Look That Up In Your Funk & Wagnalls

[dilettante]

A catch-all for "do you remember" people, places and things of days gone by.

 

[dilettante]

Diahann Caroll

Starting in the late '60s, Carroll starred as the titular Julia, single mom and working woman—which was incredibly groundbreaking at the time, because it was the first television series to star a Black woman in such a non-service role (and not everyone noted it as the important moment in on-screen history at the time).

Surely we remember that show?

 

[dilettante]

The good ol' five and dime:

 

[dilettante]

Ye olde slingshot:

 

[dilettante]

Mr. Whipple:

 

[dilettante]

Local dive diners:




I remember Wimpy's selling foot long hot dogs. People often ate in the dirt parking lot out back, that was lit by "Christmas lights" year round.

There were lots of other "tray service" hot dog stands though most had far simpler menus. They were cheaper and way before Dog 'N Suds, A & W, etc.

 

[Fyrefox]

Remember when Bill Cosby sold Jello, and was referred to as “America’s Dad” with his own TV show in the 1980’s?

 

[Fyrefox]

…and there was a time when people showed off their physiques in swimwear that actually covered stuff up, and now appears hilarious?

 

[Pinky]

Local dive diners:

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I remember Wimpy's selling foot long hot dogs. People often ate in the dirt parking lot out back, that was lit by "Christmas lights" year round.

There were lots of other "tray service" hot dog stands though most had far simpler menus. They were cheaper and way before Dog 'N Suds, A & W, etc.

We still have Wimpy's diners here. They have quite an extensive menu.

 

[Paladin1950]

 

[Fyrefox]

There was a time in the 19th century when many women were regarded to suffer from “hysteria,” and come down with mysterious conditions such as “the vapors.” They were prone to “swoon,” and for this reason there were “fainting couches...”.



“Uh oh, looks like she got one of them vapor locks again.”

”It is not a vapor lock! She has the Vapors!“

 

[911]

Diahann Caroll
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Surely we remember that show?

I was really young back then, but I remember mom always watched it. Did she play the part as a nurse?

 

[JBR]

 

[dilettante]

I was really young back then, but I remember mom always watched it. Did she play the part as a nurse?

In Julia, Carroll played widowed single mother, Julia Baker (her husband, Army Capt. Baker, an O-1 Bird Dog artillery spotter pilot had been shot down in Vietnam), who was a nurse in a doctor's office at a large aerospace company.

 

[Fyrefox]

Remember when men of your father’s generation to be considered fully and properly dressed wore hats or caps (not ball caps) when going out in public?


Wherever you saw a group of men, you saw a sea of hats!

 

[Fyrefox]

Remember when Halloween costumes were largely homemade, and usually much creepier as a result?

 

[Fyrefox]

Remember when taking “selfies” or pictures of trivial crap and posting them on ”social media sites” would have been considered idiocy?

 

[Fyrefox]

Remember watching Saturday morning cartoons? I had a very active fantasy life…

 

[dilettante]

Telephone exchanges (and phone numbers) had names (and letters).

Grand Rapids had several exchanges - EMpire (our home), CHerry, GLendale, and there must have been at least one more on the south end that I can't remember. When they "officially" changed over to all numbers I can't remember, but I know there was a fairly long period where some people would use numbers and others letters.

 

[chic]

There was a time in the 19th century when many women were regarded to suffer from “hysteria,” and come down with mysterious conditions such as “the vapors.” They were prone to “swoon,” and for this reason there were “fainting couches...”.

View attachment 344868

“Uh oh, looks like she got one of them vapor locks again.”

”It is not a vapor lock! She has the Vapors!“

I remember fainting couches. We had one. Gran was a proper Victorian although born the year Victoria died.

 

[Fyrefox]

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In was the epitome of hip 1960’s American culture. They had Go-Go dancers who would gyrate in bikinis during musical interludes with flowers, peace signs, and other 60’s tokens painted on their skins, and showcased trendy “must use” expressions such as, “Sock it to me!” (Translation: “Tell me!,” or “Hit me with it!”)

 

[DebraMae]

 

[dilettante]

Early Boomers Generation Jones: Meet the Two Boomer Subgroups

It's time to set the record straight. While Baby Boomers are often spoken of as one large cohort, there are indeed two different types of Boomers.

With dramatic changes in the political, global, and social landscapes, the Baby Boomers can be divided into Early Boomers (teens in the '60s) and Generation Jones (teens in the '70s).

While Early Boomers had major icons to look up to, Generation Jones was too young to remember these icons in their zenith. These Gen Jonesers were too young for Woodstock, the “I have a Dream” speech, and the assassination of the first Catholic president. The youth-driven counter-culture movement had accomplished many of its goals, and those kids that had been fighting for change were fighting for career growth by the 1970s. Instead of the idealistic and optimistic outlook of the Early Boomers, this generation was experiencing the backlash of an economy that was falling dramatically. This economic hardship and slipping post-war optimism defined the atmosphere that Gen Jonesers experienced as they were coming into their formative years.

While the economy took a nose-dive, fuel prices spiked, the oil embargo impacted the nation, and job opportunities shrunk. Gen Jones had to become more independent and learn to fight for their future, because they quickly understood that nothing would be handed to them. With the tight job market, they knew they had to put their head down and work hard, dress for the jobs they wanted not the jobs they had, and develop methods of standing out. This was important for career growth, but at the time the main focus was on simply keeping their jobs. This period of fierce competition for job stability has stayed with the Gen Jonesers, who earned their names because they were constantly striving to “keep up with the jones” or “jonesin” for something more.

Being in the latter group... what I remember are the gas lines, hard times, stiff competition, and constant comparisons with the more advantaged earlier group.

 

[chic]

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In was the epitome of hip 1960’s American culture. They had Go-Go dancers who would gyrate in bikinis during musical interludes with flowers, peace signs, and other 60’s tokens painted on their skins, and showcased trendy “must use” expressions such as, “Sock it to me!” (Translation: “Tell me!,” or “Hit me with it!”)

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Wasn't Judy Carne the Sock it to Me girl??

 

[jujube]

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There WERE great cultural shifts back then! I left the country in 1969 and didn't come back until 1972. I felt like I had emerged from a time lock or something. My sister was wearing ragged bib overalls and faded flannel shirts to school, people were wearing jeans to CHURCH, and bras seemed to have gone out of fashion. Shock wave!