Taste in older things

[Wendy Testaburger]

I'm an odd girl. Not like most of the people I know...

It's hard to describe but I'm really not a fan of modern society. I've always wished I was born in the 40s so I could live my teenage years in the 50s.

 

I love music from back then (Elvis, Chuck Berry, Dion, doo-wop etc), it had some features in it that are just uplifting and just always relatable and fun. Modern music is just computers and sluts screaming or lipsyncing. I also like 70s/80s classic rock like the Steve Miller band.

 

The outfits were so nice too! A reason why I'm weird is because I dress for school like a girl would in the 50s; long skirt and a closed, nicely buttoned top. I also wear my hair in those cute 50s styles. Speaking of hair, why don't guys slick their hair anymore like the Greasers? Not sure if you guys have seen "The Outsiders" but that movie is filled with that stuff

 

Also, the general vibe was just nicer (minus racism, that was terrible and definitely a con of the 40s-60s). Kids had manners and still went outside. Ohh, don't forget that convertibles were a big thing! I've always dreamt of being the girl in that really cliche scene with a guy overlooking the city in 50s Chevy!

 

What about you guys?

[SolidSnails]

Life was simplier back then.....so easier too kill people, but now a days it's nearly impossible too get away with

[Harley]

There was a lot of bush in those days. I've never been a fan.

[Doc Rikowski]

I love 50s music. It's basically the first "modern" music I started to listen to in my teens. I've been a big fan of the whole decade when I was younger.

I mean, I'm still a fan but with time I started to appreciate all type of music and my interests are multiple so I'm not focused only on the 50s.

 

There's nothing odd in you if you ask me. In Europe the 50s are still big among many young and not so young people.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Doc Rikowski

[gtamann123]

I would gladly go back in time and live in any time period between 1945-1990. Basically the post WWII-Pre Internet period.

 

Late 50s-early 60s or mid 80s would have been the best times

Edited August 18, 2014 by gtamann123

[Jimmy_Leppard]

Interesting. I don't recall hearing anyone except the OP expressing the wish to live in the 40's and 50's. Personally, I'd love I had the opportunity to live my teenage years in the 80's, but I was a couple of years late.

[Cripto136]

I really loved the car designs of that time even if their safety features were utter garbage. I hope to own a vehicle pre-1950 one day... I also think the music back then was amazing but most of my experience with those songs come from games that take after that era (Fallout series, Mafia, etc.)

 

Edit: Just look at these beauties!!

Edited August 18, 2014 by Cripto136

[RoadRunner71]

I'd have loved to live in the fallout bunker of my garden awaiting for the commies to attack.

[Jioyt 123]

Ive always wanted to grow up in the late 70s. The way my parents put it, it was pretty good. My dads always saying "when i was your age (14) i would be out on my mo-ped (motorbike) and be off all day,,."

I really wonder how fun that must have been... Oh well, only bad british films and video recordings will be able to tell us now.

[Tyla]

I slick my hair back on most occasions. It turns out looking like a three-way between Greaser, young Robert Mitchum and 42nd Street pimp.

 

Mainly I do so because I have naturally thick hair, but I do have a love for the 50s style. The 80s are my main thing though. I knock about in pastel suits when summer rolls around. All I need is the black Daytona.

 

Weren't there actually people in the UK not long ago who committed to living a 50s life full time and claimed it saved their marriage? Right down to vehicles, clothes and appliances?

 

[Officer620]

They were definitely good times, from as much as I can experience having not lived through them at all (sadly). The 50s, 60s, 70s and the 80s were all very unique decades, especially in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

 

The music, the cars, the music, the people, the fashion, the environment, the businesses and the general social aspects that have changed so much since those times.

 

Simple things such as general politeness and common courtesy have disappeared in the world of iPods, smartphones and other similar technological advances. A "hello" to another person walking down the street, a conversation with someone on the bus... just the small things such as these that appear to be so very rare in modern society.

 

Businesses that would have someone help fill your shopping carts at the checkout, assistants that would fill your vehicle with gas for you and clean the windscreen, classic diners that would have waiters/waitresses bring your food out to the car. Drive-in theaters, the list goes on...

