Subscribe to Listverse
It’s Friday, so a little humor is in order. I recently stumbled across this amusing little article comparing scenarios taking place in the 1950s and now. The list is American-centric, but everyone will enjoy it I am sure.
Scenario 1
Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957: Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007: School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957: Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007: Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3
Scenario: Jeffrey won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957: Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007: Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957: Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007: Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario 5
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957: Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007: Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1957: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2007: Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1957: Ants die.
2007: BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny’s Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8
Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957: In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007: Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy. Johnny’s parents sue the school for negligence and the teacher for emotional trauma and win both cases. Mary, jobless and indebted, commits suicide by jumping off of a tall building. When she lands, she hits a car and also damages a potted pot. The car’s owner and the plant’s owner sue Mary’s estate for destruction of property. They both win. [Thanks jeff, for the addition]
 Ten Whatchamacallits And Their Real Names |  Top 10 Listverse Milestones |  Listverse Top 50 Jokes |
 Top 10 Paranormal Abilities |  10 Funny Pictures |  10 More Conspiracy Theories |
1 BryceWeaver
October 26th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
great list. love this site. keep upthe good work
2 Sandra
October 26th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
sadly, its all true
3 Ryan
October 26th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Aside from number 1, thankfully the rest of the 1950′s scenarios still apply in the UK. =)
4 Hobolad
October 26th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Poor ants
5 Paul
October 26th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Ahhh, the way things never were
6 evan
October 26th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
man i think of the pyrotechnics my friends and I used to create back in the mid 90s and how they would get us labled domestic terrorists these days.
7 jeff
October 26th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
You forgot a little on number 1:
2007: Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy. Johnny’s parents sue the school for negligence and the teacher for emotional trauma and win both cases. Mary, jobless and indebted, commits suicide by jumping off of a tall building. When she lands, she hits a car and also damages a potted pot. The car’s owner and the plant’s owner sue Mary’s estate for destruction of property. They both win.
8 Juggz
October 26th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
to true.
9 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Jeff: so awful and yet – yes – so true. I have added your extras to the list.
10 jeff
October 26th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
jfrater: it’s an honor. Love the site, btw.
11 Nici
October 26th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Paul: I agree with you on that note. That’s what I thought.
I think Americans have just become way too afraid of everything…But, you know, I only graduated from school six years ago in 2001. And I remember boys coming to school with guns in the gun racks of their trucks. Important note: I lived in a small hick town where everyone hunted, so it was no big deal. Things may have changed since then, but I also graduated several months for 9/11. I think that’s when EVERYTHING really changed.
12 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Jeff: thanks – but the pleasure is all mine – I am so pleased to have such interesting people commenting here
13 TMoraca
October 26th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
This is my favorite list so far. Genius and true.
14 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Nici: I think it all boils down to trust – no one trusts anyone anymore. Very sad.
15 Ravyn
October 26th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
No one trust anyone. The sad truth. Hence why I document and provide proof anytime I need. I am very trusting, or I would not post on here. To note, I am also very trustworthy. But I don’t expect anyone to trust me on that statement since is the way of life these days.
16 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
TMoraca: I was actually a bit apprehensive about posting this because I thought it might upset people – but I am glad I did now
17 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Ravyn: I trust you
18 dalandzadgad
October 26th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
love this list. oh how far we’ve advanced..
19 Ravyn
October 26th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Jamie: I’d hope so. I have given you no reason to do otherwise, aye…
20 Richard
October 26th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
The list could be from the 70s and today, because I did most of those things when I was in school. Sad.
21 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
dalandzadgad: yeah… erm…
Ravyn: so true
22 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Richard: that is true – corporal punishment was still an option when I grew up in the late 70s
23 Nici
October 26th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Hell, corporal punishment was an option when I was in elementary in the early 90′s. I’m not even sure when or where it started not being an option, but I remember very clearly being paddled by the principal several times.
24 Leo
October 26th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Sad but true…I can’t imagine how the future it’s going to be when we are raising the next generation so wrong
25 Blogball
October 26th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
How about this one.
Scenario: Johnny goes for a bike ride
1950s 60s 70s
Johnny hops on bike and rides off
2007: Johnny puts on helmet, knee pads & elbow pads along with extra safety reflectors, loads his bike in the car so mom or dad can drive him to the bike path where they can watch him the whole time.
(This is why I’m glad I grew up when I did)
26 kunleski
October 26th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
i must say “things shall continue to go from bad to worse”
27 Yarr
October 26th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
I’ve had this posted as a blog on my MySpace forever. It is true. (Forrest Gump-like)- That’s all I have to say about that.
28 mfloryan
October 26th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Best List Yet…unbridled tort claims have ruined the U.S. …this coming from a law student
29 Dana
October 26th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Oversimplied, definately, but funny nonetheless.
