Barry's Blog

In Pleasantville, a 1998 fantasy-comedy written and directed by Gary Ross, a brother and sister from the 1990's, David and Jennifer (played by Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) find themselves literally sucked into their television set, and suddenly find themselves in Pleasantville, a quaint little town complete with new (pleasant) parents, old fashioned values, and loads of innocence and naivete. David and Jennifer have landed in a "Leave It To Beaver" world, popularized years ago by the TV series of the same name. Interestingly, this new town of Pleasantville is literally a black-and-white world, but as the two teens attempt to become a part of this "backwards" town, strange things begin to happen. Suddenly, color begins to creep into this black-and-white world, and curiously, the more the "rules" of society are broken, the more colorful life gets in Plesantville, USA.

I'll leave it to you to weigh-in on the significance of the "coloring" of Pleasantville, but it reminds me that we no longer live in such a simple and innocent world.  I came across an excerpt from an actual 1950's Home Economics textbook, that was intended to teach high school girls how to prepare for married life. The ten guidelines are as follows:

1. Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal-on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home, and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

2. Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

3. Clear away clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gather up school books, toys, paper,etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too.  

4. Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

5. Minimize the noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

6. Some DON'TS: Don't greet him with problems or complaints; Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.

7. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lay down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind. 

8. Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

9. Make the evening his. Never complain if he doesn't take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his need to be home and relax.

10. The goal. Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax. 

I'm serious, This is not made up! Could this truly be the mindset of the 1950's and 60's? Whether this was the way things really were (or perceived that they should be), I am not sure. My purpose here is not to even remotely suggest that women today are no longer committed to their husbands and families, etc., but only to observe how strange such words sound to us today. Truly, times have changed! Truly, it was good to be king!

How do you weigh-in on this? What societal influences have caused this shift in the way we look at life? How has the blur in the distinction between the roles of men and women in society impacted our perspective? Do you think a lot of the differences can really be attributed to busyness?  If I hear from enough of you, I'll post the "updated" version for today's modern woman!

For FinishingWell,

Barry Morrow