 

Why has food type and preparation changed? A full meal being cooked with fresh ingredients, most of the time made by the restaurant itself. Foods weren't pumped full of preservatives and chemicals, and they were prepared with a bit of the old tender-loving care that seems to be missing from food establishments during the present day.

 

Some of the best cars to ever exist have come out of these time periods, which were pure genius in terms of the motoring world. They were made from metal and not plastic...

 

The fashion of these times can be rather questionable - especially when talking about the 80s! I do miss the era when a suit, tie and fedora was considered standard dress. The women, generally speaking, also wore more respectable clothing in relation to what they showed. The sexualisation of younger people via the media has assisted the current generation greatly in dressing in little more than a few bits of denim and possibly a piece of material to cover the more 'important' aspects. I won't go into the 80s... I think the fashion sense declined greatly at that point in time!

 

Undoubtedly the greatest and most memorable things to come out of these generations is the music. From the dawn of rock 'n' roll pioneered by Elvis Presley, Bill Hailey, Chuck Berry and countless others to the depths of progressive rock made famous by the timeless Pink Floyd. Woodstock, arguably the greatest concert in history including classic acts such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Creedence Clearwater Revival attracted crowds of 400,000 plus back in 1969. I listen to a wide range of music which spans from 1940s jazz to the cheesy pop hits of the 1980s, because I believe the musical talent in the current world has declined dramatically.

 

Of course, issues such as racism, sexism and discrimination were a huge problem during most of these time periods, and as all decades do, they bring their share of problems. It is incredible that these years are often looked back on, however, as golden ages in music, cars and the general living of life. I sympathise with those people of this generation who appreciate the culture and products of a bygone era. I do understand what the OP is saying completely, and it is hard to put into words a love for another generation which you have not lived through and experienced like others. It's common to hear younger people say "I was born in the wrong generation," and no doubt they were, as some people in the 60/70/80s would have been more suited to the current one

 

Yes, GTA Vice City played a big part in my childhood helping with my love for other periods in history. LA Noire, Mafia II, Red Dead Redemption are some examples of just how a contemporary person can experience other eras in a sense.

 

Cheers!

Edited August 18, 2014 by Officer620

[dice]

Also, the general vibe was just nicer (minus racism, that was terrible and definitely a con of the 40s-60s). Kids had manners and still went outside. Ohh, don't forget that convertibles were a big thing! I've always dreamt of being the girl in that really cliche scene with a guy overlooking the city in 50s Chevy!

Every decade had its ups and downs and your statement could apply for any decade or generation. It's just that we tend to hear or remember the good things more than the bad ones, which makes our judgement of that era a little cloudy. A prime example are all those newer music bashers who tend to idolise "the good old days"

Edited August 18, 2014 by dice

[Special Members]

Why would anyone want to have their teen years in the 50s? Pre-1960s society is just too conservative IMO.

[Saikou]

There was a lot of bush in those days. I've never been a fan.

Wow, hahah xD

 

As bad as the cars were back then, I really like them a lot, and the music is not had either, but I think I'd rather have been born in the 80's

[Doc Rikowski]

Some of the things Officer620 mentions as "gone" are very true, I guess especially in the US.

But some things are still very common in Southern Europe: occasional conversations with strangers,

meals "being cooked with fresh ingredients, most of the time made by the restaurant itself",

a general more simple and relaxed attitude towards life.

All still very common even in large cities.

 

I totally agree on the music.

I was a teen in the 80s and already back then we considered 80s music very inferior to the music of the 50s, 60s and 70s.

With time I learned to appreciate a bit more 80s music and there is music I enjoyed in the 90s, 00s and even today.

But overall the music quality of today have reached the lowest level in history, without a doubt.

Problem is image and look have taken over.

Before the image and the look of a singer/musician were simply part of the whole package.

Today, most of the times, that's all they are: an image.

[The Odyssey]

Ah, yes, the fourties. The times of massive jew genocide and racism. Such a simpler time. Silly kids nowadays are too busy on their damn iPhones.