30 Nikki
October 26th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Hilarious!! Especially #4
I love this website!
31 Kelsi
October 26th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Re: Scenario 6…
Really? Like…..really? Did that happen somewhere?
32 bizzoony
October 26th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Scenario: Jacob misses his bus from New York to Boston, hitch-hikes home
1957: Jacob gets home in four hours, thanks the man and pays him 10 dollars for his troubles.
2007: Jacob gets abducted, killed, cut up into tiny pieces and fed to dogs.
33 EAL
October 26th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Reading this list, some people may get nostalgic about the 50′s and forget that it was also a time when african-americans couldn’t even attend the same schools as white people
34 jfrater
October 26th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
EAL: that is very true indeed – though one can still be nostalgic for the 50s without tacitly accepting segregation.
35 Karen*Joyce
October 27th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Very True!!
36 Joe Blackk
October 27th, 2007 at 8:48 am
I agree that everything has become so damn complicated now…people are prisoners of fear..and the laws and authorities help fuel this. i’m talking from expirience, I had to serve jail time, take anger management, and be on probation for 6 months for simply slapping a guy, not punching, SLAPPING! And get this, he started it..we tried to take care of it outside of school but I guess he wanted to show off at school..he ended up looking stupid so, he pressed charges ..i love the way things work now adays..lol
37 jfrater
October 27th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Joe Blackk: You spent time in jail for slapping a kid in a male to male schoolyard brawl? That is utterly disgusting.
38 Chri
October 27th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Ants die ! Haha..
39 Oyster
October 27th, 2007 at 11:01 am
A potted PLANT or POT?
40 Kelsi
October 27th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
bizzoony: So true! Haha. Good one.
41 Peggy
October 27th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
I should be ashamed but,these are sooo true its kinda funny!!
42 Hannah
October 27th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
How sad that we all agree that they are true! Not only is it a trust issue, IMO, it’s a responsibility issue. No one takes responsibility for their own actions any more! There is always someone else to blame for every thing!
What about this one-
Woman goes to McDonald’s and orders coffee, then accidentally spills coffee.
1957: Woman receives 2nd degree burns, and vows to never be so clumsy again
2007: Woman sues McDonalds for not telling her the coffee was “hot”, wins millions which forces McDonalds to print “Caution! Contents Are HOT” on all of their coffee cups.
SHEESH!
43 Tom
October 28th, 2007 at 1:28 am
How can you guys say this is “so” true. I guess its funny but its hardly true. For example, a lot of students bring aspirin to school and don’t get searched for drugs. Maybe i’m just being paranoid.
44 jfrater
October 28th, 2007 at 1:36 am
Hannah: excellent addition – that just stunned me when I heard about it.
Tom: I guess a lot of it is hyperbole, but the fact remains that while the situations are exaggerated, it does show the mentality we have now compared to the 50s.
45 Dana
October 28th, 2007 at 5:42 am
Tom,
Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days. ~Doug Larson
That’s why I said it was oversimplified but like J said, it is funny.
46 jfrater
October 28th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Dana: that is a brilliant quote!
47 Joe
October 28th, 2007 at 10:41 am
or how about this:
Little Susie wants to become a scientist.
1957: Susie is told she has a silly imagination and that women aren’t smart enough for that. She becomes a housewife.
2007: she becomes a scientist.
Or this:
little Robert is black.
1957: Robert is refered to as ‘boy’ or the N word, beaten and intimidated. He has no role models.
2007: Roberts most prominent role models are rappers who sing about killing, drugs, sex, and ‘life on the streets’, or athletes. White people avoid him.
48 joel
October 28th, 2007 at 10:45 am
There are so many that you missed! What about one about black people having to attend “seperate but equal” schools and socially acceptable racism? And what about one where the only job a woman could hold was as a secretary? Where violence was far more common than it is today or only 2 in 3 americans had full social status? Ah, the 50s…what a great time.
49 jfrater
October 28th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Joe – two words: Curie, Obama.
Joel: as I just said – Women had many great jobs through history – even Queen Elizabeth II worked in a factory during the war.
50 Hobolad
October 28th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Scenario 1
2057: Doesn’t happen, no guns anymore and no killing for sport either!
*Fingers crossed!*
51 Adam
October 29th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Well, at least we dont have to worry about the cold war or extreme racial injustice any more….
52 jeff
October 30th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Oyster: potted PLANT. Guess I had… other things on my mind.
53 Hobolad
October 30th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
“Well, at least we dont have to worry about the cold war or extreme racial injustice any more….”
Hehe, yeah. Seems like once you scratch the surface things ain’t changed that much, yet.
54 Stephan
November 1st, 2007 at 9:23 pm
I agree with some of those but a lot of the 1957 ones seem to condone child abuse which is not cool.
