Definitive guide to the goold old days

[Coleman]

I don't remember my parents having to tell me to pull my pants up because the crack of my ass was showing.

I don't remember my parents having to tell me I shouldn't be listening to certain music because the music back then wasn't saying it was cool to kill cops, start riots, rape girls, etc.

Deep personal problems for not letting your kids out late at night today, vs 30, 40, 50 years ago?  Really?  The streets of today actually ARE more dangerous than those of MY CHILDHOOD.  Maybe they aren't as dangerous as YOUR CHILDHOOD or where YOU LIVE, but that's why it comes back to personal experiences and what you use as a benchmark.  They most CERTAINLY are more dangerous than those of our parents and grandparents.

I currently live in the city of Chicago and I can say with 100% certainty that I can walk around with much more safety than where my grandparents grew up in the 1920s and 1930s. Again, personal experience. But your personal experience is no more valid than mine or Hards.

[GGGG]

I don't remember my parents having to tell me to pull my pants up because the crack of my ass was showing.

I don't remember my parents having to tell me I shouldn't be listening to certain music because the music back then wasn't saying it was cool to kill cops, start riots, rape girls, etc.

1.  I have never had to tell my kids that.

2.  I don't really want to compare the lyrics for the music I listened to versus the music they listen to.  Mine were likely worse.

And I remember when my grandmother used to tell me stories about her mother yelling at her about the music she was listening to and the clothes she wore.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't remember my parents having to tell me to pull my pants up because the crack of my ass was showing.

I don't remember my parents having to tell me I shouldn't be listening to certain music because the music back then wasn't saying it was cool to kill cops, start riots, rape girls, etc.

My God but you are an angry, "get off of my lawn" old guy. Parents hating their children's wardrobe, hairstyles, music and overall "culture" was just as prevalent in the tune in, turn on, drop out days of my youth as it is today. Kids rebel, test limits. Parents worry. Same as it ever was.

[Hards Alumni]

I don't remember my parents having to tell me to pull my pants up because the crack of my ass was showing.

I don't remember my parents having to tell me I shouldn't be listening to certain music because the music back then wasn't saying it was cool to kill cops, start riots, rape girls, etc.

Deep personal problems for not letting your kids out late at night today, vs 30, 40, 50 years ago?  Really?  The streets of today actually ARE more dangerous than those of MY CHILDHOOD.  Maybe they aren't as dangerous as YOUR CHILDHOOD or where YOU LIVE, but that's why it comes back to personal experiences and what you use as a benchmark.  They most CERTAINLY are more dangerous than those of our parents and grandparents.

You are the perfect example of the "sky is falling" type of person.  How popular are songs that say that its 'cool to kill cops, start riots, rape girls', and can you actually name any without looking it up?  Or is this some nonsense you 'heard' about?  Perhaps you should go back and listen to some of the more underground songs of the 70s and 80s.

I understand that you don't like others to make generalizations and you'd love to discuss only your personal experiences, but that is unfair if you start by making generalizations about society.  That is pretty convenient.

[swoopem]

I think he is referring to early 90s music rather than music that is coming out today because the majority of today's music doesn't even have lyrics as it EDM (electronic dance music for you old timers)

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Kids rebel, test limits. Parents worry. Same as it ever was.

Bingo.

Kids today aren't without their challenges, but the idea that the youth of today is fundamentally different than before is crazy.

"Back in my day, singers didn't gyrate their hips like that. Totally inappropriate." - Every parent in the 1950's who saw Elvis.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Bingo.

Kids today aren't without their challenges, but the idea that the youth of today is fundamentally different than before is crazy.

"Back in my day, singers didn't gyrate their hips like that. Totally inappropriate." - Every parent in the 1950's who saw Elvis.

Elvis' mom should have told him to knock it the hell off.  Then everything would be fine now.

[muwarrior69]

My God but you are an angry, "get off of my lawn" old guy. Parents hating their children's wardrobe, hairstyles, music and overall "culture" was just as prevalent in the tune in, turn on, drop out days of my youth as it is today. Kids rebel, test limits. Parents worry. Same as it ever was.

