what happened to the old fashined 50s way of life?

The reality of the fifties was far different than what romantics paint it to be.

They forget that millions of WWII and Korean War vets were suffering from undiagnosed PTSD, trying to deal with the fact that white malehood was no longer a guarantee of supremacy in the office, club or home. It was the time of commie witchhunts, the John Birchers, the KKK.

Medical training began to get set in the wartime experiences of the doctors...why else do you think they force residents to work 60-hour shifts if not to emulate the old wartime experience?

For women, it was a time when you couldn't open a bank account without your father's or husband's permission in many places. Women were discouraged from driving or thinking. You could go to jail for a condom, or for being an unmarried couple sharing a motel room. It was when a common saying was"If you husband doesn't care enough to beat you every now and then, he doesn't care at all." and "A wife should be beaten at least once a month just to show here you care." and "spare the rod, spoil the child."

The fifties really sucked for most people. Violent, racist, sexist, repressive, and abusive with very little to recommend it.

Now, the 60's and 70's....those were fun, sometimes, although darkly riddled with the death throes of the old white supremist culture.

YES, The 1950's
I was raised in the 50's, as a youngster I remember a lot about those days, I can say my Mom and Dad stay together very happily married until her death in 1999, they were married in 1941. My Dad still goes to her grave site every other Sunday and stays for about 2 hours talking to her and every year puts flowers and a card on her grave for their wedding anniversary.
Mom was not a drinker and did not smoke, she did not work.
Their was the two of us, my sister and me. Dad went to work some times two jobs and Mom took care of the family.
We only had the one car and grocery shopping was the Big Day Out!
I remember wood shop and metal shop in school and the girls had their special classes, what was that?
I remember one of my girls friends tried out some recipes on me and she Tie Dyed my T-Shirts.
What was that called,,, Ladies,,, Home Ed,, or something?

The point is, I guess,, As a Kid, The 50's and 60's ( until Viet Nam being drafted ) WAS GREAT!!!!!
My parents seemed Happy. Mom died in her sleep at home from cancer and she never smoked a day in her life, as a matter a fact, Dad had to quite smoking before My Mother Would Marry Him! He did and has never smoked sense.

I'm Sorry, I'm Rambling.

A friend of mine found this and I thought it was fitting for your thread.

Comments made in the year 1955!

'I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to
buy a week's groceries for $10.00. '

'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $1, 000.00 will
only buy a used one.'

'If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit; 20 cents a pack is ridiculous. '

'Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging 4 cents just to mail a letter.'

'If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store.'

'When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 25 cents a gallon.
Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.'
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/02174d68c3f9.jpg[/atsimg]
'I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying
DAMN in 'GONE WITH THE WIND', it seems every new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it.'

'It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to
work to make ends meet. '

'It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so
they can both work.'


'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making
electric typewriters now. '

'Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to government.'

'There is no sense going on short trips anymore for a weekend. It costs nearly $2.00 a night to stay
in a hotel.'

'No one can afford to be sick anymore. At $15.00 a day in the hospital, it's too rich for my blood.'
'If they think I'll pay 30 cents for a hair cut, forget it.'

I hope this wasn't to long for some of you, But it is a very good account of the things said and talked about
in 1955.... I know, My Dad lives in the Apartment my wife and I built for him in our back yard, I asked him as I typed it and he agrees,,, DAMN!

Originally posted by badgerprints

Originally posted by alysha.angel
where the hell is the MAN who is willing to take responsiblty for his actions take care of the WOMAN who for as long as historys been kept cared for her ,is strong when shes at her weakest . and simply cherished her .

This man was served papers by his cheating wife while he was away working to make her life better.

Focking true that man. if we had wood, hammer, and nails, with that statement, well we'd have a darn house on our hands, but still a world full of problems. : /

Welfare via the Great Society and Hollywood.

Being a bastard or having bastards used to be shameful.

Thank's to Johnson's Great Society, having bastards became a means of livelihood. We're now on our third generations of social paraplegics.

And of course Hollywood sensationalilzed whore-hopping, changing wives/husbands with each season, and multiple divorces. Then came the bastards just to stay cool and generate some media interest.