55 Jorgegrl
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:37 am
its amazing how realistic this list is. i am never having kids. ugh.
56 phoetus1
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:29 am
hmmm, i agree with parts of this list but i dont like that it how it makes child abuse seem like an innocent practice of the days gone by.
yes some kids who are hit can go on to be successful and unscathed however physical abuse never yeilds a postive outcome and who are we to determine the difference between ‘disciplene’ and child abuse.
57 jfrater
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:56 am
phoetus1: smacking is not child abuse – beating is. Smacking was common place before recent years and the greatest world leaders, holy people, visionaries, and entrepreneurs of their day did not suffer. It is also difficult to determine the difference between normal and over eating – should the government legislate that too? You are also using loaded words by referring to smacking as “hitting” – hitting was not a term used to describe smacking in days gone by – it has emerged from the anti-smacking crowd to demonize it.
58 phoetus1
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:50 am
ok, valid argument
however the two examples used in this list feature a child been hit with objects which i believe consitutes as beating a child
i may be wrong
i just really dont like the idea of innocent children been hurt when words would do just as well
59 jfrater
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:55 am
phoetus1: you can’t reason with children under 7 or 8 – that is why that age is called the “Age of Reason” – therefore you need alternate means for teaching – ie, smacking
And to be honest – compare the behaviour of today’s children with that of the past – I would say there is no doubt that using words has failed dismally.
60 phoetus1
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:07 am
jfrater: well all i know is that been hit as a child has fucked me up royally
i will never hit my child
61 jfrater
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:14 am
phoetus1: If it has effected you in that way I would say you were not just smacked – but beaten. Smacking does not damage a child when used in moderation and without extreme force.
62 NSEW
November 26th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
yeah dude the kid has to be at least spanked under certain circumstances in order for the parents to get their point across.
63 InconsistentAngelThings
December 5th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Kids have been punished effectively for a long, LONG time now via spanking. Seriously people, there are a lot more serious, more harmful things that could be done. This being said everyone I knew that was spanked growing up are JUST FINE (including me). I fully intend on using this method with my kids (god forbid i ever have any).
As JFrader already stated, kids up until 7-8 yrs. cannot fully comprehend or feel the emotion behind words, therefore NO Phoetus1, words don’t tend to work near as well, as is demonstrated by the children being raised these past couple of decades.
p.s. i like this list. makes me think that the whole reasoning behind the town created in “The Village” (i dont know why it was that instance that popped into my head but i know there are others) was actually well thought out…
64 jfrater
December 6th, 2007 at 1:44 am
NSEW and InconsistentAngelThings: thanks for backing me up
65 Jim
December 13th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I’m old enough to remember what is was like in the 50′s. It’s sad that today you can’t even enjoy a little humor with someone whinning and sniveling about child abuse or racism. Please
keep your politically correct BS to yourself.
In the fiftes at least one was able to present their opinion without being shouted down as a racist,hate monger, today that isn’t the case, we haven’t advanced at all.
66 Timpani
December 17th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Heck, I’m in a small town in the south and I can honestly say that the majority of the 1950 scenarios would still be the case here. Except for the drugs, we had an incident with perscription drugs last year and now we’re strict on them. But hey, at our school you can have a pocket knife, even use it to cut some paper in the principal’s office, but you better not have a cell phone or iPod!
67 eric n.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
awesome concept for a list… got me thinking…
scenario: Johnny meets very drunken girl Susie in bar, takes her home and has a wild night with her.
1957: susie wakes up, becomes enlightened as to what happened, calls johnny a “fresh young man”,gives johnny a smack in the face, gets dressed and goes home.
2007: Susie wakes up, becomes enlightened as to what happened, quietly calls 911 on her cell phone. johnny arrested in bed. date rape charges are filed. Johnny spends 7 years in state prison, undergoes intensive therapy and lives out his days as a registered sex offender, forever in paranoia of his neighbors who are forever on the alert about him. Susie is diagnosed with ptsd and undergoes abuse victim therapy for the next thirty years. concludes she is a mental case and has a miserable life.
68 Amai
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I’d worry if this wasn’t posted in humour. It’s sounds like looking back and glorifying the past to ridiculous extremes. I assume the contrast is dilerberate and not serious
69 Drewbacca
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Number two doesn’t apply. I have seen countless fights at my school, and the police only showed up once. They had a really cool bean-bag gun that they shot this kid with.
70 Drewbacca
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I like all the comments about how today’s youth is worse because they are not smacked. Throughout always, adults were convinced that the day’s youth were worse than they used to be. They read too much, they should do more farm work and whatnot. I am sure your school experience and childhood were vastly different from your parents.
71 albert0
January 12th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
This is all sadly true in the US. Im glad that it is not quite as extreme in the UK, and many 1950s policies still apply. The trouble is, there are too many stupid laws and stupid goverments. Pretty much anything is a crime, and has a label such as “racist” on it. As well as this, people wont hesitate to sue somebody, even for the most ridiculous reasons!