[johnny_zoo]

The outfits were so nice too! A reason why I'm weird is because I dress for school like a girl would in the 50s; long skirt and a closed, nicely buttoned top. I also wear my hair in those cute 50s styles. Speaking of hair, why don't guys slick their hair anymore like the Greasers? Not sure if you guys have seen "The Outsiders" but that movie is filled with that stuff

That's unacceptable. This is 2014, if I was at your school I would report you to the principal for decent exposure.

 

 

IMO the only thing good about those times was the music for me. I love doo-wop but thats it. Times back then weren't good for black people so theres not much I can like about that.

[Guest]

>everyone smokes

>no HDTV

>no Playstation

>no phones to listen to your 60s music

>no games to play as 60s mobster

>racist as f*ck

>probably asbestos everywhere

>extremely unhygienic

>no supercars

>no internet

>no Klaxons

>no memory foam pillows

 

 

SURE SOUNDS GREAT WHERE DO I SIGN UP WOO NOSTALGIA FOR A TIME I NEVER LIVED IN

Edited August 18, 2014 by Guest

[GTA_stu]

I love watching Back To The Future, with it's whole '50s vibe. Just makes me wanna punch some big guy that's molesting Lea Thompson in a car then dance with her to Earth Angel.

 

I look back on a lot of periods and wonder what it must have been like to live during that time. London after the Victorian era, during the 10's and 20's is another time I think would have been great to live in. I really like this video.

 

 

 

Incredible to think how much it's changed, especially at around 4:15 in that video compared to nowadays.

Edited August 18, 2014 by stu

[Affalterbach]

Did you break up with Stan or are you guys still together?

[Kampioen]

Have you forgotten about sexism?

[Doc Rikowski]

>everyone smokes

>no HDTV

>no Playstation

>no phones to listen to your 60s music

>no games to play as 60s mobster

>racist as f*ck

>probably asbestos everywhere

>extremely unhygienic

>no supercars

>no internet

>no Klaxons

>no memory foam pillows

 

 

SURE SOUNDS GREAT WHERE DO I SIGN UP WOO NOSTALGIA FOR A TIME I NEVER LIVED IN

 

In the 80s and most of the 90s we had no HDTV, no Playstation, no mobile phones, no super video games, no internet, no memory foam pillows, no Klaxons and life was just as good if not better than today.

 

Actually children today seem way more bored than I ever was at their age. In fact I was never bored as a kid.

In more than one occasion I heard children complaining that they were bored cause there was nothing to do in some situation where no phones, pads and consoles were available.

When I was a kid there was always something fun to do in absolutely every situation.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Doc Rikowski

[GTA_stu]

Poking a dead animal with a stick/chasing pigeons/throwing stones at your friend's balls/running around like a maniac > smartphones.

Edited August 18, 2014 by stu

[Mister Pink]

It's easy to romanticize the past because usually the good/nice stuff sticks around. But you don't actually know what it's like to live then. Yes, the aesthetic things you mentioned are nice; the cars, the clothes etc but as someone above mentioned, it would be so conservative. So different. I'm glad we live in an information age. We don't have to rely on what one outfit tells us to believe.

 

Would I love to visit the 50's? Yes, as a time-travelling vacation. Live before 50 years of human, medical and societal and technological evolution? No.

 

And this idea that life is simpler back then is bullsh*t. It's all relative. Compared to now... it may seem simpler. But realistically, being born in to the age you only know is just as hard and as simple as someone born in to another age/era.

 

Rollerblading, skateboarding, skydiving, videogaming, cheap travel > Poking a dead animal with a stick/chasing pigeons/throwing stones at your friends balls/running around like a maniac

 

Edited August 18, 2014 by Mister Pink

[Otter]

Life was simplier back then.....so easier too kill people, but now a days it's nearly impossible too get away with

You know, this is going to seem like a weird stat to throw out in here - but while your odds of being murdered are significantly lower, the odds of you being caught aren't all that hot. I mean, it's not like the wild west, but the latest stats I've read put it around 50/50.

