GRRRR......50s society disgusts me >:| How did people ever manage to live?

[Cougar]

Well, I may as well throw in my $.02

How can you compare our ultra-violent society to the 50's? Yes we have made tremendous technological and medical advances but I'm not going to argue that point. The point I'm arguing is how much our society has degraded, If you think everything is so peachy-keen nowadays then why don't you turn on the news and just watch for 1 hour? I didn't grow up in the 50's, but can you (or anyone for that matter) tell me how many times you heard of:

- kids taking guns into schools and starting a shooting spree
- kids blowing their teacher away
- drive-by's
- serial murderers
- terrorists (timothy mcveigh anyone?)
- road rage

the list can go on and on, but I'm sure you get the point. In today's society people will "go off" for the slightest reason, and the sad part is that it's not their fault. We have all sort of scapegoats nowadays that take the blame for everything. Violent movies/music/videogames, my mommy didn't hold me enough, my daddy spent too much time at work, and the grand-daddy of them all.....temporary insanity. Back in the day if you had an argument with your buddy you stepped outside and duked it out, today your buddy goes home, gets a gun, and blows your brains out.

Off to a different subject, I think people (not everyone mind you) have just gotten dumber. We've got people suing McDonalds because their hot coffee burned their lap (seriously, what kind of restaurant serves HOT coffe?), someone suing Burger-King 'cause a pickle burned his chin and affected his "sexual performace", and don't even get me started on how easily offended people are today. About 2-3 years ago my city was getting ready for the christmas season by putting up decorations and to keep from offending anyone instead of wishing people a "Merry Christmas" they wished them a "Happy Sparkle Season". I nearly lost it when I heard that.

I swear we've become a nation of snivelling babies that is too scared to do anything for fear of offending someone, and can basically get away with murder because "it's not our fault".

 

[Soybomb]

Wow and I thought our current society disgusted me alot more than 50's culture. In all honesty I think the 50's would have been pretty damn good with just some more fairness between race and gender. I think the 50's had on the whole a much more sound moral and value structure. Really lets go back to that link of those duties of the wife. Are they that bad? It takes it a little extreme, but don't you guys try to sort of pamper your girl perhaps after a hard day or after she comes home and you've been sitting at home? I know if my g/f just got done with a tough test or has lots of studying to do I'll try to make dinner that night, give her a back rub, keep her comfortable, etc. I really think if you removed all references to gender from that article and removed duties and made it a list of "Things you can do to make your spouse more comfortable after a long day" you'd still have alot of perfectly acceptable stuff. The society wasn't fair to everyone living in it, but it was a safer more family oriented time too. I don't think it all disgusts me that much.

 

[Kntx]

Why does that disgust you???

Were you a man in the 50's???

Do you know what it was like?!?!?!

 

[shifrbv]

I don't know about the 50's because I wasn't alive then. But someone mentioned how they wished they would have been around in the 60's and that's something I can't understand.

If you wonder why everything's gone downhill today, just look at the people from the 60's and it all makes sense. The 60's generation is the one that angers me the most. A bunch of hyprocrites sitting around talking about peace and love, yet what did they do? Sold out! Just like that Smashmouth song talking about the hippies "sitting around a bonfire just singing and clapping" and the guy's wondering "what the hell happened?" I think this generation had to be the most hypocritical group of all. Self-destructive, degenerate, druggies. Instead of using their energy to make a real change, they just slipped back into a comfort zone and let it all meltdown. Nothing to be admired, in my opinion.

 

[Cyberian]

<< How did women ever live? How did people ever live?

Yuck, everything about the 50s disgusts me!


Read for yourself!


no wonder this sorta society produced the 60s society. Any body would want to rebel against that! >>



It absolutely amazes me that you can make such all encompassing judgements about an entire decade based on a one page article in a woman's magazine.
Don't you think that I could find something just as silly that was written in 2001?

I lived through the '50s and '60s. &quot;The '60s&quot; that you speak of really did not start until @ 1964 or so and, except for the freedom marches and such in the south, sucked big time. A couple of my WASP friends from NY died trying to get Mississippi blacks registered to vote, BTW.
Oh, sorry I almost forgot, Nam was a lot of fun.