72 Becca
January 12th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Man…sad but true.
By censoring absolutely everything from teenagers, you’re making them worse…jeebus.
73 Miss Destiny
January 13th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Spend some time working in a convenience store in a neighborhood full of kids and tell me you wouldn’t want to smack any of the little brats! Parents are living in such fear of being accused of child abuse that they’re afraid to give the kids a whack on the bottom when they misbehave, so therefore these kids run around the store like little heathens and tear stuff up and steal.
I know I’m young, just 23, but even when I was growing up it was different. My parents weren’t afraid to give me a whack when I had done wrong. And guess what? It worked! I made the mistake once, got smacked, realized I didn’t want that to happen again, then I did as I was supposed to.
All these kids now are just way too babied! Their parents are too busy telling them how special they are and trying to discipline them with words when the kids can’t understand what they’re being told half of the time. Even when they do understand they don’t have enough respect to pay attention and listen. Stupid parents and their stupid kids!
74 John
January 16th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hilarious
75 stormy617
January 16th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
#43 Tom, they might not get searched for drugs but I live in Michigan and the kids here are not allowed to have ANY type of medications on them. Zero Tolerance. When my son was 9 he broke his arm on the playground at school during recess. After it was set the doctor said Tylenol for pain. Well medications have to go through the office but they said I had to have a note from the doctor in order for them to dispense the Tylenol, once I got that they then said that wasn’t good enough I needed a prescription.
76 muslimah
January 29th, 2008 at 5:15 am
So sad that it could happen to anyone of us
77 muslimah
January 29th, 2008 at 5:26 am
i believe in spanking, but with my scenario, daddy was an alcoholic, his leather belt was always in tow, and a linemen for his college footbal team and could bench A LOT! (get my drift) and i wasnt a problem child. there are limits…
78 Mount Teetar
February 7th, 2008 at 7:53 am
1957: six black kids beat up a white kid (just for being white) so bad that his eyeball almost falls out, they are arrested, charged with attempted murder, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison, where they all die. No one cares, not even black people, because the people who committed the crime pay for it, and that is how society works.
2007: six black kids beat a white kid (just for being white) so bad that his eyeball almost falls out, they are then charged with attempted murder because they told him they would kill him. Immediately every famous black person in America rushes to these poor oppressed children’s aid. Al Sharpton gets involved, and all the charges are dropped. Children are then held up as heroes of the black community, and are allowed to give out awards at the BET awards. They all think that the publicity means that people and society care about them. They all continue on to be arrested for gun,drug, and assault charges, within 10 years all end up dead or serving long prison sentences. No one cares. White kid becomes next Hitler.
79 JANE
March 1st, 2008 at 2:24 am
I WAS GONNA DO A DETAILED DEBUNKING OF SOME OF THIS, BUT THE RACE HATE AND MISOGYNY GOING ON HERE IS JUST TOO MUCH. AND THAT MCDONALD’S COFFEE CASE? THE WOMAN GOT THIRD DEGREE BURNS, IT WASN’T JUST SOME HOT COFFEE. SHE WAS RIGHT TO SUE, IMAGINE SHE’D TAKEN A SIP RATHER THAN SPILLING IT IN HER LAP.
80 MARTHA
March 1st, 2008 at 2:28 am
six black kids beat up a white kid (just for being white)
This never ever would have happened in 1957, the black kids were too busy being beat up by white kids just for being black. And then they’d pack some cold chicken and have a lynchin party.
Welcome to reality.
81 jfrater
March 1st, 2008 at 2:33 am
JANE: “IMAGINE SHE’D TAKEN A SIP RATHER THAN SPILLING IT IN HER LAP”
I suspect that had she have done so, she would have realized it was very hot and held on to it more carefully and not stuck it between her legs like a moron.
82 Helen
March 1st, 2008 at 2:38 am
Oh, those good old days – when men were men, women were servants and black people didn’t exist.
83 Karen
March 1st, 2008 at 2:57 am
jfrater: She didn’t stick it between her legs. She was holding it and the lid came off. A very simply google search would turn these things up.
84 Jen
March 1st, 2008 at 3:06 am
If it was hot enough to give her third-degree burns (which are when you actually lose skin), then if she’d sipped it she would have just gotten third-degree burns inside her mouth. I’m kind of surprised that a site-owner that does as much research as you seem to wouldn’t have looked up the exact facts of the case.
85 Mirabile
March 1st, 2008 at 3:16 am
Wait, I have another one!
scenario: Jan is walking home when she is pulled down an alley and raped.
