How Pop Culture Has Influenced Fences

From books and films to magazines, pop culture has had an impact on the look and type of fencing that people install. Individuals install fencing to mimic their favorite celebrities or to capture their piece of the American Dream. Every fence tells a story.

White Picket Fence

This fence has roots in colonial times. A rudimentary version became popular in 1876. It lost favor for a while, but interest was renewed through films and TV shows. The white picket fence came to be an emblem of the ideal middle class home, upward mobility, wealth, and privilege. As a privacy fence, one of the best examples is the TV show Home Improvement.

Wrought Iron

When mass production made it possible for almost everyone to install a white picket fence, the famous and very wealthy moved to wrought iron to demonstrate their wealth, influence and power. The fencing was very expensive to create and required the work of artisans skilled in the technique. Celebrities began installing the fencing to protect their privacy from the public, a powerful symbol of elitism.

Brick and Stone

Featured in very early films, it was originally brought into use because of the fire-resistant nature of the materials. It was primarily used by cities. The materials became synonymous with a well-organized, maintained, and growing community.

Chain Link

Pictured in numerous films and TV programs, chain link has become indelibly associated with dangerous areas. It’s shown surrounding high voltage installations to labs of questionable repute. It’s electrified to contain dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and depicted as a routine precaution around prisons.

Barbed Wire

The Golden Age of Westerns occurred from 1940 through 1960. The genre popularized barbed wire fencing on the huge cattle ranches of the west. Perhaps the best known are those featuring legendary actor, John Wayne. The fencing was also highlighted in numerous war films such as The Great Escape, along with horror movies to stop the advancement of zombies.