Much like trendy names for one generation become old person ones for the next, some traditions that once looked sacred are looking pretty silly for Gen Zers. Those things that our grandparents held dear are now the source of comedic skits. Instead of holding these traditions in high esteem, they are eliciting high bouts of laughter.
Fruit Cakes
Fruit cakes used to be what many people gave as a holiday gift. If you give a fruit cake nowadays, it is a joke, and no one is going to take out a fork and dig in. Fruit cakes might have been pickled perfectly back in the day, but when you can pull a cake out from last year’s decorations, and it looks, smells, and probably tastes the same, it should no longer be a tradition to feast on it.
Jello Molds
There was a time when our grandmothers had Tupperware parties. Most exchanged recipes and made Jell-o molds for the holidays and picnic tables across America. No one really partakes in Jell-o anymore unless it is single-serve and bought at the grocery store, and there certainly isn’t anything creamy in it.
Tupperware
Traveling salesmen are a thing of the past, as are Tupperware parties. As hard as it is to believe, Tupperware was the first brand that made it easier to save and contain leftovers without just a piece of tin foil over it. Quite arguably one of the first pyramid schemes; if someone were to suggest a Tupperware party, we would all know it was a spoof.
Being a Workaholic
It used to be admirable to work around the clock, and it was seen as being an excellent provider. Fast forward to a lot of sitcoms with fumbling husbands and dads who are never around, and that is no longer the ideal. Today's husbands and fathers consider being at home and available as being a better form of a role model than being buried at work and late for everything.
Knowing Your Place at Work
Traditionally, there was a sense in the workplace that people had to pay their dues before advancing. There was a hierarchy of things whereby even if you were better than your boss, you waited your turn. Nowadays, people are no longer loyal to their higher-ups, unlike the companies they work for. It is a dog-eat-dog world in the workplace where you better watch your back.
TV Trays and Dinners
When televisions first came out, it was traditional for many families to butt up next to the television with some TV trays and TV dinners to spend some family time. Now, if you use a television tray and eat heartily on the couch, you are the stuff many comics have become famous for. TV trays aren’t even a thing anymore unless they are in a museum somewhere, making people laugh.
Smoking Ads
Smoking used to be glamorous until it wasn’t at all. Although there are still people who will sequester themselves outdoors to smoke a cigarette, they are no longer the sign of sophistication and glamour. Smoking ads are seen as funny now to think that people used to get away with making a carcinogen look trendy.
Tanning Beds
At first, it was not fashionable to be tan. Only those who worked in the fields were, so white skin was a sign of good breeding. Then, tanning began to become popular because it was a sign that you were out enjoying the great outdoors and vacationing. Along came tanning beds that would fry your skin and make you have a not-so-natural glow, and probably make your insides glow as well. No one is buying the tanning bed as a healthy argument anymore. Many movies have characters who sport the almost purple and laughable fake bake.
Carpeting From Wall to Wall
It is undeniable that carpeting is comfortable, but that doesn’t mean that you want it from the floor to the wall and back again. Shag carpeting went out with the wall carpeting decor look, and everyone is thankful for it. Allergens caught in the floor carpeting are enough; can you imagine the allergens all around the room?
Mirrors to Make the Room Look Bigger
There was a time when people thought that hanging mirrors all over the walls made a room look more expansive. Wall-to-wall mirrors were the standard for the rooms next to the wall-to-wall carpeting. Mirrors are not only fragile; they can be jarring and very cold. There’s nothing worse than looking around a room that is full of your face.
Plastic on the Couch
In our grandparents' generation, people saved up for a long time to afford a nice couch. It would only make sense that they would want to protect the couches from stains and dirt. Nothing says comfort more than couches covered with plastic that your legs stick to when the weather gets hot.
Television Ears
Not many people remember the days when there were no remotes, so you had to get up and change the channel on the television. Along with that, there was no such thing as streaming services or even cable. People had about five channels to choose from, and they didn’t come in well all the time. The best thing that our grandparents had were television ears. One person would have to move them around while the others would focus and tell them when to stop and hold.
Hats as a Sign of Status
Hats used to tell the world who you were and what you did. Cowboys had theirs, and upper-class men had an entirely different style. Men wore hats to show off their wealth and status by the hat they wore. The only real hats that men wear anymore are baseball caps and skullcaps, and that says absolutely nothing about who they are besides what team they cheer for.
White Picket Fence
Along with the dream wedding and two-point-two children, the average American wanted the “white picket fence,” which was an ideation of having the perfect home and the perfect family. Inside that white picket fence was usually a home full of traditional role genders, and everything was as it was “supposed” to be.
Being a Member of the Clean Plate Club
Coming out of the Great Depression and World War II, grandparents everywhere knew that you could go from rags to riches at any point. Because they valued money and had experienced first-hand not having enough on their plate, they refused to throw food out. Leftovers could be eaten for multiple meals, put into casseroles, and those casseroles put into new ones.
Ironing
Most people give no thought at all to wrinkles in their pants or shirts. Much like our decor is shabby chic, people no longer spend their Sundays ironing their clothes for the long week ahead. If someone wants their collars crisp, off to the dry cleaners they go. That is if they can even find a dry cleaner.
Handkerchiefs
Men used to have a handkerchief prominently displayed in their jacket pocket. Nowadays, everyone knows that you don’t sneeze into your hand, and you certainly wouldn’t consider blowing your nose into a handkerchief and folding it to put back in your pocket.
Mapping Out Your Trip
If you didn’t know how to read a map a few short decades ago, you wouldn’t even know where you were. It is now laughable when we think about or see someone in a movie pull out a big paper map that they continue to flip upside down and back and forth. Without GPS, most people couldn't make it to the grocery store anymore.
Reading the Newspaper Plus the Comics
There was a time when no one would finish their morning coffee without reading the newspaper from cover to cover. Things like lifestyle and the coupon section would be cut and mulled over. Sunday, even more so, people would allocate the entire day to relish every type set word.
Formality
People in previous generations believed in appearances and were committed to dressing the part. There were no such things as casual Fridays, and if you worked in a bank, you didn’t wear khakis with a uniformed logo polo. People took great pride in their appearance, believing that it was a reflection of who they were.
Some Traditions are the Reasons Comedians Exist
Every generation can look at the one before and marvel at how seriously they took things that are now laughable. The things that we care the most about usually end up being the ones we wonder why we care so much when looking back at it. Some traditions are forever, and others are the reason that comedians exist.
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