My Dad learned to fly in the Army Air Corps during WWII, and got a pretty good job when he got out. My Mom stayed home and raised seven healthy, law-abiding children, so I guess she's just a useless piece of collateral

 

[Cyberian]

<< serious lack of personal freedom if you weren't a catholic male etc.
>>



Elledan

You are usually quite astute.
What 1950s or what country are you referring to here??

 

[Xede]

Just wondering how everybody is so sure that thing is real? Just did a search and could find no solid results... All I found were pages that copied the text or said &quot;look what somebody emailed me&quot;...

I went to http://catnyp.nypl.org/search/s and found nothing for &quot;Housekeeping Monthly&quot;, nor did I find any other references to this magazine ever even existing, other than pages quoting that specific article.

It's lines like:

&quot;Don't complain if he's home late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.&quot;

and

&quot;Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgement or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.&quot;

that really sound fake. I'm not 100% sure it's fake, but it sure looks that way to me. Internet hoaxes are very easy to get started... Just because the article appeals to your sense of the 50s being a dark time of stifling whitebread oppresion :Q doesn't mean it's real.

Like I said, don't know 100% if it's fake, just encouraging a little more skepticism.

 

[aUt0eXebat]

what is wrong with that? a nice caring wife help taking caring of the family and husband? thats how society should be now, the men being men and taking care of the wife by working, and taking responsibilty......

 

[spidey07]

<< what is wrong with that? a nice caring wife help taking caring of the family and husband? thats how society should be now, the men being men and taking care of the wife by working, and taking responsibilty...... >>



right on.

most of the ills of society today can be rooted to poor upbring and working parents who do not instill a sense of duty to others or thier mate in their children's lives. Duty of the man is to work his butt off providing for the family, women's duty is taking care of the family.

I'm all for equal rights but my girlfriend loves to provide a wonderful home for me and I love providing that home for her to live in and keep. For us it is pure bliss and I wish more people could live by it. I hope our children are able to grow up in such a loving home with a mother always close by and not some daycare stepmom.

spidey

 

[Belegost]

<< If you wonder why everything's gone downhill today, just look at the people from the 60's and it all makes sense. The 60's generation is the one that angers me the most. A bunch of hyprocrites sitting around talking about peace and love, yet what did they do? Sold out! Just like that Smashmouth song talking about the hippies &quot;sitting around a bonfire just singing and clapping&quot; and the guy's wondering &quot;what the hell happened?&quot; I think this generation had to be the most hypocritical group of all. Self-destructive, degenerate, druggies. Instead of using their energy to make a real change, they just slipped back into a comfort zone and let it all meltdown. Nothing to be admired, in my opinion. >>


How true.

I really don't see how you can criticize an entire culture because of one article in a magazine, in 50 years they'll find equally as disturbing things to criticize about our culture. This is the way the generations proceed, for a new generation to take power and promote their ideas effectively they must show former ways to be inferior. You call the 50s a time of denial, but you fail to understand the underlying causes. The people who molded the time period had just lived through the world in chaos. This was the inevitable pendulum swing in attempt to restore order, and for a short time it worked. The 50s were a time of unparalled optimism, a time of looking forward with hope. A damn shame we've not gotten that back.

Each generation tries to shape the world to their image, most of them unconciously, and nearly all quietly. The 60s you seem to enjoy so much were the an utter waste of potential. At last a generation had recognized their power, had seen their own ideas, and failed to follow through. They talked big, had grand uttopian plans, and did nothing to bring them about, now look at them, they rule just as ineffectively as their predecessors. Now we use the lovely derogatory &quot;left-over hippy&quot; to denote the spirit of that time: failure.

As for our current times: don't confuse openness and honesty with cynicism and pessimism. Oh yea, we're open; everyone knows that kids seem to have developed a tendency towards mass murder of peers. But are we honest? Does anyone try to explain why, or do we all stand around pointing fingers at video games and rap music? You think propaganda has been done away with? You're only deluding yourself, propaganda is whatever influences opinion towards a certain groups position. And we're surrounded by it. What's interesting is how well it works.

As for this silly Nazi talk: of course they led to the modern Germany. I find it hard to comprehennd people that talk big about propaganda, but are taken in by it so easily. Just because the Nazis engaged in genocide, does not keep them from leaving a legacy of progress in the world. It seems that people are so enraged at their wrongdoings that they completely overlook the neutral, and dare I say it, good things they left behind.

This whole argument is ridiculous, no one point in history has been significantly better, or worse, or even different from any other. Because humans remain the same, no matter how much propaganda saying otherwise. Sure some of the particulars are different, but in the long run it all becomes the same, much like if we studied the 12tth century. I'm sure the people then thought they were changing everything...

 

[apoppin]

<< The 60's generation is the one that angers me the most. A bunch of hyprocrites sitting around talking about peace and love, yet what did they do? Sold out! >>


More ignorance - this time against the 60s youthfulk generation. (I lived through the 60s although I was too young to share in the protests). The idealist hippy youth were demoralized, sold out and left holding the bag by a Society that declared war on them. In South America - in places like Argentina - they were executed by the hundreds.

Please don't criticize what you do not have any experience with.

 

[Spook]

I think your missing one of the points of the picture... at least back then one income could support a household....

Damn, now, I'm having problems figuring out how I'm eventually going to get a home on 2 saleries...

 

[Red Dawn]

<< I think this generation had to be the most hypocritical group of all. Self-destructive, degenerate, druggies. Instead of using their energy to make a real change, they just slipped back into a comfort zone and let it all meltdown. Nothing to be admired, in my opinion. >>

Then they went on to produce the most worthless selfish generation yet in America's history, GenX.

 

[Cyberian]

On the same site as the original link:



<< WOMEN: Girlfriend Advice
Scott (5) - 04.11.01
ADVICE FOR YOUNG GIRLFRIENDS

Q: How do I know if I'm ready for sex?
A: Ask your boyfriend. He'll know when the time is right. When it comes to love and sex, men are much more responsible, since they're not as emotionally confused as women. It's a proven fact.

Q: Should I have sex on the first date?
A: YES. Before if possible.

Q: What exactly happens during the act of sex?
A: Again, this is entirely up to the man. The important thing to remember is that you must do whatever he tells you without question. Sometimes, however, he may ask you to do certain things that may at first seem strange to you. Do them anyway.

Q: How long should the sex act last?
A: This is a natural &amp; normal part of nature, so don't feel ashamed or embarrassed. After you've finished making love, he'll have a natural desire to leave you suddenly, &amp; go out with his friends to play golf. Or perhaps another activity, such as going out with his friends to the bar for the purpose of consuming large amounts of alcohol &amp; sharing a few personal thoughts with his buddies. Don't feel left out -- while he's gone you can busy yourself by doing laundry, cleaning the apartment, or perhaps even going out to buy him an expensive gift. He'll come back when he's ready.

Q: What is &quot;afterplay&quot;?
A: After a man has finished making love, he needs to replenish his manly energy. &quot;Afterplay&quot; is simply a list of important activities for you to do after lovemaking. This includes lighting his cigarette, making him a sandwich or pizza, bringing him a few beers, or leaving him alone to sleep while you go out and buy him an expensive gift.

Q: Does the size of the penis matter?
A: Yes. Although many women believe that quality, not quantity, is important, studies show this is simply not true. The average erect male penis measures about three inches. Anything longer than that is extremely rare and if by some chance your lover's sexual organ is 4 inches or over, you should go down on your knees and thank your lucky stars and do everything possible to please him, such as doing his laundry, cleaning his apartment and/or buying him an expensive gift.

Q: What about the female orgasm?
A: What about it? There's no such thing. It's a myth.

>>

 

[shifrbv]

Red Dawn - Then they went on to produce the most worthless selfish generation yet in America's history, GenX.

That's the biggest cop out statement I've ever seen. Come on, what do you expect from the progeny of such dropouts of the 60's?

&quot;It seems we have come to be called Xers simply because we represent something negative to our elders. Of course, they overlook the fact theat we are their responsibility, or actually their fault. Our generation will be called upon to look after our parents knowing that they failed to look after us. Intergenerational justice failed somewhere along the way and it will be our task to either rectify it or make it worse.

&quot;We are a group of individuals who grew up with no one at home after school. It appears we have little hope for the future. No jobs, no homes, and basically no money. These bleak prospects, along with the fact that we will be forced to support the largest amount of senior citizens ever, do not provide much hope. Some believe that these blockades will be too much for us to handle and we will for the most part fail at life.&quot;

In addition, Generation X is getting screwed! The generations preceeding us, our parents, are about to pass down to us the biggest debt in the history of America.

