There’s always the no contact high five from Demolition Man.
What are “Blue Laws”?
OK. The concept of the “common rest day” because it’s based on religion. That was ruled unconstitutional in Canada back in 1985 because big businesses didn’t like it.
Sending of Christmas cards as a card in an envelope. If you just want to send a nice holiday picture and a holiday greeting, and must use snail mail, a postcard will do just fine. Waste less paper!
My parents paved their front yard and turned their back yard into a wild-looking orchard with a dozen different types of fruit trees, flowering bushes and cacti. Who needs grass?
Huggers are worse. And the New Years kissers that otherwise wouldn’t give you the time of day.
Still around but they’ve been on the way out for quite some time. It was a bellwether when IBM went from dark suites/starched white shirts to business-casual.
Laws that restrict doing business on Sundays. It has its roots in performative religion. I remember when I was a kid in Maryland you couldn’t buy alcohol on Sundays, and businesses with more than 5 employees (or something like that) were not allowed to open on Sundays.
Even the word “sundae” has an alternate spelling because it was mildly blasphemous to use the the name of the Lord’s day to name an ice cream treat.
Engagement rings. The whole concept is a brilliantly manipulative marketing scam that has persisted from the 1930s.
“If you love her, you’ll spend 25% of your annual salary on something that has no utility and will have virtually no resale value, despite what the industry will try to tell you.”
This also harks back to the idea of betrothal as a statement of ownership.
Save your money and put a down payment on a house.
Around here, the state and local governments will pay you to take out your lawn, but you have to replace it with low water use plants and the landscaping must include at least one tree, new or already there.
We had already done our front yard when we heard about the program. We got $150 for the back lawn from the city. I think I messed up the application for the state program, so we didn’t get anything from them.
This ^^^
Yes, I see that. I googled the term as I had never heard of it before, but the concept was very clear. The “common pause” rest day was essentially done away with in Canada when the SCC ruled “the lords day act” was unconstitutional in 1985. It was a case by big retail business who wanted Sundays as a work day like any other day. It was the beginning of the end for retail employees having more quality work life with such benefits as Saturday/Sunday off or Sunday/Monday off. The concept of “weekend” which organized labour had fought for, for years was eroding.
Singing the national anthem before sporting events. Phony patriotism that is nothing but political these days. Do away with it and save our ears from the cringe-worthy attempts.
Many good suggestions here, but this is my favorite.
Regarding business suits, I’m torn. I do think they have a place in courtrooms, for example, to reinforce the importance of the proceeding. Jurors, however, no longer dress up, I’ve noticed. Most judges will insist on minimum standards, but it’s a far cry from even 25 years ago.
How about powdered wigs?
I don’t associate those with formality, but if I was from the UK, perhaps I would feel the same.
It’s certainly possible to make a case for “blue laws” on non-religious grounds.
I suppose we could address the whole “expensive fantasy wedding” thing too.
And while we’re at it, how about the father “giving away” his daughter?
I get that companies sometimes want employees to follow “scripts” and be pleasant. Forced smiling is worse than the fast food guy going “will you be having our new chicken chunks” before you order or the Genius Bar employee having to say “that’s not recommended!” when some customer throws their phone in the laundry. But I am not sure forced smiling is common. In Canada, it was odd when Walmart arrived and their greeters were especially cheery. Presumably they picked the most positive people for that role rather than dictating expressions.