The 50's are you kidding me? My parents were divorced before I was 3, leaving me an only child for life. My Mother who raised me was an alcoholic and child abuser. I don't have fond memories of the 50's, people were a little more secretive about what they did then, trying to protect their reputations. A lot of the same things went on in the 50's as today - they just worked harder to not make it known.


I did like the music!!!!

My mother has always been a housewife. The typical model of today's family makes no sense to me. How is it at all convienent or healthy for both the mother and the father to work full time, drop the kids off at day care, pick up fast food for the family, then go home, exhausted and do "equal" housework? Work specialization only seems logical. I have no idea why feminists see the role of provider as being so much more important than that of a nurturer. I see many people complaining about how "happiness" and "love" fades away in marriage, and therefore, divorce is justified. This is a very childish and narcissistic outlook on relationships. Happiness is simply a mindset. It doesn't come from experiences. Romance is not the same thing as love. A marriage is a committment. It's unbelievable how many people are so naive as to think that the "sparks" and steamy romance will always exist within a lifelong marriage, at least to the extent it did in the very beginning. That's not what marriage is about. You can seperate from one after the excitement of a new romance is over, but you will simply become a "serial monogamist" and experience the same thing relationship after relationship...a constant pleasure seeker. It's because of this narcisisstic mindset and unwillingness to commit and work out issues that divorce is so rampant. Of course, I also blame "no-fault divorce". A marriage contract is the most important contract you can sign, yet it's the only contract you're not forced to honor.

Originally posted by HarmonicNights
My mother has always been a housewife.

Is she happy with that? Did you ever ask her if she wanted more out of live.

Why do you assume she is happy and this is what she wanted?

Is it enough you are happy that your mom was always there? You seem to be more aware of your own needs being met.

reply to post by HarmonicNights


Harmonic Nights - - - are you married?

If so how long. Do you have any children?

Originally posted by Annee
Originally posted by HarmonicNights

Is she happy with that? Did you ever ask her if she wanted more out of live.

"More out of life?" While you may not value family and raising well-rounded children (the FUTURE for pete's sake), that doesn't mean others don't. Believe it or not, some people find fulfillment in family and don't make it their sole goal in life to make as much money as they possibly can. Feminists are simply pessimists who are NEVER happy with anything...they always have to have more. Growing up, the things that were shunned the most in our household were greed and materialism.

Why do you assume she is happy and this is what she wanted?

I don't have to 'assume' anything about my own mother. She has disdain for feminists and doesn't want the tremendous stress of working full time. Why add extra stress when it's not needed? Since she's a housewife, she has more time than working women to do what she enjoys doing...shopping, going to concerts, etc. I know a LOT of working moms who would give anything to be able to stay at home with their children.

Is it enough you are happy that your mom was always there? You seem to be more aware of your own needs being met.

Once you have children, it's no longer about you. Your children come first. Like I said, children are the future. We now have more youth going to prison than ever. It's a shame people don't take some care in raising their children. Instead, they basically leave them to raise themselves and hope for the best, while they constantly chase after luxuries. When I have children, I want them raised with MY values and discipline, not that of social workers.

Edit:
No, I'm 19 and not married.

reply to post by Hefficide


Hefficide,You are pretty right there. Those who were not around during the fifties do not realise that life is not what they picture the past to be.The good thing is that life was natural and realistic and our feelings are real an joyful,whereas nowadays there is a lot of false sense of feelings and things.There are many more differences if we sit down and contemplate and reflect on life in the past years. Those younger ppl can listen to the stories of older folks and learn from them about the past like I did .
The fifties to the 80's were where life was simple and joy was a feeling that you really feel and taste. Spending time in natural surroundings is a feeling that you can not find in these present days.

[edit to add-

well say what you want i was born in 62. to a 17 year old mother and a 19 year old father.
who where both children and teens during the 50's, they are still married, if it was not for the way they were raised i and my brothers would not have been raised the way we were. my mother was a stay at home wife, and did all the things a home maker was expected to do, she took very good care of us and we had better do what we were told or else. ass whipping time with a switch, and you had to pick your own, and you better not bring back some little spindly thing, it had to be stout. she cooked three meals a day, and i mean full meals, meat,taters, veggies and bread. the house was kept immaculately clean, and we had to chip in and do our chores, we only watched tv for about a hour after school while we ate our snacks and then it was outside to play be back by dark or you would hear call up to a 1/2 mile away and God help you if that happened.
sure we had to play outside use and our imagination, and the toys we got we had to take care of. now if my mom didn't like the attitude of the kids we hung around, that was it they didn't come over and we didn't go over to their house. and when we got done with dinner it was home work and maybe a little tv if there was time left before bedtime, thats right bed time we had a bed time until we left the house. and on saturdays we'd watch cartoons until about noon and it was outside to play, that is if the weather was good. sometimes we got to play in the rain, if there was no lighting.

