Mental/Social Hygiene
I love the Prelinger Archives at Archive.org. I just have a facination with old school filmstrips, especially the mental hygiene films. Mental hygiene, also called social hygiene, wasn't just preventing venereal diseases, it was also about teaching kids about how to be good little productive members of society. They covered how-to's on dating, grooming, manners, social interaction and the dangers of drugs and drinking.
A hilarious example of this is "A Date with your Family" from 1950. The women are perfect smiling Barbie dolls in high heels and aprons as they do all the housework, while the men are left to solitary pursuits. The son does his homework while his sister cleans up (when does she do her homework?) The most sickening part is the acknowledged fake emotions: "These boys treat their dad as though they were genuinely glad to see him, as though they really missed him..."
Recommended reading:
Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films 1945-1970 by Ken Smith
A hilarious example of this is "A Date with your Family" from 1950. The women are perfect smiling Barbie dolls in high heels and aprons as they do all the housework, while the men are left to solitary pursuits. The son does his homework while his sister cleans up (when does she do her homework?) The most sickening part is the acknowledged fake emotions: "These boys treat their dad as though they were genuinely glad to see him, as though they really missed him..."
Recommended reading:
Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films 1945-1970 by Ken Smith
posted by two bits @ 11:33 AM
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