Bad Old Days: The Myth of the 1950s

For many, the 1950s are the “bad old days.” This was the time of the Cold War, McCarthyism, racial segregation, self-satisfied prosperity, and empty materialism. These failings are coupled with ignoring poverty and other social problems, complacency, conformity, the suppression of women, and puritanical attitudes toward sex. In all, the conventional wisdom sees the decade as bland and boring. “Bad Old Days” shows that this view of the 1950s stands in opposition to the reality of the decade. Far from being the dismal prelude to a glorious period of progress, this was an era of unprecedented progress and prosperity.