Golden Era? In 1955, for who?

[Geesie]

A fascinating discussion of this piece appeared in a museum-curation newsletter a few years back -- pointing up that this exaggerated, fictionalized depiction of "the typical fifties housewife" carries much more resonance with people today than the actual, far more complicated reality of the era. An unfortunate sign of just how influential media depictions can be.

I have the same problem with Pleasantville. It's a snarky, holier-than-thou depiction of an era which is no more accurate than "Happy Days".

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think the problem is that every generation that comes along has a deeply-felt need to believe that it itself is the very apotheosis of human civilization, that its beliefs and its values are far superior to any others that have ever existed -- and that the only thing that can possibly be learned from the past is what not to do. This tendency has always existed, but if you ask me, it's really accelerated over the last fifty years or so, and even more so over the last twenty years. Today's may not be the Greatest Generation, but it's certainly the most self-righteous.

It all reminds me of a scene in my favorite contemporary film of the last few years, "Idiocracy," in which it's suggested that in 500 years, American understanding of history will have devolved to the point where people will believe that World War 2 was started by Nazi dictator Charlie Chaplin, who fought the USA with gigantic dinosaurs.

 

[Geesie]

I think the problem is that every generation that comes along has a deeply-felt need to believe that it itself is the very apotheosis of human civilization, that its beliefs and its values are far superior to any others that have ever existed -- and that the only thing that can possibly be learned from the past is what not to do. This tendency has always existed, but if you ask me, it's really accelerated over the last fifty years or so, and even more so over the last twenty years. Today's may not be the Greatest Generation, but it's certainly the most self-righteous.

This, and I also think that there is a definite tendency in today's culture to want to tear down icons and idols, a declaration that nothing can be truly good and there must be some rot lurking the core of anything that looks "too" nice.

 

[zetwal]

I think the problem is that every generation that comes along has a deeply-felt need to believe that it itself is the very apotheosis of human civilization, that its beliefs and its values are far superior to any others that have ever existed -- and that the only thing that can possibly be learned from the past is what not to do. This tendency has always existed, but if you ask me, it's really accelerated over the last fifty years or so, and even more so over the last twenty years. Today's may not be the Greatest Generation, but it's certainly the most self-righteous.

It all reminds me of a scene in my favorite contemporary film of the last few years, "Idiocracy," in which it's suggested that in 500 years, American understanding of history will have devolved to the point where people will believe that World War 2 was started by Nazi dictator Charlie Chaplin, who fought the USA with gigantic dinosaurs.

I'm in complete agreement! And I too am a big fan of Idiocracy and (although it's comedy) take it seriously. It seems to me an on point and even realistic critique on where we're actually heading. Or should I say on where we are?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... a declaration that nothing can be truly good and there must be some rot lurking the core of anything that looks "too" nice.

Well, there usually is.


.

 

[MisterGrey]

This, and I also think that there is a definite tendency in today's culture to want to tear down icons and idols, a declaration that nothing can be truly good and there must be some rot lurking the core of anything that looks "too" nice.

Speaking as part of a younger generation, I think it's a very valid assessment. Every generation has some sort of backlash against whatever came before it. I think a large part of the current era of revisionist history and pessimism is an evolution of the "downer" fad of the 90s, in which everything that was hip was depressing, bleak, and carried the outlook that life was crap. This, itself, seems to have evolved from a rebellion against the optimistic 80s and the "feel good about yourself" ideals of the Reagan era.

Individuals quick to judge the 50s' culture often forget that those who constructed it were veterans of one of the most horrific wars in human history, and almost certainly the most horrific war fought to that point (perhaps debatable when put alongside WWI). Why then should anyone be surprised that the culture that sprung from it was eager to put a veneer of perfectionism and glamor over societal problems? It's not only understandable, it's almost to be expected. A country does not lose sizable portions of entire generations of men and then go about turning itself into a racial and sexual utopia. That would certainly be the most noble ideal but nobility often has no relation to reality. The reality was that what the people of America had been through was almost too horrible to come to grips with, and at that point in history, the only logical thing to do was to forget about it. People are often surprised to hear of WWII veterans who suffered what today would be diagnosed as PTSD. I myself was shocked to read the story of a man who was awarded the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima and came home to murder his wife, neighbors, and himself because the horror he'd seen was just too much to take.

It's very easy to judge another era based on your own cultural mores. It's far more difficult to assess it according to the mores with which it existed. Societies are evolving creatures. Minorities may not have enjoyed the socio-political freedoms in the 1950s that they do today, but neither were they subjected to the restrictions of previous generations. Even in their bounds, they were freer than their ancestors, and their ancestors' ancestors. That any culture could move forward rather than backsliding is commendable. We should be able to appreciate the positive aspects of a culture without defining it by the negative ones.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

This reminds me of an old Country song, it goes on like this, but I'll just post the chorus, great tune nonetheless.

Put another log on the fire
Cook me up some bacon and some beans
Go out to the car and change the tires
Wash my socks and sew my old blue jeans, come on baby
You can fill my pipe, then go fetch my slippers
Then boil me up another pot of tea
Then put another log on the fire
And come and tell me why you're leaving me.

Here's the whole song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wO_6wMRS7A

I don't know...it looks pretty golden to me.

"woman, this martini isn't quite right.....I need my slippers, too."

 

[cecil]

I know it's been proven fake, but I've seen similar things in home economics books printed in the early 60s. Even my "the 70s girl" book has a few similar passages. None of this "A woman always knows her place, shut up and don't argue", but the bits about not whining as soon as he walks in the door, having his slippers out, keeping the kids quiet and fixing your hair are all things I've read before.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I'm of the fairer sex but if I came home to a whining dirty boyfriend and 3 ratbag children after a long day at work I'd probably feel pretty crappy too.