I agree with Chico. The mores today are more permissive than they were 50 or 60 years ago. Divorce was shameful and abortion was unthinkable. The Catholic Church condemned the film Peyton Place (’58 or ’59), which by today’s standards are laughable. One of the main characters was raped by her step-father and wanted the town doctor to perform an abortion in the film which was why the church thought it was inappropriate for Catholics to see.  However if the church sensor actually saw the film they may have thought otherwise as the doctor refused to abort the child as it was against the laws of God and man. That was the mind set of the late 50s concerning abortion. The Church itself is to blame for the moral decline of today for it would condemn women who had abortions, point to homosexuals as living a sinful existence; while protecting priests who molested our children. Who would have thought that the unsafest place for our children was the parish rectory. Yes, parents worried, but my parents never had to worry if I was chatting with some pervert on my laptop, or sexting to my girlfriend or listening to vulgar music on my droid or ipad. They didn’t have to lock channels on the TV to make sure I wasn’t watching something inappropriate.  If I did something wrong at school, they didn’t tell the teacher “My son would never do that” they sit me down and explain the new ground rules. We didn’t get suspended from school we got detention; usually all day Saturday or Sunday. No one at that time would bring a gun or even think of bringing one to school. The school I went to was one third minority by the way. Yes parents worried, but today’s parents have a lot more to worry about.

[Coleman]

I agree with Chico. The mores today are more permissive than they were 50 or 60 years ago. Divorce was shameful and abortion was unthinkable.

Some might say its a more just society because a woman can leave her husband in an abusive relationship without fear of retribution or judgment by society. Just my 2 cents...

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I agree with Chico. The mores today are more permissive than they were 50 or 60 years ago. Divorce was shameful and abortion was unthinkable. The Catholic Church condemned the film Peyton Place (’58 or ’59), which by today’s standards are laughable. One of the main characters was raped by her step-father and wanted the town doctor to perform an abortion in the film which was why the church thought it was inappropriate for Catholics to see.  However if the church sensor actually saw the film they may have thought otherwise as the doctor refused to abort the child as it was against the laws of God and man. That was the mind set of the late 50s concerning abortion. The Church itself is to blame for the moral decline of today for it would condemn women who had abortions, point to homosexuals as living a sinful existence; while protecting priests who molested our children. Who would have thought that the unsafest place for our children was the parish rectory. Yes, parents worried, but my parents never had to worry if I was chatting with some pervert on my laptop, or sexting to my girlfriend or listening to vulgar music on my droid or ipad. They didn’t have to lock channels on the TV to make sure I wasn’t watching something inappropriate.  If I did something wrong at school, they didn’t tell the teacher “My son would never do that” they sit me down and explain the new ground rules. We didn’t get suspended from school we got detention; usually all day Saturday or Sunday. No one at that time would bring a gun or even think of bringing one to school. The school I went to was one third minority by the way. Yes parents worried, but today’s parents have a lot more to worry about.

I agree, but I don't know if it necessarily "more". I would say "different".

Let's say you and your kids live on a farm in the 1940's

You have to worry about them:
A. Getting kicked by a horse/bull
B. Getting their hand ripped off by dangerous farm implements
C. Having sex in the hay loft with another kid from down the road
D. Polio
E. etc. etc.

I'd rather worry about my kid on the internet than worry about him having Polio*.

*Yes, I know it's a ridiculous comparison. It was intentional.

Every generation of kids is different, but I don't know that one generation of kids/adults has "more" to worry about than others.

I love old things (cars, records, music, houses, etc.), and I find myself to be very nostalgic. But, I can't/won't let nostalgia cloud my logic.

[keefe]

I'm going to need a yardstick.

Cold water, too

[keefe]

I have heard that Clark Gable had dentures, and  his breath was so bad that Vivienne Leigh's swoons of passion in those close-ups for "Gone with the Wind" were actually her trying not to pass out from the smell.

Plus, both of them are smokers, so that's a non-starter for me.  They both knew how to dress though.  I'll take a guy in a tuxedo over a guy in a Speedo any day.

My wife had read that about Gable's breath. We watched GWTW at the Varsity Theatre and laughed aloud during the kissing scene at that inside joke. I guess he had some awful condition that caused fumes from his gut to come out through his mouth. The thought is stomach turning, actually.

Chick, I thought you were an enlightened sophisticate who appreciated the fervid piquancy of the Côte d'Azur...oui, ou je me trompe???

[ChicosBailBonds]

I currently live in the city of Chicago and I can say with 100% certainty that I can walk around with much more safety than where my grandparents grew up in the 1920s and 1930s. Again, personal experience. But your personal experience is no more valid than mine or Hards.

You're right, it isn't more valid than theres....so when they say unquestionably it is safer now than then, they would be equally wrong.     All depends on your benchmark.  Generally speaking, of course, there is also the data. If you were walking around in the 1940's, 1950's and almost all of the 1960's, you were safer than today.  That's what the FBI says.

