Image courtesy of Wikipedia.com
I was a teenager in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. During that time the television show “Happy Days” was popular. For those who aren’t familiar with the show, it was an American sitcom revolving around a teenage boy, Richie Cunningham, and his family and friends.
Richie was the all-American wholesome young man. Any parent would have been thrilled to have him date their daughter. Many times, while I watched the show, I’d imagine what it would have been like to be a teenager in the 1950s.
The show makes me wonder, how dating in the 1950’s might differ from today?
In the 1950’s:
The boy would extend a proper invitation by calling on the family’s rotary phone. If the phone was in use, he’d get a busy signal, not call waiting.
www.wikipedia.com
Today:
He’d send a text message. Or perhaps he’d Tweet the invite on Twitter, or post it on Facebook.
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In the 1950’s
The girl would wear a poodle skirt with a fitted blouse, tightly tucked in. Bobby socks and saddle shoes would complete the outfit.
http://en.wikipedia.org
Today:
She’d wear a pair of skinny jeans or leggings, along with ballet flats.
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In the 1950’s:
Her hair would be pulled up into a high, bouncy ponytail. It’s held in place with a ribbon perfectly coordinated with her blouse.
https://en.wiktionary.org
Today:
She could spend hours with a flat iron, curling iron, or another appliance, in order to achieve that natural look.
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In the 1950’s:
Upon arriving at the girl’s home, the boy would ring the doorbell. Inside he’d meet the entire family…even Uncle Joe who’s visiting from out of town. Her father would interrogate the boy about his plans for the future. If he passes inspection, he’d be offered a soda.
morguefile.com
Today:
The boy sends a text that he’s out in front of the house. Or even worse, he just honks the horn.
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In the 1950’s:
The couple might go to a soda shop for burgers. They’d play music on the jukebox and talk. After, they’d go to a drive-in movie.
morguefile.com
Today:
The twosome would go to a dark movie theater where conversation is impossible. After, they’d go to a restaurant for dinner where they’d stare at their iPhones, instead of one another.
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In the 1950’s:
During the car ride home, the couple would enjoy listening to Bill Haley and the Comets, or maybe Frank Sinatra.
https://en.wikipedia.org
Today:
They’d both wear ear buds so they can listen to their own music. He likes country, she prefers Taylor Swift.
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In the 1950’s:
Back at the girl’s home, he’d be a complete gentleman. He’d walk her to the front door to say goodnight, while her parents spied out the window.
Today:
He’d pull up to the curb and say, “I’ll text you later.”
Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to grow up or date in another era?
**I’m at the day job today, so I’ll be around later to chat.”
By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired. Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia. She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University. She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard. Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.
This comparison made me laugh out loud! Especially being on social media while eating or separate earbuds while driving. I wonder what else we can think of….
I’m really hopeful some of these are on the extreme side. ‘Cause that’s a sad, sad picture you’ve painted for today. (I don’t have teens yet, so I can only hope that my boys will be more respectful than this. I’m certainly going to try and raise them to be!) But I did chuckle about him liking country and her liking Taylor Swift. Didn’t she start out country? So maybe they have some common ground after all. :)
Interesting post. While I enjoy reading historical romances I prefer to live in the here and now. As American women we now have so many more opportunities. I attended elementary school in the 1950s – most of us could not afford poodle skirts or saddle shoes. Love Michigan because we can still experience the 1950s by having a frosted root beer float at a drive in and on the weekend see a movie at a drive in theatre.
Haha Jill, as a fan of Happy Days, I enjoyed this post. However, I bet there were boys who just honked the horn out front even in the 1950s!
How fun to compare the differences- but how sad do things seem today! Being a big Pride and Prejudice fan, I find the ‘dating’ rituals of regency times interesting- way different from today, way more complicated it seems! Makes me wonder what my boys will be like when they grow up…hope they are more respectful than to just honk the car horn though!!
Hilarious (and so true), Jill! And sad at the same time. We’ve gone from talking to each other to texting (and in some cases, to just honking a horn at someone). :-( But the separate earbuds aspect–soooo true. I’ve seen teens pass an earbud over so their friend can at least hear what they’re listening to.
I thought about what life would have been like in the Regency period and also medieval times. Medieval times would have been very smelly, I’m sure!
I love reading historical fiction, but am thankful for modern conveniences. My daughter just got married to wonderful Christian young man. He was respectful and nervous around her father at first and asked permission to date and then later to marry. He’s more relaxed now, but still polite.
I laughed at your description of a modern day date :-)!
Great comparison. So much difference.
What an interesting, fun, and thought-provoking post! Times have certainly changed. The 50s and 60s were a great time to grow up, although I do love some of my modern conveniences. I don’t think I would have been a good pioneer or frontierwoman. It might be fun to spend a day or two in a different era. Looking back, some of the different time periods seem harsh and hard, but I guess if you’d never experienced indoor plumbing or washers/dryers, etc. you wouldn’t miss them. You would just make do with what you had.
I also grew up watching the “Fonz” and the show “Happy Days” ! I loved it, and how polite and innocent the kids were and how loving and involved the families were with each other. It’s funny the comparisons you made of the differences between then and now, but also, it is a little sad.