 

Anyhow, Wendy, dear, I used to fetishize that period as well, but then as I've aged I've come to see the ridiculous amount of romance heaped on to every representation we see of that era. It's the fiction you're attracted to. More than likely the first thing that'd hit you is the sexism: I can't even watch stuff from the nineties without significant cringing. Rape was rampant and never spoken of. But hell, if you can look past that, then the medical situation should give you pause... I mean, people regularly died of pneumonia. Smoking was EVERYWHERE. Like, hospital waiting rooms everywhere. So, okay, maybe AIDs wasn't a thing, if you're thinking random sex with strangers is a saving grace - but abortions weren't legal and the pill wasn't a thing until 1960 and it carried a lot of slut shaming with it.

 

And the music, culture, you like? I'm willing to bet you're cherry picking the best of over two decades. It's like someone in the future talking about Nirvana and Whitesnake in the same breath. Or White Stripes and One Republic. Silly.

 

I reccomend hanging out at a goofy 60s diner, staring at sh*tty paintings of Elvis and Marylin hanging out in a corvette or something, until you get it out of your system.

[johnny_zoo]

Poking a dead animal with a stick/chasing pigeons/throwing stones at your friends balls/running around like a maniac > smartphones.

 

Why do that stuff yourself? I'd rather watch someone else do it on a smartphone.

Edited August 18, 2014 by johnny_zoo

[Otter]

Yeah, that and fruit ninja are my favorite ga es right now. Have you unlocked the dead salmon? So gnarly.

[Wendy Testaburger]

Obviously there we downs to it (prejudice, discrimination etc), but no iPod? That's the point. Society has shifted from taking off your hat to greet someone to taking out your headphones and muttering "what". Video games? I'm a fan of No supercars? I couldn't exactly picture someone racing down 50s New York

To the people mentioning the 80s; I'd LOVE to live during that decade. The fashion was a bit strange and full of drugs but the music was great. Also, my dad always tells me how he used to just grab a bike and ride down the main road to shops. In many places, (such as where I live) parents don't even let you out of the house. What I guess is cool about the past is that kids were allowed more freedom and thus learned from their own mistakes. I just wish people were nicer today and weren't so droned into their phones.

 

Did you break up with Stan or are you guys still together?

 

lol nope we're still happy together

[Kampioen]

 

Life was simplier back then.....so easier too kill people, but now a days it's nearly impossible too get away with

You know, this is going to seem like a weird stat to throw out in here - but while your odds of being murdered are significantly lower, the odds of you being caught aren't all that hot. I mean, it's not like the wild west, but the latest stats I've read put it around 50/50.

 

Anyhow, Wendy, dear, I used to fetishize that period as well, but then as I've aged I've come to see the ridiculous amount of romance heaped on to every representation we see of that era. It's the fiction you're attracted to. More than likely the first thing that'd hit you is the sexism: I can't even watch stuff from the nineties without significant cringing. Rape was rampant and never spoken of. But hell, if you can look past that, then the medical situation should give you pause... I mean, people regularly died of pneumonia. Smoking was EVERYWHERE. Like, hospital waiting rooms everywhere. So, okay, maybe AIDs wasn't a thing, if you're thinking random sex with strangers is a saving grace - but abortions weren't legal and the pill wasn't a thing until 1960 and it carried a lot of slut shaming with it.

 

And the music, culture, you like? I'm willing to bet you're cherry picking the best of over two decades. It's like someone in the future talking about Nirvana and Whitesnake in the same breath. Or White Stripes and One Republic. Silly.

 

I reccomend hanging out at a goofy 60s diner, staring at sh*tty paintings of Elvis and Marylin hanging out in a corvette or something, until you get it out of your system.

 

 

I wanted to say exactly this but couldn't be bothered to put it into the right words. You've done brilliantly. It's the same reason people idolize the 1930's mafia as some sort of criminal organization with honor, when really they were just racist and murderous f*cks with a loosely defined code.

[Special Members]

The 50s didn't have Slayer. Another reason to not live in that gray, dull decade.