0 A Long Time Ago Everyone Hated Women

I'm being facetious in the title of this post, of course. But it is interesting to reflect on how women were portrayed in days of yore; depending on your perspective, these images are either really funny or really sad. I recently posted a bunch of retro sexist ads and it just got me thinking about it.

"Wives should be kissed and not heard" says Reed Richards. Then there's the classic song "Wives and Lovers" by Bacharach/David. Here's the lyrics:

Hey, little girl,

Comb your hair, fix your make-up.

Soon he will open the door.

Don't think because there's a ring on your finger,

You needn't try any more

For wives should always be lovers, too.

Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you.

I'm warning you.

Day after day,

There are girls at the office,

And men will always be men.

Don't send him off with your hair still in curlers.

You may not see him again.

For wives should always be lovers, too.

Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you.

He's almost here.

Hey, little girl

Better wear something pretty, something you'd wear to go to the city.

And dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music.

Time to get ready for love.

Oh, time to get ready, time to get ready,

Time to get ready for love.

My favorite version of the song is by Vic Damone, but Jack Jones does a pretty good job too.

Wives And Lovers - Jack Jones

Would it make you feel better if I told you Nancy Sinatra sang this song as well? I didn't think so.

A gallery of unintentionally funny comic panels can be found here. The one pictured above is particularly appropriate here.

What do you think of this game? (from funnyhub.com) Look on the bright side, at least father and son are having a good time.

Of course, it's easy to poke fun at the past with such blatant examples, but if we're being honest, the attitudes never really changed much. You could argue that in many ways attitudes are worse.

It's one thing to view females as inferior, and it's something completely different to view them with contempt - that's called misogyny. Any modern hip-hop album would make Bacharach's little tune sound like a Women's Lib Anthem!

But let's not single out hip-hop...

Anyway, suffice it to say that disrespectful attitudes towards women have been around a while and continue to exist, like it or not. But I don't want to end on such a downer - let's bring this room back up a notch with a couple more unintentionally hilarious comics from yesteryear:

Don't go back and read it again. You read it right the first time.

Archie, a simple "yes" to Betty's question would have sufficed.