This means we will be the first generation to experience a poorer living standard than our parents. This means we are about to take on a serious burden that we had nothing to do with.

I wonder how many other generations could &quot;boast&quot; this about their progeny? If you want to blame someone for GenX, go look in the mirror. Blame GenXer's? In all fairness, we should be railing against you.

 

[TheKidd]

<< Then they went on to produce the most worthless selfish generation yet in America's history, GenX. >>



...Yet another stupid and arrogant quote from Red Dawn.

 

[bulldawg]

<< Then they went on to produce the most worthless selfish generation yet in America's history, GenX >>




True, but the apple does not fall far from the tree, though.

 

[Pyro]

<<

<< late 60s/early 70s communist society my parents grew up in. >>



I do not think this is a good comparison, the big differance between Eastern Euorope (I guess this is your referance) and US of the 50s was the general fear of the government. Here the 50s represent the last period of trust, trust lost in the jungles of Vietnam. But still very much alive in the the 50s. While the communist society of the USSR was a society of fear, fear of the government, fear of your neighbor, fear of the outside world.

Personal experiance:
I was married for 10yrs to a Checkoslovkian, who's family escaped in the mid 60s when she was 10yrs old. So I have had personal contact with people who lived the fear. >>




Nope, I'd have to disagree with you here. You've probably heard of the Prague Spring, czechs and slovaks have a VERY good reason for really hating communism. That was not so in Bulgaria where my parents grew up. From all the stories my parent's ahve told me, these a are a few similarities between the two societies:

-trust in the government
-trust and respect for politicians (you dont see that anywhere these days )
-no pollusion (or rather, as it was later found out, ignoring pollution)
-little crime
-safe streets
-oppresion of minorities and people of colour
-government has large influence on population
-good economy, plenty of jobs.
-tough on crime, death penalty used


the main difference is (other than political structure) is the women were never expected to be housewives, and I am example of that. Both my parents worked while I was raised by grandma.

 

[RossGr]

Pyro:

Why'd they leave?

 

[Red Dawn]

<< I wonder how many other generations could &quot;boast&quot; this about their progeny? If you want to blame someone for GenX, go look in the mirror. Blame GenXer's? In all fairness, we should be railing against you. >>

hehehehe..hahaha..Bwuahahahaha. The world ain't fair Junior. Maybe it's all the acid we took that made you guys so worthless but to tell you the truth, who gives a fsck?

TheKidd


<< Another truthful statement by Red Dawn >>



You got it right little bitch

That's OK, all the girls say I'm pretty Fly for a White guy!

 

[Pyro]

If you were wondering why they left that nice society, well, AFAIK things started to turn bad during the 80s. economy went down, unemployment up etc etc and then when communism ended, everything got fscked up even more.

Originally, my mom came to get a PhD here, but liked it so we all came.

Today, everything is just like here, but even more free, sorta like the rest in europe (a friend of mine says a joint costs $1! and is readily available)
think of it as going from the 50s to the late 90s in the space of about 12 years.

 

[kuk]

Sorry for reviving an old and dead thread, but I had to comment out one satement from apoppin:



<< In Brazil today, catching and killing your wife and her lover together will usually get an acquital as though it is &quot;justified&quot;. >>



This is completelly not true. Although conviction for a crime can take several years here in Brazil, killing someone because of adultery can never be justified. I don't know from where you got this idea, but I think that stereotypes should, by all means, be dismantled.

 

[SackOfAllTrades]

i wouldn't want to have lived back then...no flying cars, NO FLYING CARS!

 

[Jex]

Man, I would love for someone to treat me like that. Of course, I would also love for my free thinking, individual wife to enjoy it with me. So I guess if you have a servant, then that type of treatment would be really cool!

 

[Cyberian]

Pyro

Just so I have this straight -

<That was not so in Bulgaria where my parents grew up.>

<AFAIK things started to turn bad during the 80s.>

>Originally, my mom came to get a PhD here, but liked it so we all came.>

Your parents are from Bulgaria and you all came here in the'80s and you're telling me what it was like here in the 1950s??