Things that used to be tacky that are now normal

[JackieLikesVariety]

@Pabitel

Never was tacky, not tacky now.

Idiots who think babies should only eat in public restrooms, now that’s tacky.

In case you didn’t know neither the baby or the mother has any real choice in when to feed. When the kid starts with the “feed me” cry the milk is coming out, whether there is a baby attached or not. In civilized countries we make allowances for this.

thank you.

Big T what is abnormal is thinking there is anything wrong with a Mother feeding her baby without having to move to a public toilet

[Annie-Xmas]

I remember when listening to other people’s phone conversations was not only considered tacky, but was the height of bad manners! And I do consider it tacky that people think I should hear their conversations! Even though the rule at work is “cell phones in the break room only,” I still go outside to make a call.

[Kropotkin]

The “me and my friends, me and whatever” construction in speech. Don’t mind the grammar issue–I’m not that much of a prescriptivist–but putting yourself first in conversation is like men leaving the toilet seat up. The essence of good manners is checking one’s more obvious displays of ego at the door: it’s the oil on the cogs of community. The tacky grammar is now “normal,” and I fear for humanity.

[Rushgeekgirl]

When I was growing up I was taught that discussion of politics and religion in social gatherings was the height of tackiness. I’m not sure if it was just a Southern thing or what, but it seems quite popular these days all over.

[j666]

@Rushgeekgirl

When I was growing up I was taught that discussion of politics and religion in social gatherings was the height of tackiness. I’m not sure if it was just a Southern thing or what, but it seems quite popular these days all over.

I was never taught that was tacky, just rude.

[nearwildheaven]

@Derleth

Things people had no control over which used to be a few shades worse than tacky:
[ul]
[li]Being a bastard.[/li][li]Having a visible deformity.[/li][li]Having a mental illness.[/li][li]Having any other kind of mental or neurological problem.[/li][li]Being anything other than straight and cissexual.[/li][li]Being of the wrong family. (Not necessarily race or class, just… well… we don’t associate with them.)[/li][li]Being of the wrong race or class, with race defined broadly.[/li][li]Not looking good in a certain restricted range of fashions. Yes, there was a dress code. No, there weren’t exceptions. Yes, you were judged for not fitting into the dress code.[/li][/ul]

Compared to those things, wearing black pumps after St. Christopher’s Day (St. George’s Day in England) or whatever was minor.

Another one: having divorced parents, or being a divorced woman. (I have not been able to find out how society viewed divorced men “back in the day”.)

Nowadays, kids get teased at school for having married parents (actually happened to my sister, 30 years ago! :eek:) and if a woman announces she’s getting divorced, people basically throw confetti at her even if they know nothing about what happened.

I started a thread about this a while back:

Churches that ban(ned) divorced women

[ChickenLegs]

Yawning without covering your mouth.

I mentioned this a few years ago on another forum, and the general response was “you’re supposed to cover your mouth when you yawn?”

[Annie-Xmas]

@Derleth

Things people had no control over which used to be a few shades worse than tacky:
[list]
[li]Being a bastard.[/li]

People can control how they act and acting like a bastard is tacky. Extremely tacky.

Calling a child of unmarried parents a “bastard” is also tacky. Extremely tacky.

Calling a sexually active woman who has a child when not being married a “slut” is tacky. And also using the n-word and the b-word.

[Lamar_Mundane]

@nearwildheaven

Tattoos, especially in visible places, and facial piercings other than earlobes. Not so many years ago, having them eliminated you from the job market. Nowadays, they almost seem to be required. :rolleyes:

As for bra straps, in the 1970s, women often went braless. I’d rather see straps any day of the week.

You hear this all the time about tattoos and piercings, mostly by people who have them. Yes, there are more than there used to be, but you mostly see them on baristas at Starbucks or on waiters making minimum wage. Next time you hear this said, look around the workplace and do a headcount. You might see a couple of people in a tech company, but they are mostly the guys in the basement coding all day.

I’ve been in the tech world since the late 80’s and it’s not a “thing”. Never was, and it isn’t changing.

Hell, look at the tech leaders - hardly any of them even had facial hair, let alone tattoos and piercings. Maybe Marissa Mayer has a tat on her ass, but not on her neck.

That you know two lawyers who have them is just an anecdote, not data.

As to the OP, “tacky” is probably not the right word, but riding a Harley went from being a biker thing to being a status symbol in no time flat.

[Justin_Bailey]

@nearwildheaven

Nowadays, kids get teased at school for having married parents (actually happened to my sister, 30 years ago! :eek:)

I refuse to believe that happens today and it definitely didn’t happen in 1985.

[nearwildheaven]

@Justin_Bailey

I refuse to believe that happens today and it definitely didn’t happen in 1985.

My sister will tell you otherwise. Trust me on that.

[alphaboi867]

@wolfpup

…Once during Nixon’s early years in Washington, he and Pat were invited to a high-profile party that Nixon saw as an opportunity to schmooze and make important high-level contacts. The invitation said “informal” so Nixon went basically business casual. At that time “informal” at that kind of high-level event meant tuxedo and black tie, “formal” meant white tie and tails. He stuck it out, but looking and feeling like a country bumpkin. It was the beginning of a long history of not fitting in to the Washington social scene.

Nowadays even state dinners at the White House are normally black tie. George Bush held 1 white tie event at the White House; the state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II, and that was because FLOTUS and the Secretary of State ganged up on him when he tried to go with black tie.

[Slithy_Tove]

and he got it wrong, anyway

[desertmonk]

@Justin_Bailey

I refuse to believe that happens today and it definitely didn’t happen in 1985.

I agree.

[nicky]

Tattoos.

(I have a grudging respect for old school tattoo nutters. The sort who would have had the tattoos if theyd been born 20 years ago. But these idiots dong it for fashion now… They should be flayed and rolled in salt)

Gambling

(UK TV is now full of gambling adverts. Gambling is stupid: hide your shame)

[Derleth]

@nicky

But these idiots dong it for fashion now… They should be flayed and rolled in salt

Tattoos have always been fashionable in certain quarters; they were fashionable among rich, trendy white women in the UK back when Queen Victoria got one, for example.

Willful ignorance is stupid. Hide your shame.

[nicky]

Yeah the typical chav sleeve tattoo is a homage to QV.

[nicky]

Oh and people who get young kids ears pierced should be sterilised.

[Derleth]

@nicky

Oh and people who get young kids ears pierced should be sterilised.

Forced sterilization went out with toothbrush mustaches and coal scuttle helmets, love.

[nicky]

The nazis did like tattooing though.