PECHA KUCHA SCRIPT 

The Great Gatsby 

 
Christen Delos Santos | BGE11 
 
(1) Title Slide  For today’s Pecha Kucha, I will be talking about Popular Culture in 
‘The Roaring Twenties’ specifically how Scott Fitzgerald was able to 
magnify it in his piece, “The Great Gatsby.”   

(2) The Roaring  The Roaring Twenties was a time when there was economic 
Twenties  prosperity and tremendous social, artistic, and cultural dynamism. 
Popular culture during this era was characterized by 
innovation in film, visual art and architecture, radio, music, 
dance, fashion, and literature. 

(3) Music - Movie  Let’s start with music during this era. The Great Gatsby features jazz 
music both in the movie and the book. In the movie, Luhrmann 
used an anachronistic soundtrack that contains a jazz-inflected 
mixture of rap, pop, R&B, and rock covers and original 
compositions that best represents the “Jazz Age.” Aside from this, 
there were scenes featuring a jazz band playing the cello, trumpets, 
and saxophones.  

(4) Music - Book  Fitzgerald was able to soundtrack and give his novel a livelier feel 
by referencing popular music constantly. For instance, he was able 
to spotlight Gatsby’s outsider identity through references to Tin 
Pan Alley songs which were popular in the early 1920s. He also 
used lyrics of the songs “The Sheik of Araby” and “The Love Nest” 
to tell the story of Gatsby and Daisy.  

(5) Dance   Music was best partnered with dances. In both the film and the 
novel, the foxtrot dance was seen and mentioned. Popular culture 
in the 20s is best attributed by dances during parties and 
gatherings. At one point of the film, Gatsby invites Daisy to the 
dance floor where they danced the foxtrot intimately and gracefully 
in a sea of people. Nick was actually surprised at how conservative 
they swayed to this tune.   

(6) Vaudeville  It is also seen in Gatsby’s party that there are two identical women 
Dance  or twins dancing. This is done in reference to what Fitzgerald 
mentioned in his novel - a pair of stage twins who did a baby act in 
costume. This was an allusion to the Vaudeville style performances 
in the 1920s.   

(7) Gilda Gray  There was also a part in the party scene where a dancer named 
Gilda Gray was introduced. Gilda Gray is an actual person in history 
who was popular for dancing The Shimmy. The dance is called such 
 because straps of her dress would move when she dances. This is 
seen as the Gilda Gray characters sways and moves in the movie.  

(8) Parties  Speaking of dancing, throwing massive parties were part of the 
Roaring Twenties’ popular culture. Gatsby became popular in New 
York because of the lavish parties he throws every weekend at his 
home. The parties were characterized to have loud music, 
fireworks, confettis, balloons and inflatables in the pool. Guests 
were dancing, intoxicating themselves with drinks, gambling, 
swimming, and overall having a fun time. 

(9) Parties - IRL  The film was a modern depiction of what parties looked like in the 
1920s. There were also streamers, balloons, and dancing involved 
but they are not as grand as the movie depicts. However, the 
famous party scenes in Fitzgerald’s novels were often based on real 
events, transformed by a similar kind of nostalgic, liquid haze. Scott 
Fitzgerald himself was considered a notorious partier during his era. 

(10)Prohibition  What’s a party without drinks? During this era, a legal prevention of 
the distribution and production of alcoholic drinks was passed. By 
barring liquor from the masses, the government unwittingly made it 
more desirable, more fashionable, and something eager consumers 
had to get their hands on liquor. Hence, giving birth to bathtub gin, 
cocktails, finger food and the elusive speakeasy which ultimately 
satisfied these rebellious party animals.  

(11)Fashion -  Women’s fashion adapted because of parties. They were referred 

Women  to as flappers because they wore colorful shapeless shift dresses 
and silk stockings that allowed them to dance and move freely. 
They also started to restyle to short and sleek haircuts which 
deviated from the tradition of long hair. These flappers also tend to 
act more freely and seek for sexual freedom. To top their looks off, 
the use of metallic and pearl jewelry and fancy headdresses 
glamoured the elite women of the era. Of course, these are 21st 
century depictions of the era. 