[Lennys Tap]

I agree with Chico. The mores today are more permissive than they were 50 or 60 years ago. Divorce was shameful and abortion was unthinkable. The Catholic Church condemned the film Peyton Place (’58 or ’59), which by today’s standards are laughable. One of the main characters was raped by her step-father and wanted the town doctor to perform an abortion in the film which was why the church thought it was inappropriate for Catholics to see.  However if the church sensor actually saw the film they may have thought otherwise as the doctor refused to abort the child as it was against the laws of God and man. That was the mind set of the late 50s concerning abortion. The Church itself is to blame for the moral decline of today for it would condemn women who had abortions, point to homosexuals as living a sinful existence; while protecting priests who molested our children. Who would have thought that the unsafest place for our children was the parish rectory. Yes, parents worried, but my parents never had to worry if I was chatting with some pervert on my laptop.

Your view of the "good old days", when the church (metaphorically) burned books and children were afraid to tell their parents they were being raped by priests for fear of being further abused, are very different than mine.

[ChicosBailBonds]

1.  I have never had to tell my kids that.

2.  I don't really want to compare the lyrics for the music I listened to versus the music they listen to.  Mine were likely worse.

And I remember when my grandmother used to tell me stories about her mother yelling at her about the music she was listening to and the clothes she wore.

Of course, but context is important.   Turn that crazy rock and roll stuff off or stop watching Elvis shake his hips on Ed Sullivan is a litter different than the lyrics of today.  We can play semantics all the time with these comparisons, but I don't think anyone is going to say the lyrics of the 1950's, 1960's are as hostile as what we have seen the last few decades. 

There's a reason ratings came into being for movies, tv shows, music, etc.

Or maybe its due to the creative soul being released now.......

[ChicosBailBonds]

You are the perfect example of the "sky is falling" type of person.  How popular are songs that say that its 'cool to kill cops, start riots, rape girls', and can you actually name any without looking it up?  Or is this some nonsense you 'heard' about?  Perhaps you should go back and listen to some of the more underground songs of the 70s and 80s.

I understand that you don't like others to make generalizations and you'd love to discuss only your personal experiences, but that is unfair if you start by making generalizations about society.  That is pretty convenient.

How popular....actually plenty popular.  Tell me, why do we have ratings systems for songs, etc in the last few decades but didn't need them in the 1950's, 60's, even 70's.   

[ChicosBailBonds]

Some might say its a more just society because a woman can leave her husband in an abusive relationship without fear of retribution or judgment by society. Just my 2 cents...

That's definitely part of it, but there's also a lot of folks that at the first moment of things going bad they leave.  "For better or worse"...doesn't mean a damn thing to many today.  "Good times and in bad"....is a throw away line.  My brother in law does Catholic marriage encounters with his wife to help today's couples, been doing in for years.  The stories are pretty sad.   The decline of the family takes a hit all the time, one wonders what it will be like in another 50 years considering the absolute erosion in the previous 50.  Good times.

[ChicosBailBonds]

My God but you are an angry, "get off of my lawn" old guy. Parents hating their children's wardrobe, hairstyles, music and overall "culture" was just as prevalent in the tune in, turn on, drop out days of my youth as it is today. Kids rebel, test limits. Parents worry. Same as it ever was.

Funny, the parents back then don't say that.  They say how much tougher it is to be a parent today than it was then because of how society has changed.

In a recent poll, 87% of parents say it is tougher to be a parent today when they were growing up.   DAMN all those sky is falling folks.  LOL

When the question was asked of grandparents if they believe it was harder for them to raise their kids in their time or harder for their kids to raise their grandkids, what did they say?  93% said tougher for their kids to raise the grandkids due to technology, societal changes, change in attitudes, lack of discipline in the schools, etc.

DAMN THOSE GRANDPARENTS FOR BEING SUCH CHICKEN LITTLES!!   LOL.    


Here's the 2009 poll, numbers were a little lower.  The more recent one (which I'll post) has that 83% up to 87% and the 90% to 93%.

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/625-kids-today-more-difficult-to-raiseteens-most-troublesome/

[keefe]

Good times.

Dy-No-Mite!

[Lennys Tap]

Funny, the parents back then don't say that.  They say how much tougher it is to be a parent today than it was then because of how society has changed.

