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Old 01-18-2018, 04:51 PM   #46
TheMadBrewer
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TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.TheMadBrewer understands the importance of being earnest.
 
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In the 70s I started reading the Perry Mason novels -- and others by E.S. Gardner. Many of them took place in the 30's and 40's and even then I was jarred by some of the expressions and attitudes by characters in the book. But they (mostly) weren't central to the story and were windows into a different time. Some I didn't understand until much later -- characters would ask "Do you have car fare?" and I had no idea what that meant until much later when I learned about LA's old street car system (called "Red Cars").

Sort of the flip side of this, I've recently re-read some SciFi that was written in 50s and 60's that take place in the 2010's (ie "now"). It is fascinating how far off things are -- both in turns of what hasn't happened (growing up, I was always looking forward to taking a vacation on the moon ) but what they missed totally (mostly advances in computing).

You get some of the same things in older movies. I recently watched "White Christmas" (Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire) for the first time in a long while and the portrayal of African Americans was downright embarrassing.
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