How To Keep Your Man Happy According To This List From The 1950s
When Gatsby came out, I heard several people vocalize their desires to revisit the 1920s. I’m assuming they had Ford Model Ts, moonshine, bobbed hair and fedoras in mind – y’know, the good stuff. That’s cool and all, but I’m good right here in 2013. See, the only black folks I spotted in the movie were butlers, and I’m well aware that the 1920s weren’t the gigantic, Project X that they seemed in the film, which eliminates those years from my desired time travel destinations. If you’re black, or a woman, or anything other than a wealthy white male, going back to an earlier America doesn’t necessarily sound appealing.
Yes, Gatsby was aesthetically pleasing and it looked like a ball on the big screen, but in real life the 20s featured less Jay-Z music and significantly more oppression – not my cup of tea, although I’m sure I would’ve served plenty of teacups as a member of the help. Anyway, I saw a lot of stuff like this:
After watching “Great Gatsby” I wish I lived in the 1920s where girls were classy and guys were gentlemen
— Meaghan Mackey (@MackeyMeaghan) May 16, 2013
I don’t mean to call this young lady out, but I’d like to use her tweet as an example of the misconception and glorification of the olden days. That little part about dudes being gentlemen in Gatsby times is laughable. It wasn’t just the repression, but also the fact that many women were treated like children and spousal abuse was essentially commonplace.
Okay, I’ll finally get to the point — we’re talking about a guidance list for women created in the 1950s, which is 30-ish years later than Gatsby, but still wasn’t the greatest decade for American women. Now, there has been speculation questioning the legitimacy of this “good wife’s guide,” but disregard it because even if this is fake, the fact that it’s even feasible advice from that era speaks volumes.
You may enjoy the fashion, or the music, or the dances or the Hollywood portrayal of life back then, but realistically 2013 is undeniably a better time for women, and even now there are several unresolved issues. Regardless, this list is mind boggling and it left me making several Jim Halpert faces. Notice the funniest/most disturbing part of it, which is the preconceived notion that a woman will automatically be at home. No making money at work or in school getting educated — just running dust rags on tables and preparing dinner instead.