You know you are getting old when:

[Stanley Doble]

It's a funny thing but a lot of old time stars were lacking in talent. Jack Benny, George Burns, and Fred Astaire for a start. They all regretted their lack of talent. Fred Astaire made up for it by doing months of gruelling rehearsals for his pictures, dancing to the point of exhaustion every day - to make what he did look effortless.

Jack Benny made up for his lack of comedy skills by hiring good writers, good supporting actors, and sacrificing his own interests for the sake of a good show. Did you ever notice that Rochester, Dennis Day, Mary Livingston and his guest stars usually got the best lines? He also developed a great sense of timing and a few tricks and catch phrases after being on the stage for many years. But as Fred Allen remarked, as far as talent went, Benny couldn't ad lib a belch after a Hungarian dinner.

George Burns stood beside Gracie.

In those days if you did not have talent you could make up for it by hard work, and by hiring talented writers and support. I don't know where you would find good writers and good supporting talent today.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Perhaps the outstanding example of this from the Era was Arthur Godfrey -- a man who could play the ukulele and the banjo only passably, who sang like your Uncle Mickey after a couple of drinks, who couldn't act or dance or tell jokes especially well, was a shamelss shill for anybody who'd pay to sponsor him, and yet became an unfathomably popular "personality" in the postwar years. That's essentially all he was -- a "personality," who became a beloved figure simply by projecting an air of "plain folksiness" that was utterly at odds with his actual backstage self. I guess you could call that a talent, but it's certainly not the sort of talent that could ever have existed on such a national scale before the mass media.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Godfrey himself thought his popularity was the result of his unique style. In the early days of radio they employed orators and announcers and told them "You are addressing an audience of 50,000 people over the air waves"

They went "50,000 people eh?" "HELLO ALL YOU PEOPLE OUT THERE IN RADIO LAND"

Godfrey said he was in hospital listening to the radio alone in his room, wondering where the giant crowds were that this guy thought he was harranguing? It seemed kind of ridiculous.

So when he got on the air he took the opposite approach and pretended he was talking to one person, an old friend. This was novel, and caught on with people all across the country. They all felt as though they were having a conversation with a personal friend. Nobody else was doing this at the time and Godfrey became quite popular.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Perhaps the outstanding example of this from the Era was Arthur Godfrey -- a man who could play the ukulele and the banjo only passably, who sang like your Uncle Mickey after a couple of drinks, who couldn't act or dance or tell jokes especially well, was a shamelss shill for anybody who'd pay to sponsor him, and yet became an unfathomably popular "personality" in the postwar years. That's essentially all he was -- a "personality," who became a beloved figure simply by projecting an air of "plain folksiness" that was utterly at odds with his actual backstage self. I guess you could call that a talent, but it's certainly not the sort of talent that could ever have existed on such a national scale before the mass media.

His treatment of Julius La Rosa revealed to one and all what kind of a person he really was. But few are without some redeeming traits: he did a lot to develop public interest in aviation, yet opposed tax subsidized development of the supersonic transport, on the grounds that the plane would create unwanted noise pollution.

 

[Zombie_61]

I can glance at the entertainment section of any newspaper, magazine etc. and it lists who's getting divorced. married or is having a baby-----and I haven't heard of a singe person they are talking about.

Oh good, it's not just me.

...I'll know our town has made it, when Honey Boo Boo comes to the opening of a Super Walmart.

Surely that won't be until after her first divorce and a number of stints in rehab.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Oh good, it's not just me.

Surely that won't be until after her first divorce and a number of stints in rehab.

If that's the case, then she'll appear with her own Monster Truck (sponsored by Hamm's) and sign autographs for about $2 dollars each, and I'm being very generous with that prediction.

 

[jamespowers]

If that's the case, then she'll appear with her own Monster Truck (sponsored by Hamm's) and sign autographs for about $2 dollars each, and I'm being very generous with that prediction.

Not too generous.

 

[Zombie_61]

If that's the case, then she'll appear with her own Monster Truck (sponsored by Hamm's) and sign autographs for about $2 dollars each, and I'm being very generous with that prediction.

It'll get dropped down to $2 eventually, but she'll start at $20. Rehab and those monster trucks are expensive.

 

[GHT]

You know that you are getting old when you read in your newspaper about a felony and then see how lenient the law court was.
There was a time when simply defacing a bridge got you sent off to the colonies:

 

[LizzieMaine]

You know you're getting old when one of the kids sticks a sticker on the ticket-selling register reading "Lizzie Is Old." (Which she is, and what's it to ya?)

 

[LizzieMaine]

You know you're getting old when you realize that, at this moment, you are living in an America where there are many millions of people who've never heard of Joe Garagiola.

 

[2jakes]

If you remember these things...Welcome to the club !...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

[video=youtube;puGQsQux80k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puGQsQux80k[/video]

 

[bbshriver]

I'm one of the young'ns on this board but I'll recount a bizarre conversation I had with a friend some time ago. I'm 28, this conversation may have been 2-3 years ago. Friend is a year younger than me. I don't remember how it came up, but I made the comment "You know, it's weird to think we're probably the last generation that remembers life without the internet" to which he responded "I don't remember not having internet".

Of course same person also said he'd rather give up his car than the internet... as far as I'm concerned the #1 benefit of the internet is it makes it easier to work on old cars!

Again I'm not old, but when the music I remember listening to as a child is now on the "classic rock" station..

And this is more about being an anachronism than being old, but when people at work don't understand why I'm getting married (Have been married 3 years now) because that's such an old fashioned concept "for people who still go to church and stuff" (which I also do)

And the number 1 way to know you're getting old... Is when someone 20+ years younger than you is posting his own experience on the "you know you're getting old when" topic! :eeek:

 

[Feraud]

Getting old when you know "kick start" is something you did with your foot and not wallet.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Of course same person also said he'd rather give up his car than the internet... as far as I'm concerned the #1 benefit of the internet is it makes it easier to work on old cars!

You know, I've tried that, but the computer keeps sliding off the top of the engine.

 

[2jakes]

You know, I've tried that, but the computer keeps sliding off the top of the engine.

Perhaps this might help...Good Luck !

 

[HeyMoe]

You have to teach your kids how to use a rotary phone. My son, 16, looked at the phone, at me and then at the phone and asked "Where are the buttons?"

 

[herringbonekid]

You know you're getting old when one of the kids sticks a sticker on the ticket-selling register reading "Lizzie Is Old." (Which she is, and what's it to ya?)

they obviously missed the G off and it should have read: "Lizzie Is Gold."

 

[Stearmen]

Getting old when you know "kick start" is something you did with your foot and not wallet.

Remember, the number of kicks required, is in direct proportion, to the number of people watching you!