I guess I’m really happy to be born when I was, I can’t imagine growing up in a time when women didn’t have as much freedom as today (in the Eastern world at least). I know it’s not perfect yet and violence is escalating, but I wonder if it wasn’t just unreported not so long ago. That being said, I think it would be really nice to have some of the oldies respect and innocence back. Some areas of our lives are just way too wild.
Besides “Happy Days” I was thinking of “leave It to Beaver” and how the boys in that show wore suits to the movies. That cracks me up. We went out to eat recently at a very nice restaurant. I couldn’t believe the people who sat at a table near us. They were wearing shorts and wrinkled t-shirts.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Diane. It amazes me how people are in restaurants these days, choosing to focus on their phone rather than their dining partner. With this new Pokemon Go craze, we could probably come up with a lot more. :) Thanks for reading!
After listening to my 90 year-old aunt tell stories of her childhood, I’m thankful to be living in the here and now too, Renate. When I lived in Virginia, there was a drive in theater toward the mountains. I loved going there. Michigan sounds so nice! Thank you for visiting.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Lee. Happy Days was a great show. It’s a shame they don’t play the re-runs for the next generations. You’re probably right about the honking. :) Thanks for reading!
Enjoyed your post, Jill! Times surely HAVE changed in many respects. I have to say, though, that one of my complaints about seeing older diners in a restaurant is that they’re often fixated on their respective phones, too, instead of sharing conversation. Argh. So, it’s not only young people who do that anymore. And, I hesitate to say this (and bring a sad reality into the picture), but the girl who played Joanie Cunningham (at last report) was living up the road from us in a small Indiana town and going through a very rough period of her life, apparently, and is in need of a lot of prayer. Thanks for your insights, and blessings!
Let’s hope my post is more of a piece of fiction, Wemble. :) Oh yes, I love Pride and Prejudice too! As for your boys, I have a feeling they’ll grow up to be perfect gentlemen. Thanks for stopping by today!
It is sad, isn’t it? I’ve noticed at my office people text each other more than having face to face conversations. Thankfully, I’m not a texter, so if they have something to say to me, they must pay me a personal visit. :) I’m not sure I’d last too long during the Medieval times! Thanks for stopping by, L. Marie!
Thanks for sharing a little about your new son-in-law, Diana. He sounds like a gem! It’s nice to hear about a younger man having old fashioned values these days. I appreciate you reading!
Thanks, Karen! As Diana’s comment indicates, there are still some old fashioned guys out there. I appreciate you stopping by!
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Winnie. By the way, I love your name! It reminds me of The Wonder Years…another great show. I have to agree, I’m not sure if I’d make it as a pioneer woman either. Once, I attempted to shoot a shotgun on my uncle’s farm and I fell backward to the ground. :) I appreciate your visit today.
This was my attempt at humor, Elizabeth, so hopefully its exaggerated a bit. :) I think you’re right, Taylor Swift did start out country…LOL! Thanks for reading!
Unlike so many shows today, Happy Days was a nice wholesome show. I loved Richie. :) Let’s hope there’s more coming to the front door and meeting the parents these days. Thanks for reading!
I agree, Priscila. These days, there’s so much sensationalism in the media, they have a tendency to blow things out of proportion and focus too much on the bad. I still believe there’s a lot of good in this world…maybe people have to get off their phones to notice. :) Thanks so much for stopping by.
Oh, I loved LEAVE IT TO BEAVER also, Merrillee! Although I liked, The Beave, I loved to see Wally go on a date dressed in a suit and tie. It was funny! It’s eye-opening to see what people wear in public these days. I was raised to always look your best when you go out into the world. Recently, I saw a woman at the Post Office in her PJs! Thanks for reading!
I’m happy you enjoy the post, JoAnn. How sad to hear about, Joanie. Sadly, falling on hard times seems to be commonplace for child actors. You’re right about older diners guilty of focusing on their phones. Recently, I saw an entire family of four doing that very thing…so sad. Thank you so much for reading today.
P.S. I have a character named Winnie in my Lewis Legacy Series. I like the name, too. :)
I wished dating was more like the 1950’s! Where guys were complete gentlemen & the girls wore modest clothing. Nowadays, there’s too many teen pregnancies, sex outside of marriage, underage drinking, little to no parental supervision, or even very little to no respect for the parents or themselves….sigh! Back when the days were so much more simpler :-)
Nice to hear, JoAnn!
I agree with you, Trixi. With everything that goes on in the world, a simpler time would be nice. Thanks for stopping by!
How time has change and it’s such a big difference in the way people socialize now.
I think that is why I fell in love with my husband. He was a gentleman and so different from all this modern socializing mess. After our dates (usually a movie or sporting event) we would end up at the local Dairy Queen and have milkshakes and talk for hours. I think Richie Cunningham would have been proud!
That’s so true, Kaleen. I suppose it’s perfect for the introverts of the world. :) For me, I prefer face to face conversation. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Aw..that’s so sweet, Stacey! I’m happy to hear you snatched a good one. :) And yes, Richie would be quite proud. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment.
I was a regular Happy Days viewer! I miss all the “clean” shows that were on when I was young!!
It was a great show, wasn’t it Linda? I miss the clean and funny shows too! Thanks for reading!