Things that would never "fly" today

[basscooker]

Kind of inspired by another thread....

Seeking stories, memories, anecdotes etc of younger years. A lot has changed as far as what "kids" are permitted to do (and see / hear ). A couple examples: ET, a "classic" family movie with a PG rating, opens with a group of teens at the kitchen table smoking cigars, cussing, and playing poker while "mom" is right there whipping up dinner not even questioning it; another: my HS had a student smoking lounge, an open campus and allowed drinking for those over 18 (in the parking lot) during free periods... Even captured and published in the yearbooks.

Please please please don't take this the wrong direction and get it locked. Lets behave here, folks and have a bit of fun nostalgia for days past. TIA.

 

[Ooba Tooba]

There were ashtrays throughout the mall when it opened. You could also smoke in any restaurant from a steak joint to Burger King (remember those little tin ashtrays?) yeah most people would have a smoke after they ordered. The diehards would smoke after the appetizer and before the meal. Yuck!

 

[Bob_Ross]

This barely flew in 1978 when it happened at my high school, but I'd like to think that these days it would never get past the "Hey, what if we...?" stage:

My school administration was horrified to learn, via an article in the student newspaper, that >85% of the senior class had smoked marijuana at least once, and so they came up with a plan to ensure that no students would be able to smoke on school property...by putting armed guards on the roof of the school.

Presumably these guys were there to ...what exactly? Shoot anyone who lit up a doobie in the parking lot?!?!

The guys with guns lasted one week before outraged parents forced the administration to cancel that policy.

 

[hbarcat]

Any TV, movie, video, or similar production that depicts smoking is pretty much forbidden.

There was a very popular fantasy adventure genre comic book series in the 90's called "Bone" by Jeff Smith. It wasn't for kids but for adults and teens.

Several attempts to make the series into a feature length movie have been tried but all have been abandoned because all of the prospective producers have wanted to purge the story of certain elements that aren't culturally acceptable to put on video, and Smith has refused to allow extensive alteration to his story.

The main sticking point has been that several of the main characters smoke. Unfortunately, the author has embedded the smoking habit of these characters deeply into the plot lines so it's not just a matter of making them nonsmokers. Entire segments would need to be extensively rewritten.

I understand the reasoning behind the producers insisting that any movie they make doesn't glorify smoking. In fact, that's pretty much what Smith has done (unintentionally, I assume) with his books.

One character is like everyone's favorite uncle and he constantly smokes cigars. Other beloved elderly characters smoke pipes. Probably the coolest character in the series is an elusive, fire breathing dragon who chain smokes cigarettes. He avoids being seen by anyone, but you know he's around somewhere when you smell the cigarette smoke. A running gag is that when he does show himself, he asks for a light - even though he literally breathes fire.

 

[Flashback Bass]

Our HS had a designated "smoking lounge" in the back of the school. They even provided ashtrays so the students wouldn't throw their cigarette butts on the ground.

Back in the CB Radio craze we used to divide up into teams of two, buy a six pack of beer, get in the car and drive around during a snow storm playing automotive "Hide-and-go-seek"!

Smoking "bones" on the School Bus on the ride home from school.

Hanging out in front of the Liquor Store until you could find a cool enough Dude of age to buy you beer!

 

[yodedude2]

candy cigarettes.

 

[Richland123]

candy cigarettes.

Candy Cigarettes are still made.

Candy Cigarettes 24ct Nostalgic Candy

 

[Richland123]

Cartoon characters smoking.

Popeye smoked a pipe.

 

[basscooker]

^ remember Joe Camel? IIRC Camel got dinged pretty hard for that.

 

[yodedude2]

Candy Cigarettes are still made....
Candy Cigarettes 24ct Nostalgic Candy
...

those aren't candy cigarettes! they're ... they're... candy sticks

"These tasty candies have also lost their old fashion name of candy cigarettes. Due to a governmental ruling, these are no longer called candy cigarettes. The name was changed to candy sticks. Additionally, they no longer bear the pink 'lit' tip, but other than that small change they're just the same."

 

[Richland123]

those aren't candy cigarettes! they're ... they're... candy sticks

"These tasty candies have also lost their old fashion name of candy cigarettes. Due to a governmental ruling, these are no longer called candy cigarettes. The name was changed to candy sticks. Additionally, they no longer bear the pink 'lit' tip, but other than that small change they're just the same."

Yep! Same box designs and same flavor but different name and no pink tip.

 

[Jim Nazium]

Blazing Saddles

 

[Richland123]

Lawn Darts with metal pointed ends

 

[DirtDog]

Our HS had a designated "smoking lounge" in the back of the school. They even provided ashtrays so the students wouldn't throw their cigarette butts on the ground.

Back in the CB Radio craze we used to divide up into teams of two, buy a six pack of beer, get in the car and drive around during a snow storm playing automotive "Hide-and-go-seek"!

Smoking "bones" on the School Bus on the ride home from school.

Hanging out in front of the Liquor Store until you could find a cool enough Dude of age to buy you beer!

Did we go to the same school?

I'll add:

- getting served well underage at the local Chinese food restaurant.
- spending the school day at the arcade without anyone being the wiser (parents/teachers)
- buying a pack of smokes (on Mom's credit account at the local confectionary) and promptly smoking the entire pack with your buddies in "The Ditch" before going home for dinner.
- pretty much all of the schoolyard games we played - all involving some sort of violence, "British Bulldog" being the perennial favourite. Incl. iceball fights, "king of the snowbank" and "king of the ice pond". I'm not sure how I ever escaped elementary school without several concussions
- playing "Murder ball" or "German ball" in gym class
- playing peewee and bantam league hockey without a facemask; playing shinny hockey on the pond with no protection besides hockey gloves. I only have one broken tooth to show for that!
- joy riding Grandma's car downtown at 2 in the morning, being only 14 years old at the time.
- climbing up to the peak of the barn roof and sliding down said roof, hoping you could stop yourself from going over the edge in time.
- inside the barn, playing "paratrooper" jumping from piles of hay bales stacked up to those on the floor. But without a parachute.
- playing "war" in an old gravel pit with actual pellet guns. If you got hit, you had to play dead. Sometimes we'd draw blood. Surprised we all still have our vision. Like paintball, but without those soft paint pellets or safety gear.
- riding dirt bikes in working sand and gravel pits - and getting chased away
- driving a Jeep over a railway bridge of an active rail line (that was a close one, and pretty stupid) - just to take a shortcut to a "pit party"
- Pit parties!
- exploring really old abandoned houses, like falling down abandoned.
- playing with fire. Literally.

 

[yodedude2]

sea monkeys?

 

[Richland123]

those aren't candy cigarettes! they're ... they're... candy sticks

"These tasty candies have also lost their old fashion name of candy cigarettes. Due to a governmental ruling, these are no longer called candy cigarettes. The name was changed to candy sticks. Additionally, they no longer bear the pink 'lit' tip, but other than that small change they're just the same."

The crazy thing is that bubble gum cigars are still made.

 

[yodedude2]

i will see your bubblegum cigars and raise you a toothache drop

and just what are those kids doing, anyway? too many toothache drops i reckon

 

[The Owl]

TV shows like:

All In The Family

Jack Benny Show

 

[Richland123]

 

[The Owl]

Toys like these: