My dream team.
Today my mom and I decided to get soda and fries from a 1950’s looking restaurant. It’s funny how an environment and music can take you to a time that you were never a part of. “Mr. Lee” by The Bobbettes was playing as we dipped our fries in ketchup (not catsup…) and we thought, wouldn’t it be great to live in the 50’s?
I think if I could choose any decade to live in I would choose the 50’s. It just seems like such an innocent time. I mean, yeah, there was war and stuff (Can you believe I’m a Historian? “war and stuff” wtf) but there seemed to be a kindness in the world that doesn’t exist anymore. For example, take the show Happy Days, the show was supposed to take place in the 50’s and was called HAPPY DAYS. Proof that life was better then. Also, you were bound to have friends with names like Potsie, Chachi, Joanie, and Ralph. No one is named Ralph anymore!
Also, what about Grease? Everyone was cool in that movie. Except Eugene. Wait, Eugene was cool at the end when he threw the pie in the gym teacher’s face at the carnival. Why do I remember that? Also, they had a diner that everyone met at, just like Happy Days! No one meets at cute diners anymore. Now we just go to Chili’s and eat our feelings.
Possibly the best representation of the 50’s is in my favorite movie, Stand By Me. I wish I was friends with those boys. I wish I could tell Gordie that he was a good writer, and tell Chris that he wasn’t worthless. By the way, if you haven’t seen this movie, you’re dead to me. Loving Stand By Me shouldn’t be the reasoning behind me wanting to live in the 50’s, but it is.
Other decades just seem sub par. I mean, anything before the 1800’s was the worst because “Greensleeves” was probably played on repeat and more importantly, toiletpaper didn’t exist. I mean, it would be fine if you were royalty, but even then, there would be too much pressure. Not a fun-filled time.
The 60’s seemed pretty groovy, music started to get better, women could finally feel okay about wearing pants, and people were almost not racist. The 70’s would probably be my second choice. It was the best decade for movies, and most people could afford a colored television by then. Music was awesome, and people had lava lamps! Besides my birth, the 80’s seem boring. Everyone in the 80’s seemed like they were trying so hard to be cool. Same with the 90’s. And now everyone is just obsessed with themselves. Isn’t that why people have facebook, twitter, instagram, tumblr, pinterest, etc? The answer is yes. Only yes.
Which time period would you want to live in?
Lily In Canada 
I think I might like the 20s or 30s, minus the Depression. That happened around those times, right? I like the style and fashion, the movies and the music. Everything looks classier in black and white.
How dare you blaspheme against the 90s after the phenomenal post I just put up today! 😉
Haha true! There was so much beauty in the 90’s! That post really took me back to the good ol’ days!
20’s or 30’s would be fun! Get a cute flapper haircut, go dancing in harlem, listen to jazz! I see the draw to that era!
I think the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s were pretty great. A little more innocent and wholesome. The only thing I’d change would be the medical advancements we have today. As much as I like cell phones, microwaves and computers, I also liked going on a road trip, knowing that I couldn’t be reached or playing outside till it got dark, no interest in being indoors, no technology to tie us down. There’s something great about all of our new technology but there’s also something so invasive about it. A better quality of life? I’m not sure?
I’m pretty sure picking 3 is cheating. Definitely a better quality of life. Nowadays we don’t even get the feeling of missing anyone because connections are at our fingertips!
Lines like this: ” Now we just go to Chili’s and eat our feelings.” are one of the reasons I kept reading your blog and finally started commenting on it and now look where I am and it’s all your fault for writing great lines.
Okay, when would I live? Hmmmm. ’20s was pretty much rise of industry and flappers and Prohibition, good times until the Crash in ’29. Depression lasted all of the ’30s until WWII started in ’41. That kind of ate up most of the ’40s, and, I’m not sure I could deal with living off a Victory Garden. Everything I plant dies, so, at least I’d have been really thin, right?
I guess I’m with ’55-’68, I think. To see the changes in how American dealt with issues, the rise of music, the discovery a generation could change something by protesting, and, at the same time, that peace of playing outside long after dark, when trips to the library were a big deal, when you walked everywhere, and families had dinner together.
What a great post, and, I’ve rambled. I’m an ass.
You’re cheating too! ’55-’68 is more than a decade! I’m going to assign you the 60’s. But everything you described sounds perfect. Why isn’t life like that anymore? Since you complimented me, I will allow somewhat of a ramble 😉
Whew. Okay, I’ll take the ’60s. I have good legs, so, the mini skirt would have worked for me.
I am something of a WWII nut so the early 1940s would be great if I didn’t have to deal with rationing and fake stockings.
I felt really let down by the film Stand by Me. I had already read the book (Stephen King wrote it) which is very good and there were so many scenes in the film that didn’t have any of the tension that was in the book.
The railway bridge bit was completely different and so was the bit where they climb back over the fence to get away from the dog.
Dude give me some cred! I know it was written by Stephen King. But I know what you’re saying. That’s the main reason why I don’t read the books before the movies–always a let down!
I could see you in Atonement. Fake stockings always seemed like an attractive idea to me. But now you can really fake it.
Myt wife always says she feels she was destined to live in the 1800s, but I’d join you in the 1950’s. Still, you have to make the most of what you have, I guess.
Great post, though!
I feel like the 1800’s would be rough. Your wife must be a real trooper! Yeah, the 50’s just seem easy.
Ugh you bastard I wrote something about the 1950s. I’m going to have to hold off on it for a little longer and hope people forget about this.
I would much rather live like 500 years ago than some time in the last century. If I had to choose I would like to have been maybe 20 years old in 1982. It seems like everything really picked up after that. You could have gotten on the ground floor of a lot of companies that made a lot of money. People were still doing their mediocre and boring jobs, but there were also opportunities for better things. I feel like I’m rambling and not completing thoughts.
I knew one guy named Ralph. He died last summer. I think we can officially close out the name now.
Hah uh oh! Same wavelength! People will never forget about this post. It will be etched in their minds forever.
500 years ago you would probably be a serf, or some kind tradesman. You don’t seem like you would be rockin a crown. No offense.
1982 seems like a good choice. I could see you as a Lloyd Dobbler type in the 80’s.
RIP to every Ralph.
I had to look up who Lloyd Dobler was. I don’t think I’m nearly as romantically creative as him.
I’d be a terrible Prince/King/Duke. I might be able to pull off as a Count. The taste of blood really doesn’t bother me much. I have that going for me.
You didn’t know who Lloyd was?! You better watch Say Anything! So 80’s and good!
I could see you as a count. I don’t think counts really did anything, but they still managed to have money. Perfect life.
Any time between 1905 and 1920.
You could ditch everything, move anywhere, and start a whole new life.
That’s a fun thought sometimes…
Also, not just Dobler. Didn’t John Cusack play the same guy like 9 times in the 80s?
There is something so freeing about being able to start over. I see the attraction to that time period.
Haha true about John Cusack. Such a versatile actor.
Hah one of my first posts that I wrote I said I wished I lived in the 50s! Definitely seems like a better time to me by far!
http://evolutionofhatred.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/born-in-the-wrong-decade/
Haha really?! Awesome! I’m gonna go have myself a read…