Life In America

[Nucks]

I think the video captures a past that was a reality for a few people. It's very monochrome (no, I don't mean b&w ). It was a much simpler way of life and I imagine a lot of us miss that. There are so many distractions now, so many ways to occupy our spare time, money, and attention.

I doubt it was idyllic though, there was a lot of unrest so where did that come from if everyone was happily living the Leave it to Beaver dream? And would an honest hidden camera clip have captured anything close to that? It was a little bit of propaganda, not much more.

[Ray of Sunshine]

Let's look at the realities that lay underneath that happy veneer.
That ''brilliant'' 50's era was sandwiched between WW2 & the Korean war on one side ….. and the Vietnam & the Iraq war on the other side.
Vets had ptsd, young teens worried about conscription, gay men hid in the closet, mexicans & blacks were exploited, liberal academics were bullied, political dissenters feared witchhunts cos being branded 'commies' meant disaster.

What a load of rubbish.

In what way were black and Mexicans "exploited" in the 1950s?

Do you mean discriminated against?

Young teens did not "worry about conscription" in the 1950s since the draft age was 21 to 29 and the draft didn't become an issue until the Vietnam War in the mid 60s.

As for liberal academics being being and Communist witch hunts we now have conservative academics being bullied and hunts for non-PC witches, which no doubt you think is completely fair.

The USA in the 50s was an economic boom time, they had big cars, big houses, TVs, fridges, Rock n Roll, James Dean and Marlon Brando, we still had rationing.

[McAz]

The USA in the 50s was an economic boom time, they had big cars, big houses, TVs, fridges, Rock n Roll, James Dean and Marlon Brando, we still had rationing.

Because they grew rich from war production whereas we were impoverished by actually fighting it - and because post-war we had masses of destroyed infrastructure to rebuild whereas they did not.

[Text]

I think the video captures a past that was a reality for a few people. It's very monochrome (no, I don't mean b&w ). It was a much simpler way of life and I imagine a lot of us miss that. There are so many distractions now, so many ways to occupy our spare time, money, and attention.

I doubt it was idyllic though, there was a lot of unrest so where did that come from if everyone was happily living the Leave it to Beaver dream? And would an honest hidden camera clip have captured anything close to that?

It was a little bit of propaganda, not much more.

You're a wise one.
Suspicion of fake propaganda was the reason for my post.

I remembered Sarah Palin trying to sell herself to voters as a fearsome 'pitbull mom with lipstick' who would sort all America's problems out - when in fact the members of her own household were all unravelling out of control right under her nose. Her daughter was just as bad, accepting fat fees to campaign against teenage pregnancy and press the teenage celibacy message - while doing the opposite. Liars, the lot of them!

Now we have Ray citing shallow nonsense about big cars & sexy music & James Dean - while conspicuously ignoring the human price of how that wealth was obtained and the perennial unrest around it.

[Text]

Let's look at the realities that lay underneath that happy veneer.
That ''brilliant'' 50's era was sandwiched between WW2 & the Korean war on one side ….. and the Vietnam & the Iraq war on the other side.
Vets had ptsd, young teens worried about conscription, gay men hid in the closet, mexicans & blacks were exploited, liberal academics were bullied, political dissenters feared witchhunts cos being branded 'commies' meant disaster.

What a load of rubbish.

In what way were black and Mexicans "exploited" in the 1950s?

Do you mean discriminated against?

Young teens did not "worry about conscription" in the 1950s since the draft age was 21 to 29 and the draft didn't become an issue until the Vietnam War in the mid 60s.

As for liberal academics being being and Communist witch hunts we now have conservative academics being bullied and hunts for non-PC witches, which no doubt you think is completely fair.

The USA in the 50s was an economic boom time, they had big cars, big houses, TVs, fridges, Rock n Roll, James Dean and Marlon Brando, we still had rationing.

Oh let's sit here and carefully split hairs over the exact definition of words, shall we? A good way to pass the time...... not!
Your RW tripe always leaves me stone cold, sorry.
But when I look in again tonight I might reply to your points ............. if I CBA, that is.

[Text]

Tom posts a pleasant video about life during 50s America and the usual suspects, with the exception of Bella, jump on his back. What a bunch of losers.

This thread sat around for 2 solid days without getting a single reply, which is unusual for the arms subforum.
Least my post sparked life into an untouched thread sitting at the bottom of the page in imminent danger of vanishing off the front page, untouched.

Anyone who had wanted to congratulate the OP on his marvellous video had plenty of chance to do so, long before I posted.
Once Tom made it clear he wasn't on his latest 'MAGA' wheeze, I thought 'fair enough' and left him to it.

