The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    David Seaton's picture

    How Times Change: open thread

    By David Seaton on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 5:39am |

    I happened on this clip and thought it might be interesting to talk about how something that was once mainstream, top of the line, wholesome, American "family" entertainment, now looks painfully like a charter flight of scummy, leering, pedophile, sex tourists setting off on holiday to Phnom Penh. The word "inappropriate" falls far short. What has happened... what has changed? Reality? Fantasy?

    I think this could an interesting discussion. Be my guests.

    Comments

    Sports, anyone?


    by Donal on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 10:13am

    Touché!  

    But seriously, I think there is a serious topic for conversation here. Were they that naive or are we that perverted? I do wish that people here would settle down and talk about all the subliminal stuff in this video.


    by David Seaton on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 2:39pm

    But an open thread on sexting and possible gender/age variants  motivations (coupled with some hilarity), etc. was not okay? 

    Okaaaaaay.  ;o)

    p.s. You forgot to mention Bojangles Robinson.  But google Graham Greene and Shirley Temple; I can't begin to want to think about it.


    by we are stardust on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 11:17am

    I am so proud of my country!

    There she is, the future ambassador to Morovia just struttin' her stuff!


    by Richard Day on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 11:31am

    Times and mores change.

    On one hand, one can look at this and see some pretty creepy undertones in the video.  On the other, as I'm sure you'l recall, despite the lack of autonomy, kids were often treated fairly seriously in that era.  The premise of all the old Shirley Temple movies was preposterous when you think about it because all of them were simply vehicles to put the cute little singer/dancer on display.  Remember, she was huge back then with a capital H!  She was one ofthe biggest box office draws, and thus one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.  Personally, I never liked her and always (even as a kid) thought she was kind of obnoxious and her performances way too contribed to even be interesting, yet the public loved the little girl and couldn't get enough of her.  Was this because of some dark, sublimated pedophilia?  I think not, thought I can see how one could draw that conclusion.

    I see the whole Shirley Temple phenomena as being somewhat akin to the weird practiceof having beauty pageants for little girls.  Groos, not good for the kids involved,but that's all.


    by oleeb on Tue, 06/07/2011 - 2:43am