Why American Lawns All Look The Same

Summary

The video explores the curious history behind America's obsession with grass, particularly lawns. Grass, originally brought by European settlers for livestock, became a symbol of wealth in early American suburbs due to its high-maintenance nature. The trend grew, especially after William Levitt's suburban developments in the 1950s, where lawns were enforced as a form of social control. This once-elite status symbol now covers much of the nation, with homeowners associations still regulating lawn care. Ultimately, this video reveals how a seemingly ordinary plant became a powerful cultural and political tool.

Takeaways

• 😀 The number one irrigated crop in America is grass, not corn or soy, despite grass being largely useless for consumption or ecosystem support.
• 🌱 Grass in America wasn't native; it was introduced by Europeans, with foreign grasses like Kentucky bluegrass from Algeria playing a key role in the colonization of the land.
• 🌍 The obsession with grass is a relatively new phenomenon in American history, specifically within the last few hundred years.
• 🚪 The American suburban lawn became a symbol of wealth in the 19th century due to its expensive maintenance and the constant replanting required for grass to thrive.
• 💸 Grass became popular in American suburbs because of the high cost and effort to maintain it, signaling that homeowners had the resources to defy nature.
• 🏡 Levittown, founded in the 1950s, popularized the suburban model, where lawns were part of a political strategy to convince the government of the success of these communities.
• 📜 In Levittown, homeowners were legally required to mow their lawns regularly, and failure to do so resulted in fines, fostering conformity and discouraging political engagement.
• 👥 Levittown's success became a blueprint for future suburban developments, where lawns served as both a status symbol and a method of social control.
• 🔒 Homeowners associations today still enforce lawn care rules, carrying over the tradition from Levittown and maintaining conformity within suburban neighborhoods.
• 🍽️ The script ends with a segue to a HelloFresh advertisement, highlighting the convenience of their meal kits for individuals seeking to cook without food waste.

Q & A

What is the number one irrigated crop in America?

The number one irrigated crop in America is grass, not corn or soybeans.

Why is grass considered a 'useless' crop in the context of American agriculture?

Grass is considered useless because it cannot be eaten, doesn't support an ecosystem effectively, and doesn't offer much ecological or economic value despite being heavily irrigated.

How did grass become the dominant plant in American suburbs?

Grass became dominant due to historical choices made in the early days of American colonization, where settlers imported grass species like Kentucky bluegrass to stabilize agriculture and provide grazing for livestock. Later, grass lawns became a symbol of wealth and status in suburban neighborhoods.

What is the historical significance of Kentucky bluegrass in the United States?

Kentucky bluegrass, despite its name, is originally from Algeria. It became significant because it was one of the foreign grasses imported to America to support livestock grazing and agriculture in the early colonial period.

How did early American settlers contribute to the spread of grass?

Early American settlers faced food shortages and relied on imported grasses like perennial ryegrass, bermudagrass, and Kentucky bluegrass to support livestock and stabilize their agriculture, which led to the widespread growth of these grass species.

Why did lawns become a status symbol in early suburban America?

Lawns became a status symbol because maintaining them was expensive and required constant care. The difficulty in growing and maintaining grass at the time signaled wealth and a high status, as only the wealthy could afford to invest in lawn care.

What role did Levittown play in the suburbanization of America?

Levittown, founded by William Levitt in the 1950s, became a model for affordable housing and suburban growth. Every home in Levittown included a lawn, and strict lawn care covenants were enforced to maintain a sense of conformity and suburban control.

How did Levittown use lawns for social control?

Levittown used lawns as a tool for social control by enforcing strict lawn maintenance rules and requiring residents to mow their lawns regularly. This not only kept the area uniform but also distracted residents from more radical ideas, such as communism, by keeping them occupied with lawn care.

What were the political motivations behind Levittown’s lawn care regulations?

Levittown’s lawn care regulations were politically motivated to create a controlled, conformist environment that could be used to show the success of suburban life and convince the government to subsidize housing developments. The idea was that well-maintained lawns would symbolize order and conformity.

Why are homeowners associations (HOAs) still enforcing lawn care regulations?

Homeowners associations continue enforcing lawn care regulations because they were modeled after Levittown’s strategies. These regulations were designed to maintain property value, control aesthetic uniformity, and ensure the community conformed to specific social expectations, especially in suburban areas.