The only times I chip into politics threads these days, is usually when I stumble on amusing cartoons that make me giggle & I want to share. Otherwise, not too fussed.

[Nucks]

I think the video captures a past that was a reality for a few people. It's very monochrome (no, I don't mean b&w ). It was a much simpler way of life and I imagine a lot of us miss that. There are so many distractions now, so many ways to occupy our spare time, money, and attention.

I doubt it was idyllic though, there was a lot of unrest so where did that come from if everyone was happily living the Leave it to Beaver dream? And would an honest hidden camera clip have captured anything close to that?

It was a little bit of propaganda, not much more.

You're a wise one.
Suspicion of fake propaganda was the reason for my post.

I remembered Sarah Palin trying to sell herself to voters as a fearsome 'pitbull mom with lipstick' who would sort all America's problems out - when in fact the members of her own household were all unravelling out of control right under her nose. Her daughter was just as bad, accepting fat fees to campaign against teenage pregnancy and press the teenage celibacy message - while doing the opposite. Liars, the lot of them!

Now we have Ray citing shallow nonsense about big cars & sexy music & James Dean - while conspicuously ignoring the human price of how that wealth was obtained and the perennial unrest around it.

I did laugh a little in some parts, the wife doing the weekly shopping on Saturday. I sure hope this wasn't the norm for most of America at the time or their grocers would be out of business.

Also unions... the concept is admirable, a collective looking out for the employees' best interests but the reality is not about that much anymore.

[Guest]

What it shows is how a working class man could afford to keep a family and buy a new build home. You wouldn't get that today with that kind of job. It also shows what society expected of a man. Get married, have children, buy a home. Mow the grass. It didn't show him years later dying of cancer because of his job, or his wife left without qualifications and working for pittance in the modern world. Or the grandchildren with obesity and ADHD and Trump voters.

[xtras1]

I love the old American gangster films.... don't make them like that any more :(

[Stooo]

Watched it in full.

Fuck that shit and all of that cleaning.

[McAz]

Class. I've strapped my missus to a chair and forced her to watch.

[Rolluplostinspace]

Class. I've strapped my missus to a chair and forced her to watch.

So the oppression is real!!!!!!

[McAz]

Class. I've strapped my missus to a chair and forced her to watch.

So the oppression is real!!!!!!

It's Cumbria - 1919 AD.

[Guest]

Let's look at the realities that lay underneath that happy veneer.
That ''brilliant'' 50's era was sandwiched between WW2 & the Korean war on one side ….. and the Vietnam & the Iraq war on the other side.
Vets had ptsd, young teens worried about conscription, gay men hid in the closet, mexicans & blacks were exploited, liberal academics were bullied, political dissenters feared witchhunts cos being branded 'commies' meant disaster.

What a load of rubbish.

In what way were black and Mexicans "exploited" in the 1950s?

Do you mean discriminated against?

Young teens did not "worry about conscription" in the 1950s since the draft age was 21 to 29 and the draft didn't become an issue until the Vietnam War in the mid 60s.

As for liberal academics being being and Communist witch hunts we now have conservative academics being bullied and hunts for non-PC witches, which no doubt you think is completely fair.

The USA in the 50s was an economic boom time, they had big cars, big houses, TVs, fridges, Rock n Roll, James Dean and Marlon Brando, we still had rationing.

Segregation ?? Blacks not being allowed to use Drinking Fountains that White Folk used ? Being made to sit at the back of the bus ??

How about the "Separate but Equal" ruling of the Supreme Court that allowed Segregation of schools provided that the schools were equally as good, except they weren't Schools for White kids had smaller class sizes and were better resourced than the schools the Black Kids had to go to (a problem that still endures to today)

How about "For White People the 50s was an economic boom time, they had big cars, big houses, TVs, fridges, Rock n Roll, James Dean and Marlon Brando"

If life was so great for the African-American in the 50's there wouldn't have been a need for the Civil Rights Movement of the early 60's

[Ray of Sunshine]

What it shows is how a working class man could afford to keep a family and buy a new build home. You wouldn't get that today with that kind of job. It also shows what society expected of a man. Get married, have children, buy a home. Mow the grass. It didn't show him years later dying of cancer because of his job, or his wife left without qualifications and working for pittance in the modern world. Or the grandchildren with obesity and ADHD and Trump voters.

Yes they could afford to pay the mortgage with just one wage and the wife could stay at home and raise the kids if she wanted.

Terrible times.

Much better today where you need two wages and the kids have to look after themselves.