We had a series of radio programmes about attitudes that have changed over the years - smaller issues like the seagull eggs being a regular food for coastal people, who just couldn't understand why the eggs were banned to be picked one day (as the seagulls were a total nuisance, why protect them?), or bigger ones, like the institution of marriage: from protecting children with law (with the maid with an illegitimate baby bump drowning herself) to single mothers being accepted (due to low birth rate in some regions?) and maybe the next step would be extra respect to men having a second family later in his productive life, as only the fittest are able to raise 2 sets of kids. Instead of condemning them for abandoning their (first) family. Or the perception of beauty - from the white plump brides of the Rubens times to the modern skinny tanned ones. Beautiful is what's available to the rich and idle, that is - used to be no need to go outside and preserve the blueish white complexion and have enough food to get some cellulite under one's skin; and is being able to afford gym, sunbeds and/or posh resorts. Or wildlife - from every suitable patch being used for growing food, swamplands dried and forests cut, to protecting biodiversity. Well, nothing new of course, just one doesn't think about it mostly. My Father reminds me of some by growling about the pastures and coppice having invaded the fields, though .
Anything you've found weird or interesting? (and not the "young-people-today" thing, you know ).
The one that springs to mind is the recent court case when some black footballer (I've already forgotten who, and by whom) was alleged to have been called an " F-ing black C--- "
Undoubtedly 50 years ago the first and third words would have generally been regarded as very offensive, but now it was the word "black" (or the implications of its use) that was deemed to have caused offence.
Smoking. When I was young, even if you didn't smoke, you kept an ashtray in the house for the use of smokers. Now some regular smokers go out of their own houses for a drag.
Choice of clothes for social and everyday occasions. Once everyone wore a hat of some kind in public, and by some unspoken rule, social status was delineated by the type of hat worn. Now they are seldom seen, except at special events like weddings, classic horseraces, and so on, where they are worn in an almost jokey manner as if they are a larky form of fancy dress. Fascinators? They have to be a joke, by definition!
Travel clothing has undergone a transformation, from the days when one dressed smartly for air or train journeys, to the present "anything goes" maelstrom of shellsuits, shorts, string vests, ripped jeans, boiler suits and the like. Comfort rules, style departs. Look around you at any airport ...
Summer (when we used to have proper ones) was once the time when the fair sex donned a dazzling display of pretty sleeveless dresses with colourful floral designs in celebration of sunshine, warm breezes and the pleasures of life al fresco. It is now rare to see such apparel, ladies of all ages are apparently returning home from jobs in the local garage working in the service pit, at least that is the impression given by their clothing.
Undoubtedly 50 years ago the first and third words would have generally been regarded as very offensive, but now it was the word "black" (or the implications of its use) that was deemed to have caused offence.
I remember seeing a program on TV where taboo words were discussed and someone who had syudied the subject held up two lists on one list were the regular swear words including the F word and on the other were words like queer, nigger, wog, poof, etc.
He held one list on the right and one list on the left and stated that in the 70s the swear words were verboten on TV but the racial and homosexual slang were OK. He then swapped the boards around and stated that now the two lists were reversed.
Outrage would ensue if the sort of language used in 'Love Thy Neighbour' and 'Till Death Us Do Part' was heard now yet few bat an eyelid when the F word is used in radio or TV.
Reference the way people dress I still think it speaks volumes about someone and I think that what passes for casual clothing nowadays generally looks so hideous! I think trainers as footwear, apart from when exercising or playing games, are an abomination!
I am sure I can hear my late father saying the same sorts of things about my choice of clothing!
What about the attitude of holding a door open for someone, a lady etc. I know we have a lot of automatic doors now but you don't see it that often. I think people walk around in a bubble, totally oblivious to who is coming in or out in front of them.
It was only in the 1970's that Golliwog Jam and other "racist" food was removed from the shelves.
603DX I agree some travel clothing has gone way too far the wrong way but traveling on longer flights in suits / jackets and ties really is uncomfortable. You can still dress smartly without being uncomfortable.
The attitude towards nice firm tits, fortunately, will never change. Admittedly there was a brief flurry of panic during the irrational Twiggy era of the 1970s but it soon died out and immediately junked in the trash can of history to be blissfully forgotten.
Ref the smoking thing. This was brought home to me quite vividly a few months ago when I tuned in an old Andy Griffith television show, and there was Andy, lighting up a cigarette INDOORS, and right in front of good old Aunt Bee.
It struck me as SO jarring that I was amazed at how my own attitudes on the subject had changed since I quit thirty years ago.
Outrage would ensue if the sort of language used in 'Love Thy Neighbour' and 'Till Death Us Do Part' was heard now yet few bat an eyelid when the F word is used in radio or TV.
The thing is, wasn't it mainly white people, whose own "ideas" of discrimination meant they only heard the offending words and did not realise the whole idea of these shows was putting down the bigots as well as showing them they were idiots (and worse), who complained about the language being used in all these shows back then?
I remember watching "Love Thy Neighbour" when I was a rugrat, and I never tired of seeing the "bigot" get, effectively, slapped down in every episode. And since I come from a small town in Jockistan, the only "immigrants" we had back then were those who ran the local Chinese restaurants/takeaways, you could hardly think that we were used to seeing "coloured" people on a daily basis..........
Handwriting? With just about everyone having access to laptops and smartphones, apart from form filling and shopping lists, how many people, excluding schoolchildren and students, would write pages of longhand these days?
Don't knock writing things out in longhand goudie, J K Rowling has written all of her books out in longhand for her first drafts, and hasn't done too badly out of it!
The PYT is writing with one of them old fashioned "pen" thingies on a strange substance called "paper" as we speak.
Personally, I prefer to use pen and paper to count rather than a calculator as half the time I can figure it out the old fashioned way faster than it takes to unlock phone screen=> navigate to calculator app=> input wot needs calculated into app => read answer. That only applies if I can't figure it out in my head faster......
I agree some travel clothing has gone way too far the wrong way but traveling on longer flights in suits / jackets and ties really is uncomfortable. You can still dress smartly without being uncomfortable.
How do you view Prince William and Harry ?
I agree with you absolutely regarding suits and ties for long-haul flights, 500N, but some people really take liberties with the reasonable concept of "smart casual"! No fun finding yourself next to a hairy, sweaty type in a vest, shorts and flip-flops for hours on end.
How do I view the dress habits of the two Princes? Just about perfect, in my opinion. They both look smart as paint in their best military uniforms, and their informal clothing is comfortable and stylish, in keeping with their youth and the current fashions.
Geez, that middle Grace is a poster child for the expression "Does my ass look fat in this?"
Attitude toward language. I had an uncle who spent both World Wars in the Navy. He could swear for 10 minutes straight without repeating himself, but I never did hear him drop the F-bomb. Now there are comedians, and I use the term loosely, whose standup routine could be reduced from 10 minutes to 30 seconds if they applied the same restriction.
Attitudes that have changed
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Since the times of Rubens!