now my father, he was up and gone to work before we were every day except for sunday's, and got home about a hour before it was time to eat. if he could he would play with us, but most nights there wasn't time. he had to do all the things my mom needed done she couldn't. but he spent as much time with us that he could. sometime he seemed like one of us because he like the toys we got as much as we did. he supported us very well,
we were not rich, and we might have had to wait for somethings. but we always had food, lights, clothes, and a roof over head.
we lived like this until my youngest brother was a senior in high school, then my mother got her first job, and has hated working everyday scene then.

now when we get together my mom says thinks she was a little hard on us. i tell that she better be glad she was, cause during my rebellious years, there was always that little nagging voice in my head that kept me from doing things that said what if momma finds out. and i know both of my brothers feel the same way. we could have went down the wrong road, the way many people who we knew when we were younger did. all because they didn't have folks at home takin care of them. and bustin that ass when they screwed up.

Originally posted by HarmonicNights
"More out of life?" While you may not value family and raising well-rounded children.

I am a Feminist - - AND a stay at home mom. I chose to have children and was not going to let any one else raise them.

I don't have to 'assume' anything about my own mother. She has disdain for feminists and doesn't want the tremendous stress of working full time.

Are those really her words or yours? Interesting 2 part statement "disdain for feminists and doesn't want stress of working full time". So feminists gave her the Right to be able to have a job - - if she wants it - - but she only wants a part time job?

Once you have children, it's no longer about you.

I so know that line

Edit:No, I'm 19 and not married.

Kind of figured. Hmmm - - I have an 18 year old grandson. He's pretty awesome.

Originally posted by Annee

Are those really her words or yours? Interesting 2 part statement "disdain for feminists and doesn't want stress of working full time". So feminists gave her the Right to be able to have a job - - if she wants it - - but she only wants a part time job?

Of course they're her words. The reason I said "full time job" is because most parents are working full time. Women have always had the right to work. Like others have said, there WERE lots of women working in the past, especially from the lower class. The only thing feminists have done is double the work force and take part in destroying the family.

Kind of figured.

Why? Are you now going to say something about "deadbeat husbands"?

Originally posted by HarmonicNights
Women have always had the right to work. Like others have said, there WERE lots of women working in the past, especially from the lower class. The only thing feminists have done is double the work force and take part in destroying the family.

Really? Nice of you to let me know that.

Bet you'd be shocked if you got fired for having a run in your nylon. Oh wait - - you probably don't wear them. They're not mandatory anymore.

All I can say is: "How sad".

reply to post by Annee


Nylons...as in stockings? I prefer the masculine/feminine based uniforms of the past. I don't like being dressed the same as men. Why do you think that everything that's feminine is negative?

reply to post by alysha.angel


It's simple: nothing.

Such a way of life was a marketing fantasy and still is.

Originally posted by HarmonicNights
reply to post by Annee

 

Nylons...as in stockings? I prefer the masculine/feminine based uniforms of the past. I don't like being dressed the same as men. Why do you think that everything that's feminine is negative?

Nice interpretation. I didn't say any such thing.

See - - you don't even know. You completely missed the reality of it.

Originally posted by Annee
Originally posted by HarmonicNights
reply to post by Annee

 

Then how 'bout you explain exactly what your point is?

Originally posted by HarmonicNights
Then how 'bout you explain exactly what your point is?

Nylons were mandatory. You could get fired if you had a run in them or didn't wear them.

Let's see - - you could also get fired for being pregnant. You could get fired for even mentioning you wanted to get pregnant. You could get fired if you refused to have sex with the boss.

reply to post by Annee


So what? There have always been and still are dress codes and uniforms for both men and women.

I strongly believe that employers should have the right to hire whomever they want, and yes, that does include the right to discriminate.