1950: Her mother tells her not to go to the police because she wasn’t really hurt, but Jan finally does. The police don’t take her seriously and tease her; they put no effort into the investigation and the rapist goes free. Everyone in town knows that she was raped, and most people think it was her fault and she’s a slut. Eventually, Jan gets married and has kids, then has a mental breakdown due to the repression of the event.
2007: Her friends urge her to go to the police, and she does right away. An investigation is made, and the rapist is caught and put in prison. Some people say it was her fault for walking alone and wearing a skirt, but her friends and family stand by her. With some therapy, Jan works past the traumatic event and has a fulfilling life.
86 kiwiboi
March 1st, 2008 at 3:28 am
“She didn’t stick it between her legs. She was holding it and the lid came off.”
Some facts :
1. she was not holding the cup, she had put it between her knees.
2. the coffee spilled when *she pulled the lid off*. It did not “come off”
I’m not playing down the extent of the injuries that the 79 year old plaintiff suffered…but remember, the jury found her partly at fault.
87 Jen
March 1st, 2008 at 8:12 am
i believe in spanking, but with my scenario, daddy was an alcoholic, his leather belt was always in tow, and a linemen for his college footbal team and could bench A LOT! (get my drift) and i wasnt a problem child. there are limits…
That’s the trouble. Saying, “Okay, it’s okay to smack a kid sometimes, but too much is bad!” just doesn’t work, because it’s too objective. Even if you do manage to set up a precise, definable description of what kind of corporal punishment is allowable, you’re still going to have cruel people who will punish a kid the “acceptable” way for no reason, just because they want to. It’s better to just say that none of it’s good and make parents come up with other ways to punish kids.
88 Dana
March 1st, 2008 at 8:39 am
The fun thing about this site is after you think everything has been said, the subject is closed, and Randall has written his epistle, a few weeks later someone makes another comment and starts the whole debate over again
89 dave4248
March 4th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Very good list. Thanx for the laughs. A couple of mistakes though. You forgot in #7 that PETA would also sue Johnny for animal cruelty. Also in #8, Mary ONLY goes to jail if she merely hugged Johnny. If she ACTUALLY molested him, she’d be let off with a warning and smart ass talk show hosts (think Howard Stern or Bill Maher) would call her a “hero.”
90 NekoChan2000
March 8th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
In scenario 8, 2007 you said “Potted pot” do you mean potted “Plant”?
91 Glowbug
June 5th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Here’s one for you.
Bob stops by local saloon after work and has a couple too many. He hops into his car an proceeds to wrap his car around a telephone pole, killing two pedestrians.
1958 – Bob winds up getting a hefty jail sentence for maslaughter and is ostracized for being a lush.
2008 – Bob is sent to some cushy rehab place. When he gets out, he sues the bar that served him to the point of intoxication due to “mental and emotional suffering”, and wins a huge financial settlement. Bar owner is driven to bancruptcy and his employees all wind up on the dole or unemployable for their “wrecklesness”.
I say this as someone who has worked as a bartender and heard some real horror stories.
92 gabyvhenteciete
July 19th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Awesome list. Scenario 4 is just so true.
93 Sam
July 31st, 2008 at 8:12 am
This is absolutely stupid. At first, I thought the list was funny and had a ring of truth, but then it just got stupid somewhere around “Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.” Yeah, right. There were no dropouts in 1957? How about “Pedro drops out of school, and gets a tedious, menial job”? Also, you need to go back a little further than 1957. There were gangs and hoods in 1957, just like now, and they (as your list points out) broke windows and got into trouble, and it didn’t always end happily ever after. Get real.
94 Dave
August 18th, 2008 at 9:16 am
I can easily tell this is 100% true.
95 Felicity
August 21st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I go to school now and trust me it’s nothing like this…
96 MissouriLovesCompany
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:15 am
This list is a bit far fetched if you ask me.
97 .
August 28th, 2008 at 5:12 am
propaganda & nostalgia for an age that never existed
98 Toronto guy
August 28th, 2008 at 6:11 am
You forgot the scenario about the lynchings that happened in the 1950′s and the seperate bathrooms.
99 nerdlette
August 29th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Funny, sure.
True? Not even minutely.
100 likes2go shopping!
August 31st, 2008 at 7:52 am
this is stupid. and it is VERY far fetched!most of the things here did happen in the 50s
101 Realist
September 12th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Those that think that this list is “far-fetched” or “not even minutely true”- you need to pull your head out of the sand!
BTW-Hannah – (October 27th, 2007 at 5:17 pm)
The cup was ALREADY HAD a warning label; but- “…Though there was a warning on the coffee cup, the jury decided that the warning was neither large enough nor sufficient…”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants)
102 CardhuPenguin
October 7th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Realist: Just have to add to your comment, I agree those commenters have to pull their heads out of the sand but at the same time they also have to find a sense of humour. Light-hearted material presented in a great way to show the vast differences between “then and now”.
