,
and the masses). When these divisions came about, there were also divisions in
entertainment. The high class partook in activities like parties and banquets
with dancers, music, performances, etc. The middle class had some entertainment
by going to the theaters, where all kinds of performances were held. The masses
only had things such as beer houses and sports for entertainment.
These kinds of entertainment went
on for a while then Greece started expanding the entertainment. They had things
from music and poetry, painting and sculpting, the theaters (with tragedies and
satire plays), and staged athletic games (the Olympics).
Julius Caesar created the Circus
Maximus, the greatest mass-entertainment forum of its time. The Romans were
forced to provide as much free entertainment to their people as possible. The
leaders used it as pacification for the masses and a way to integrate
themselves with them.
These lavish and extravagant forms
of entertainment went on until Christianity dismantled the leisure state and
only allowed small amounts of leisure and entertainment, through activities
like fairs.
While all of this was going on the
elites were getting bored. This lead to social dancing, self-presentation,
board and card games, and “blood sports” (cockfighting, etc.).
It was the settlement of America
that really turned entertainment. This settlement brought along, taverns/pubs
(which brought about drinking games, billiards, etc.), shooting contests,
dancing, singing, drinking, games, and country fairs.
It was in the second half of the
second millennium when entertainment arts really flourished with the theater,
opera, concerts and sports. The recreation side of entertainment lead to the
creation of public parks, while the at home side of entertainment lead to more
board and parlor games, and reading for pleasure.