In a recent poll, 87% of parents say it is tougher to be a parent today when they were growing up.   DAMN all those sky is falling folks.  LOL

When the question was asked of grandparents if they believe it was harder for them to raise their kids in their time or harder for their kids to raise their grandkids, what did they say?  93% said tougher for their kids to raise the grandkids due to technology, societal changes, change in attitudes, lack of discipline in the schools, etc.

DAMN THOSE GRANDPARENTS FOR BEING SUCH CHICKEN LITTLES!!   LOL.    


Here's the 2009 poll, numbers were a little lower.  The more recent one (which I'll post) has that 83% up to 87% and the 90% to 93%.

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/625-kids-today-more-difficult-to-raiseteens-most-troublesome/

People think it was easier to raise children when they were young, energetic and ran things than they do now, when they're old, tired and the world has passed them by a little? Wow, that is absolutely shocking! Stop the presses!

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Funny, the parents back then don't say that.  They say how much tougher it is to be a parent today than it was then because of how society has changed.

In a recent poll, 87% of parents say it is tougher to be a parent today when they were growing up.   DAMN all those sky is falling folks.  LOL

When the question was asked of grandparents if they believe it was harder for them to raise their kids in their time or harder for their kids to raise their grandkids, what did they say?  93% said tougher for their kids to raise the grandkids due to technology, societal changes, change in attitudes, lack of discipline in the schools, etc.

DAMN THOSE GRANDPARENTS FOR BEING SUCH CHICKEN LITTLES!!   LOL.    


Here's the 2009 poll, numbers were a little lower.  The more recent one (which I'll post) has that 83% up to 87% and the 90% to 93%.

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/625-kids-today-more-difficult-to-raiseteens-most-troublesome/

Here is the problem:

You (and the people polled) are suffering from some sort of nostalgia bias. It's not "harder", it's just different, and that scares people. Fear of the unknown is powerful.

I bet if you asked these same people when it was harder to be a kid, they would say when they were a kid. They had to walk uphill to school... both ways.

And as far as Elvis and lyrics go, you're really missing the point. You are evaluating the pervasiveness using today's standards. It doesn't work like that. 50 years from now, people will look at lil wayne and laugh at the outrage over his stupid pants... but they will have an entirely different perspective because they will be 50 years older.

You are a smart guy. Don't let nostalgia cloud your logic. Certainly some things were better "back in the day", but let's not be silly about it.

[Hards Alumni]

How popular....actually plenty popular.  Tell me, why do we have ratings systems for songs, etc in the last few decades but didn't need them in the 1950's, 60's, even 70's.   

[ChicosBailBonds]

People think it was easier to raise children when they were young, energetic and ran things than they do now, when they're old, tired and the world has passed them by a little? Wow, that is absolutely shocking! Stop the presses!

Yet you ignore the grandparents perspective in seeing how societal changes, etc make it harder today to raise kids.

Shocking.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'll take that as your inability to answer.  There was no need to have ratings systems back in the day when was nothing to rate against.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Here is the problem:

You (and the people polled) are suffering from some sort of nostalgia bias. It's not "harder", it's just different, and that scares people. Fear of the unknown is powerful.

I bet if you asked these same people when it was harder to be a kid, they would say when they were a kid. They had to walk uphill to school... both ways.

And as far as Elvis and lyrics go, you're really missing the point. You are evaluating the pervasiveness using today's standards. It doesn't work like that. 50 years from now, people will look at lil wayne and laugh at the outrage over his stupid pants... but they will have an entirely different perspective because they will be 50 years older.

You are a smart guy. Don't let nostalgia cloud your logic. Certainly some things were better "back in the day", but let's not be silly about it.

Yup, it's different today but it's also harder.  The difference, in this case, has made it harder.  It doesn't have to be one of the other.

Did my grandparents have to worry about teen pregnancy when raising their kids?
How about drug use?
Etc

I could make a list 100 deep.

If it wasn't harder, you wouldn't have 90% plus of grandparents saying it is harder.  In fact listening to people here there has been suggestions in this thread and others that people in NOSTALGIC days want to always tell you how hard it was back in their day.  The old jokes of having to walk barefoot to school and uphill...both ways.  Yet that is exactly the OPPOSITE of what is happening with these survey results.  These old, curmudgeon folks are saying how much HARDER it is today rather than their day.  Hmmmmm


Nothing to do with nostalgia, it's just a lot harder now.  That was the point of interviewing the grandparents who aren't doing the raising of kids now, but they are perceptive and realize how things have changed so much.  You're right, it is "different" but that difference also makes it harder.  Whether it is technology, erosion of morality, less discipline, less religious convictions, whatever...it's harder.