One of the megamyths that most infuriate me is this persistent longing for the "idyllic" 50s. You know, Bobbie Socks, poodle skirts, two strawed milkshakes, and Elvis. We are told, that it was perfect. No crime, good economy, American values at work.
For a time, I bought into that. As a kid it was all I was ever taught. I was not taught that African Americans were barred from voting, in fact, even eating at certain restaurants. When I read about it in encyclopedias, and asked my teachers, they shrugged it of as rare, and only in certain areas.
I was not taught that women had scarcely few rights and opportunities. When I would bring this up, I was told how much better things were when men were men and women were women, and-"knew their place."