So, I have been mainlining 'Mad Men' lately, as I already mentioned before, originally entirely out of the wish to look at Christina Hendricks more
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I was actually under the impression that the American concept of littering is very common in the so-called 2nd world even today. My visits to the Czech Republic, living next door to a largely Croatian-inhabited apartment building, and experiences teaching English to Bosnians all colluded in this impression: these people all keep their houses impecably clean, but the common areas were *disgusting*... diapers, trash, dog shit, other animal, possibly even human shit, etc strewn around, with the general assumption that someone else -- the State, I guess -- would clean it up.
I know you've traveled around Europe extensively; what's your impression? Have I just had bad experiences?
I have been in Prague, and Ljubljana, and to Lake Balaton in Hungary; things weren't especially dirty there. In Italy or France, neither. I guess you get really nasty areas in any city where there is exactly that mixture lying around in the public areas, and Berlin in particular is famous for people dumping all sorts of rubbish on the streets, trusting that somebody from somewhere will eventually remove it.
I was in Prague twice, both times in 2000. The 2nd time, during "tourist season" (summer), it was much cleaner than the 1st time, which was the previous Feburary. There wasn't enough time between my visits to represent a cultural shift.
After I had a near-miss with a particularly vile pile of... something during my first visit, and squawked loudly about the health of the dog who created it, my ex-BF who was living there, noted that it wasn't necessarily from a dog, and that he regularly witnessed people popping a squat on the sidewalks. I was not so lucky as to witness that, although public urination was a common thing to see all over the city. Old Town and the castle district was not so bad, but any less-touristy area like near the suicide bridge where I was staying, and near some Soviet-era rocket sculpture, and just some general neighborhoods, it was vile
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That's probably why Berlin, too. East Berlin was of course former Soviet bloc, and West Berlin was on an eternal drip of state subsidies to keep it viable in its island position. People in both were assigned stuff for decades.
essayel speculated (in the IM convo that partially inspired this entry) that in a few years, people would start mining the landfills for plastics to recycle or burn for fuel. The idea does make sense. However, the plastics littered around will stay in the ground forever.
Who knows what far away future generations will think about it. I wrote a short story about that once...
I was born in 1956 so was compos mentis all through the sixties. I've only watched a couple of short clips of Mad Men, to find out who Christine Hendricks was, and some of the things said in it are cringeworthy but I remember hearing similar. For instance "don't worry, the man who designed this made it simple enough for a woman to use". My mother STILL twitches nervously and says, "don't you think we ought to find a man to do it" if she sees me doing anything with electrics or power tools. So I suspect that the attitudes are pretty much spot on, though exaggerated for effect as everything is on TV.
The littering now - I think that depends on where you live. In town there were street cleaners who, notionally, cleared up after you so townsfolk picnicing in the country wouldn't even consider picking up after themselves. But I was brought up in deepest rural Herefordshire and there you did not litter! YOU were responsible for your mess and if you left rubbish and particularly glass bottles farmer's stock and machinery could be damaged.
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Consensus among US fans was that this was exaggerated behavior, even for the early 60s. Not to say that it *couldn't* happen, but I thought it was Matt Weinberg being, I dunno, metaphorical or something. It's supposed to be shocking.
Eurgh, yes, we get football orcs again this summer...
And I'm looking forward to the fourth season. By then, I will most likely have caught up until the end of season three. I have the next episode open two tabs away from this entry, and will finish it before going to sleep tonight.
Deplorable, though, that rumours have it there won't be more than six seasons. I was hoping they'd do the entire sixties and end with the first man on the moon. I remember that! It would have been cool.-
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I was actually under the impression that the American concept of littering is very common in the so-called 2nd world even today. My visits to the Czech Republic, living next door to a largely Croatian-inhabited apartment building, and experiences teaching English to Bosnians all colluded in this impression: these people all keep their houses impecably clean, but the common areas were *disgusting*... diapers, trash, dog shit, other animal, possibly even human shit, etc strewn around, with the general assumption that someone else -- the State, I guess -- would clean it up.
I know you've traveled around Europe extensively; what's your impression? Have I just had bad experiences?
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After I had a near-miss with a particularly vile pile of... something during my first visit, and squawked loudly about the health of the dog who created it, my ex-BF who was living there, noted that it wasn't necessarily from a dog, and that he regularly witnessed people popping a squat on the sidewalks. I was not so lucky as to witness that, although public urination was a common thing to see all over the city. Old Town and the castle district was not so bad, but any less-touristy area like near the suicide bridge where I was staying, and near some Soviet-era rocket sculpture, and just some general neighborhoods, it was vile ( ... )
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That theory might be quite right.
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Who knows what far away future generations will think about it. I wrote a short story about that once...
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The littering now - I think that depends on where you live. In town there were street cleaners who, notionally, cleared up after you so townsfolk picnicing in the country wouldn't even consider picking up after themselves. But I was brought up in deepest rural Herefordshire and there you did not litter! YOU were responsible for your mess and if you left rubbish and particularly glass bottles farmer's stock and machinery could be damaged. ( ... )
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I like the 1971 animation thinggy; one half-hopes that things fall back horribly on Joe and Petunia, but they never do.
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Consensus among US fans was that this was exaggerated behavior, even for the early 60s. Not to say that it *couldn't* happen, but I thought it was Matt Weinberg being, I dunno, metaphorical or something. It's supposed to be shocking.
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There are clandestine hopes that arte (the French-German culture channel, publicly funded) will pick it up after all.
And your meta explanation does make sense. Thanks!
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Season 4 starts in July (25, I think) in the US, and we are all very excited. Not long after the World Cup, too, so great timing!
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And I'm looking forward to the fourth season. By then, I will most likely have caught up until the end of season three. I have the next episode open two tabs away from this entry, and will finish it before going to sleep tonight.
Deplorable, though, that rumours have it there won't be more than six seasons. I was hoping they'd do the entire sixties and end with the first man on the moon. I remember that! It would have been cool.-
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