And as for the smacking comments above, everyone I knew growing up were smacked if they misbehaved, taught right from wrong. Only last few years has it been termed as child abuse, leading to roaming hoodie gangs terrorising the high street when all I want is a drunken kebab. Why not ask a true victim of child abuse what their definition is!
103 kel z
October 20th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Rofl
104 Steven
October 21st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
all of it is very true. it just goes to show you that society today is way more complicated and has taken a turn for the worst. i wish it were still so simple nowadays
105 Ironcross
November 12th, 2008 at 7:22 am
#5 is So true. Add the addendum that little Johnny needs a Dr’s excuse, parental excuse and permission from the school nurse to take the aspirin after the school nurse gives then to him and watches him take them. Meanwhile, school nurse helps little Betty get an abortion and doesn’t notify anybody – of course little Betty has the right to privacy ya know.
106 Fairy
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:50 am
Love love love this list
Although I can’t really comment on “the good old days” since I wasn’t even born back then, but otherwise great list!
Cheers
107 Amanda
December 14th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
This makes me so sad. Has anyone read the book “The Death of Common Sense”? That book was full of this kind of stuff.
108 grandpa
December 29th, 2008 at 12:12 am
man are we living in a fucked up generation v.v
109 Parker
December 29th, 2008 at 12:19 am
oh my god this is so stupid ( not the list i mean how times have changed ) i wish things were as simple as they were in the 50′s.. so many more pressures. ya know?
110 opivy
January 16th, 2009 at 9:25 am
ahh… the mythical fifties – nothing like it. i vividly remember the mythical fifties from my childhood in the eighties. just wondering, when do we start making up a fantasy version of the eighties?
111 Love It!
January 31st, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I think many of the comments here are the best showing of what today’s society has come to. Instead of having a laugh and moving on with life we argue and consider how non-politically correct the whole thing is. Way to go. I appreciate the author for not taking himself or humor too seriously.
112 Jakob
March 29th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
#80 not really true. It was mostly white kids ganging up on a black kid, but my dad was a teen then and he told me about being seriously beat up once by a bunch of black guys.
113 Ron666
March 29th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
grandpa: have to agree with you. same with you, Love It!
how about this scenario? It’s pretty much based on scenario 4, but more based on me, so too bad I don’t live in the 50s:
Scenario: Danny often gets hit by his father
1957: Danny was okay with it, most of his friends were hit, and it was no big deal. Danny grows up happy.
2007: Danny calls the local police station. Cops come and warn Danny’s father of the consequences. Danny hates his father and causes trouble so his father will hit him again or his parents will divorce. Danny has troubles with friends at school, and becomes emo. Danny breaks a law, comes home being chased by cops, and when his father finds out, he beats Danny up. Danny is hauled off to a reformatory and his father’s hauled off to prison. Danny’s mother commits suicide and Danny’s sister is taken off to another foster home while the granny they lived with gets sent to a senior home.
so, adding to comment 102, i’m a victim of child abuse, and that’s MY definition. That’s more of an extreme case, but I feel that maybe spanks on bums is alright for little children up to age 6 or 7, but otherwise, it’s only normal if the society thinks it is. Meaning, in the 50s or 60s it was more okay, but now, not so much.
114 Patrick
April 16th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Very Funny, but I don’t agree with the first one. No Guns!!! :p.
115 koda
May 19th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
this list must b true bcus now things are crazy as hell
116 Hmmm
May 25th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Wow, I can’t believe that so many people would aplaude such a ridiculous list. I agree that regulation has gotten out of hand, but it has all been put in place for a reason. There have been events of people abusing the more relaxed system at every turn and so new rules have been put n place. Consider Columbine, if school systems didn’t crack down on the possesion of fire arms at school after such a horrific event what would people have said about that? No matter how strict or lax the rules are there will always be someone ready to exploit them. The fact of the matter is it’s up to us to decide when people have malicious intent or when they’re just acting human. O.K. reading back over my comment calling this list ridiculuos was a little much, I suppose I’m just not entirely sure where your coming from.
117 not a pigeon
May 25th, 2009 at 10:48 am
number 7 doesn’t work in idaho, it looks more like this
billy shoots illegal mortar fireworks over his neighbors wood shake roof, a cop comes up and talks to him, the cop leaves and billy is now shooting illegal mortars over a gas station.
118 Amanda H.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
This is by far one of the most interesting lists I have read on this site. I have never really thought about the differences from my time to the past and it’s weird to think that what I deem normal could have been out of the question in another time period.
119 Trekkerette
July 16th, 2009 at 1:17 am
My little scenario:
Rebecca sees Dad’s porn collection, tells Mom.
1950s: Mom laughs it off with Dad, and reprimands Rebecca.