(12) Fashion -  Several critics argued that women’s fashion in The Great Gatsby is 
Women 1920s  faulty and inaccurate as compared to that of men’s fashion. For 
instance, the evening dresses in the film are not bare or revealing 
enough. The necklines should be low and square and the back 
fairly plunging. The leggings underneath the dress are a completely 
modern touch as the decade of the 1920s was obsessed with bare 
skin.  

(13) Fashion -   Men, on the other hand, moved on to a modern look with their 
Men  fashion. Vests were paired with sleek suits. Cool toned down colors 
such as nude, grey or light blue were very popular. Aside from this, 
the use of hats, belts, and suspenders secured the fresh 1920s look. 
 Of course, such fashion was only applicable to the socialites during 
that era.  

(14) Bathing Suits  There were a lot of scenes in the film where characters swam in the 
lake or the pool. During this era, it is not only women who wore 
bathing suits, even men wore them. These are characterized as low 
neckline one piece boxer shorts swimsuits. Jay Gatsby was wearing 
this swimsuit when he was shot by Mr. Wilson by the pool.  

(15) Architecture /  Moving on, the buildings and houses during this era exemplified a 
Interior -  historic and majestic art deco feel. Characters of the middle class 
Middle Class   live in cozy and comfortable homes such as Nick Carraway’s 
cottage. The small nature of his house with the intimate 
atmosphere of the individual rooms creates a content space that 
reflects Nick’s personality in contrast to the wealthy socialites such 
as Gatsby and Buchanan.  

(16) Tom’s  Of course, Tom has a similar middle class home where he continues 
Apartment  his affair with Myrtle Wilson. This home, unlike his mansion, is only 
just for show where Myrtle could feel like she belongs with those of 
the upper class. It is a small apartment "tapestried" with large 
furniture to make it seem comfortable, when reality it is not.  

(17) Architecture /  For characters of higher status such as Gatsby and Buchanan, 
Interior - Upper  houses were adorned with luxurious furniture and grand interior. 
Class   Compared to the middle class whose house reflected an organic 
and less stiff interior, mansions of the upper class were massive 
high ceilings and cold marble floors which showed an 
excessiveness of wealth. However, a vast difference can be seen 
between the mansions of Gatsby and Buchanan who were new and 
old money respectively.  

(18) New vs Old  Money mentality, as magnified in Fitzgerald’s creation, drew the 
Money  line between the wealth of Gatsby and Buchanan, which ultimately 
reflected their lifestyle. Old money like Buchanan lived in a mansion 
with simple and effortless architecture. New money like Gatsby 
seemed to be “trying hard” by showing an excessive amount of 
wealth.  

(19) Automobiles  The cars they drove were also an indicator of wealth. Gatsby drove 
a yellow Rolls-Royce which was a top-tier car during that decade. 
Tom drove a blue coupe, and since he was old money he did not 
have to flex his wealth. Nick drove a simple black old dodge which 
he depends on for simple transportation. 

(20) Piano  Another item that indicates wealth is Gatsby’s custom Wurlitzer. It 
is seen several times in the film, during the party and when Jay took 
Daisy home. However, this grand Wurlitzer is an inaccurate 
 depiction of the 1920s piano which is only medium in size. Aside 
from this, it is evidence of the type of soulful jazz music played 
during this era. 

(21) Camera  Other popular culture shown in the film include cameras which 
were seen in the scene of Tom and Myrtle’s apartment, and when 
Nick was taking pictures of Jay and Daisy. Both Daisy and Myrtle 
referenced magazine models when their pictures were taking 
meaning magazines were already a thing back then. 

(22) Other  With all that said, there was a lot of popular culture in The Roaring 
Twenties that was shown in the 2013 film. Of course, it is inevitable 
for these popular culture to have a hint of 21st century modernity. 
Luhrmann’s film adapted modern culture in depicting the pop 
culture of the 1920s. Combining all the elements of the film, 
Luhrmann was able to give justice to Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The 
Great Gatsby.