# If someone from the 1950s suddenly appeared today, what would be the most difficult thing to explain **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454 "2013-11-21T17:57:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/141 "2013-11-23T15:09:40Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > One thing missing from the thread is a sense of how the difference between 1950 and 1959 is in some ways greater than the difference between 1959 and 2013. Good point. 1950 = people drawing pictures of Flash Gordon and space creatures. 1959 = Sputnik has been in space, we’re two years from Gagarin going into space, even the US has launched Explorer 1. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/142 "2013-11-23T15:31:58Z")
The advances made by the gay community since the late 1960’s have been astonishing. I knew adults who did not know what homosexuality was back in the 1950’s! Gay sex, gay marriage, gay parenta, gay atheletes…what, do they think they should have the same rights as “normal” people? And people paying for TV and water. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/143 "2013-11-23T16:27:08Z")
“How can _ **I Love Lucy** _ still be on the air?” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/144 "2013-11-23T21:14:42Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > You mean to tell me that the Cubs STILL haven’t been back to the World Series? And the Red Sox won one? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/145 "2013-11-23T21:16:03Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > The zombie apocalypse that is people by the gazillions spending all their time engaged with the device in their hand. Not the devices themselves, but that everywhere you look, people are absorbed with the device even while actively engaged in doing everything from driving to shopping to walking the dog, staring at the phone most all the time. I think the kicker would be discovering they are doing it entirely by their own choice. I seriously think they’d be scratching their heads, even after seeing all that’s on the phone. The real kicker is that tons of people walk on the street talking to themselves, and they aren’t crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/146 "2013-11-23T21:18:54Z")
How they suddenly got from the '50s to 2013. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/147 "2013-11-23T21:22:44Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > And the Red Sox won one? :eek: Three! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/148 "2013-11-24T02:57:16Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > And a whole channel devoted to food? Sheesh. That’s so 2012, and too general. I can hardly wait for the Only Cluck channel. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/149 "2013-11-24T04:48:58Z")
Watching 2 white guys do a karaoke performance of Lil Jon’s “Get Low” and bringing down the house. I saw this 2 weeks ago, and I’m still processing - and I’m from, like, _now._\*\* “Till the sweat drip down my balls”… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/150 "2013-11-24T05:10:57Z")
Speaking of plastic bags: that you have to take one with you when you walk your dog, and why. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/151 "2013-11-24T17:11:58Z")
The most difficult thing to explain to my great-grandfather if he were alive today would be: “what the hell am I doing in this box?!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/152 "2013-11-24T19:42:29Z")
I’d think women in sports would be pretty surprising. There’s the WNBA, there’s women in the X-games doing snowboarding or whatever, women boxers. Those delicate flowers, they’re going to strain their milk. How are they going to be able to have kids after doing all that stuff? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/153 "2013-11-24T23:03:06Z")
“So what’s the top-grossing film of 2013?” “Well, it’s a superhero movie.” “Pfft. How many Oscar winners in that one?” “About as many as were in the biggest hit of 2012.” “Which, I’m guessing, featured Batman?” “Captain America, actually; Batman was in the billion-dollar hit of '08.” “Anybody win an Oscar for acting in that?” “Naturally. Whoooole lotta Oscar winners in the sequel.” “Which also grossed a billion?” “Like you’re even surprised by now.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/154 "2013-11-25T13:15:00Z")
Sounds like you had an easy time explaining that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/155 "2013-11-25T14:47:22Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > For lack of a better term, the casualization of society. I’m starting to think that the big thing would be culture shock in general; there are still plenty of people who remember the 1950s as adults, children or teenagers, and none of them seem overly blown away by anything modern-day. However, I bet if you took their ca. 1955 selves and dropped them in late 2013, the question wouldn’t be whether they’re shocked by anything, it would be which thing stands out from ALL the shocking things. For example if you were to take my grandmother from 1955 and drop her in 2013, the number of shocking things would be huge- black president, lesbian mayor, spicy food, cussing, trashy clothes and makeup, overt sex comments, technology, etc… I really don’t know what would stand out the most- maybe I’ll ask her over Thanksgiving and get back to you. She was 31 in 1955, so she’ll remember it all as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/156 "2013-11-25T20:46:20Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I really don’t know what would stand out the most- maybe I’ll ask her over Thanksgiving and get back to you. She was 31 in 1955, so she’ll remember it all as an adult. That’s a good idea. My aunt was born in 1930. I’ll ask her the same. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/157 "2013-11-25T22:16:03Z")
A person teleported from the 1950s would have a hard time comprehending a world where people wore t-shirts [like this one](http://www.spreadshirt.com/i-pooped-today-t-shirt-C3376A8420104). ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/158 "2013-11-25T22:18:51Z")
I haven’t done any time travel, and I too have a hard time comprehending why anyone would wear that t-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/159 "2013-11-26T00:11:19Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Single mothers (snip) and the divorce rate. And on top of that, fathers getting primary custody after a divorce, or even keeping their children at home with them if his wife died, and fathers staying involved with the children, along with his extended family, after a divorce. Even in the 1970s, none of that was the norm. I’ll admit that part of it was women who remarried and told the kids things like, “You have a new daddy so you don’t need the old one any more”. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/160 "2013-11-26T01:11:24Z")
I find the internet mildly counter-intuitive myself. So maybe that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454.md?page=9)