2009: Mom calls up police, Rebecca treated for any sign of abuse, Dad sent to jail.
Huh. I knew it.
120 Rena
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:38 am
Kind of makes you mad, how anal our society is today. The gun thing I understand, but some of the others just shows how psychotic our society is.
121 Zoltan
August 26th, 2009 at 7:55 am
Just a little cynical?
122 fatpaw175
September 8th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Very cynical indeed. Try this one…
Scenario: A black man attempts to vote during a presidential election.
1957: Gets the crap kicked out of him. (at least)
2007: He votes.
123 Mike
September 13th, 2009 at 6:19 am
^What #122 said.
This list was pretty lame.
124 lindajems
September 22nd, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I like the blatant one…ANTS DIE! lol
125 kashmirj
September 25th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Sadly, this is a pretty accurate reflection of society today. Frivolous lawsuits and over-reactions. Granted, sometimes these reactions are warranted but for the most part are completely unnecessary.
This makes me sad lol
126 MrT
September 26th, 2009 at 1:56 am
These are amusing but the plain fact is that society and people in particular are failing to take responsibility for their actions, and would rather blame someone else. This leads to paranonia with laws, rules, regulations, lawsuits, claims and counter-claims. Makes money for lawyers and everyone else miserable.
127 Kehmet
October 12th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
This is reason#8,why I went into self-exile in Thailand.
128 Audrey
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:09 am
Gotta love our bubble-wrapped society ;D
129 teacakes44
November 6th, 2009 at 8:46 am
I understand the use of exaggeration for comic effect, but there’s way too much moral panic in these, way too much romanticising of the “bygone era”, and way too much conservative fear. Yes some things are over the top about modern society but in general things are much better now than then. This whole thing smacks of those stupid newspaper articles when someone tries to ban christmas or stop people wearing crucifixes, the usual bullshit that makes people think they’re under attack from minorities and makes them yearn for the good old days when the only ones with a say where rich white straight men.
130 GTT
November 6th, 2009 at 10:31 am
It´s always fun when you find a old list you had not read before. This one was absolutely hilarious! What shocks me is the amount of people who cannot seem to stop taking themselves so seriously. Yes, yes, we all know that in the 50´s black people in the US did not have equal rights. It´s a good thing that some things have changed.
However, when we as a society have our collective heads so far up our collective asses that we cannot even see the humor in the ways our society has evolved, then that just makes me sad. No offense but you people are getting all PC and self-rightous over a HUMOR LIST.
In case you missed it the first time, here´s a hint: remove head from sphincter and laugh a little.
131 kay
November 8th, 2009 at 4:43 am
Yes, there were racial and gender issues etc. in the 50s, but lighten up a little! It is a funny list, and Im not saying those things were funny, but you gotta admit, we love to make thing a whole lot more complicated these days…but I wasn’t even alive in the 50s…lol…
132 aimed for vaibhav
December 5th, 2009 at 9:35 am
is this a list or is it a comedy act
was this imformative or just to make us chuckle
also i didnt really fill like this was a list
kinda just there
but oh well i enjoyed
133 stan
December 11th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
1957 – 120 pound boy picked on by 240 pound boy, beats the crap out of larger boy with padlock in a sock, everyone says “great job.”
2007 – Small boy charged with assault and sent to prison even though larger boy has been picking on small boy for years while school looked the other way.
True story, I was that small boy and I thank God I went to school in the 80s and 90s before society became ridiculous.
134 fred
December 11th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
good old days – burglar breaks into house, owner beats him with baseball bat, burglar gets 10 years in jail, homeowner is a hero.
today – burglar gets a month probation, owner gets charged with excessive force, gets 10 years in jail, loses job, home.
135 cody
December 18th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Your class is having a pizza party and is impatiently waiting. One of your classmates wants to know what the pizza guy looks like. You say he’s black.
1957: Your classmates says “Oh!” and now knows whom to look for.
2007: She’ll tell the teacher, you’ll get suspended for racial intolerance, and be dubbed racist for the rest of your life.
136 cody
December 18th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
here’s another one in time for X-mas. The school library has a Christmas tree in it.
1957: People will think the tree’s pretty cool.
2007: Someone will complain that the tree is too Christian to be in such a secular place like a school but he won’t mind anything else religious in the school.
137 steve
December 29th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Homeless bum reeking of alcohol, crawling with lice is causing a disturbance and intimindating regular customers at public library. Librarian asks him to leave.
old days – bum leaves.
now – bum sues library for discrimination, win large settlement which he spends on drugs and alcohol.
138 Nazreel
January 18th, 2010 at 5:18 am
@59 jfrater.
You can reason with children under that age.
