[Dr. Sivana]

Nobody worries about the cost of health care.

Health care was cheaper, MUCH cheaper then. Less insurance for regular stuff in general, and fewer lawsuits meant less expensive care. (They also couldn't do nearly as much for you.)



Wives are younger and better looking than their husbands.

Women then were more slender and much more feminine. Men generally married somewhat younger women in real life. Compared to men, women were far more concerned with appearance (with an Italian exception). Women in general look better than men. And of course, modern color programming is filled with drop dead gorgeous 25 year olds who are surprisingly easy for the color TV version of regular joes. That stuff sells.

[chajin]

Health care was cheaper, MUCH cheaper then. Less insurance for regular stuff in general, and fewer lawsuits meant less expensive care. (They also couldn't do nearly as much for you.)

My father was part of the local ambulance corps in the early 60s, all volunteer (Monday was his night to be on call). They drove a Cadillac station wagon with a few pieces of medical equipment. If someone had a heart attack at home, he was almost always DOA at the hospital. The last time I visited the old town about ten years ago, and I went to where the old ambulance garage had been: they had the latest ambulance/EMT/paramedic vehicles and equipment, and full-time paid personnel 24/7. I am sure that two things are true: more people survive because of the improvements, and the costs are MUCH higher, probably helping to bankrupt the community.

[chajin]

Women then were more slender and much more feminine.

Feminine (in a 1950s sense), yes, but more slender? I suspect even Twiggy was fatter than most women on most TV dramas. (Reality shows like The First 48 don't count.)

[njoynlife]

Your right on the cheaper health care. I remember my father saying that he paid for all the 25 to 30 operations my brother had for polio treatment. He was middle class but was able to pay for them at the time (two jobs).