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Friday, 24 November 2023

Then and Now


Anyone could say that this video compares the best with the worst and perhaps it does. Yet I particularly like the point about how people presented themselves in the recent past and how they present themselves today - that has changed.


7 comments:

DiscoveredJoys said...

I remember when I was a young lad in the early fifties my mother warned me about going into a particular house owned by a 'nasty man'.

Nothing more was said, I was too young, but on reflection I believe that if anything had happened the 'nasty man' would have had a visit by local parents and given a good beating.

Perhaps that is the power of local social disapproval we have surrendered, somehow. In being kinder to struggling people we have allowed the 'nasty' people cover for their appetites.

Perhaps Jim'll Fix It anyone?

Sam Vega said...

There's some mild irony there in that Joey himself hardly has the clothing and posture of a presenter from the 1950s, but what he says is basically true. I particularly liked the images of the black women in the old footage - they were clearly self-respecting and integrated. We don't see that from America these days. It reminded me of some of the old clips from this country that you have featured: people playing up for the camera, but respectfully, with children waving and running along, rather than being abusive and confrontational. Now it seems that the only way some people can interact is by being vulgarly aggressive.

dearieme said...

Thank God we are no longer obliged to wear ties. Though I confess it might have been better to replace them by cravats - more splendid, more comfortable.

A K Haart said...

DJ - some years ago I read about a street in the 1930s which had its 'nasty man' who crossed the line in some way involving a child and was given a good beating by neighbours. Apparently he cleared off and was never seen again.

Sam - yes, Joey does come across as pretty casual himself. As you say, people in old clips do seem to be self-respecting and integrated and not vulgarly aggressive. TV and cinema must have had some input into the vulgar aggression.

dearieme - for me it's ties for weddings and funerals, nothing else. I never did find them particularly comfortable, but always wore one for work.

DAD said...

NASS has quite a few videos. It always amazes me how slim (almost) everyone is.

djc said...

Weddings— attend a lot these days as a bellringer. Spot the bloke who doesn't normally wear a suit and tie. Nowadays it's likely to be all of them, and the women not much better. Kitted out for the party afterwards not the ceremony.

A K Haart said...

DAD - early videos of Butlin's also show how slim people were, especially views of people in the swimming pool.

djc - when our son was married, a few of the young men kitted out in formal suits were surprised to see how smart they looked even to their own eyes. Apparently, dressing to look smart in a formal sense wasn't something they had done before.