During the Great Depression, there were some interesting forms on entertainment. These started around the 20s but lasted well up to the depression.
“Dance marathons” were a thing, where people would literally dance til they dropped. They had partners hold them up while they slept, and if their knees touched the ground they were disqualified.
People would also watch other people just sit on poles, there was one individual who managed to stay on a flagpole for 49 days.
Kids also came up with the tree-sitting challenge, where you had to stay on trees as long as possible.
The Great Depression also produced many high-tech (at that time) Hollywood movies. Famous movies that came out were The Wizard of Oz (1939) Disney’s first full length feature- Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)
Radio shows were also really popular at the time. The percent of households with radios grew from 40 to 80%.
Popular programs included The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, and Little Orphan Annie.