When I was about 4 my mother spanked me for something. I was so angry at anyone treating me like that, that I went and did exactly the same thing again, with tears pouring down my face. When I did she said “why did you do that” and then proceeded to detail the possible consequences of my action. As soon as I knew WHY I shouldn’t do that it was fine, and in future she would explain things and it was all good and I never needed to be punished again because I was being informed of the reasons behind the rules.
I’m now nearly 55 and have two grown children in their thirties. According to them I was always strict but fair and I only remember ever slapping one once, when my son ran into a busy road, and it was a complete reflex action.
My daughter who is now a teacher, said “You never needed to smack us because we always knew what we should do or not do. You only had to look at us”.
139 Progress00
January 28th, 2010 at 12:35 am
A few items were left out.
A little girl fails a math test
1950`s – She told that`s ok because girl`s aren`t good at math anyway and when she finds a man man to take care of her she won`t need math anyway.
Today – The girl is offered an extensive selection of tutoring to help her improve.
A student makes a statement which may be seen as slightly sympathetic to people in Russia.
1950`s – The student is removed from the classroom or perhaps just shunned by their classmates for humanizing the enemy, all the while the students continue to wait to practice their duck and cover drills, preparing to hide under their desks in the event of nuclear attack because the government has took them their desks will protect them.
Today – The student is seen as able to appreciate the common humanity of all people regardless of political differences.
A young black boy seats in an empty seat on a public bus.
1950`s – He is called a nigger and told to get to the back of the bus.
Today – He is left unmolested and allowed to ride to his destination in peace in a more progressive time.
140 Angie
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:39 am
I wonder if any one can just have a smile at something like this list without taking it too seriously. But some of the people who have written in obviously take themselves very seriously. Times have changed, somethings for the good somethings not.
On average I would rather live today, but I do miss the simplicity of the 1950′s. Oh! by the way we have all sorts of silly laws in the UK as well. In fact we sound very similar.
141 sophia
February 4th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Thank God I was’nt born in the 50′s.
I should be happen with myself as at time I came to this world
142 Steven “Danzik”
February 5th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
If the world remained like this, then people wouldn’t get so fucking pissed off at everything. XD
143 C L
February 6th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Additional Scenario
1957 African American tries to eat in a restaurant and gets thrown out,and possibly beaten. (Any other instance of racial injusticce that were rife during the time could work here.)
1990 African American sits down and enjoys a nice meal.
1957 For every story of a parent that used physical punsihment appropriately, I’ll show you unabashed beatings by abusive parents.
1990 As a teacher I have seen the cases of child abuse drop significantly over the years. I taught over 300 students the last four years and haven’t had to report a single incident. Compare that to the previous four years which saw multiple instances. I can only imagine what it was like in the 50′s.
1957 Date rape is widely considered a rite of passage for adolescent boys. Countless young women are subjected to unwanted advances, and do not recieve justice
1990 Young women who speak up about these indecencies have a better chance of seeing the provocateur punished.
144 C L
February 13th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
I didn’t read it at first, there were 142 comments before mine, but Progresso’s comments eclipse mine. Read their’s.
145 tomplankton
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 am
Unfortunately we are all to blame by letting the social engineers in government dictate to us how our lives are to be run,if you don’t believe in social engineering you need to WAKE-UP !!!!,everyday your freedoms are being eroded by silent,invisible propagantists in government.Freedom of speech is disappearing,what is a terrorist? a freedom fighter? anything you or a group does that the government doesn’t like or feels threatened by, results in some sort of radical statement that effectively shuts any plan you had for securing a better future.You really think that President Obama writes his own speeches,hahahaha
146 Big E
April 20th, 2010 at 6:32 am
I remember fighting in school. Other than bloody noses that was about it. This list is so true. I went to school in the late 50′s and 60′s… Makes you want to laugh but cry at the same time. This is what government does when given too much power…..
147 zander776
May 28th, 2010 at 3:03 am
I wish i was born in the 50s
freakin hate this time
and this world
148 CLB
June 5th, 2010 at 2:31 am
It's sad but true that teachers and administrators have to monitor common over the counter drugs, because kids are bringing them to school, sharing / selling them to friends and getting high. Cough syrup is an especially common choice.
149 Arnold Melville
June 18th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Wow, The biggest change from the 1950's to now is the media. We here about how bad things are and how much worse it is today. But this scenario has about the same likelyhood today as in 1957. We've let the media just report these stories which get them ratings until we've actually believe its worse. In the early 2000's everyone was convinced child abduction was at an all time high and the world has spiralling to Hell but the truth was it was down very significantly from the 1980's but report 200% more than it had been then.
150 Fer.
June 20th, 2010 at 4:40 am
S#*t… i mean golly. the only solution is that everybody should go to a therapist and then do whatever they want.
151 jonathanjnovak
June 27th, 2010 at 12:32 am
Oh feces, I meant “Johnny AND his father.”