Changing Social Norms?

I see and read a lot that suggest that for our grandfathers and perhaps great grandfathers, having someone else shave them was quite the norm. Of course, way back most guys went to the barber shop for shaves but there seem to be lots of other examples. I was watching the Military Channel last night, a show about WWI. The were showing the difference of how British Officers lived vs. your standard enlisted trench rats that came from the unscrubbed masses of the time. Film footage showed the men bathing in shell craters full of water and many were sat down while there buddies shaved them. Could this be because of a lack of mirrors (i.e. I'll shave you and then you shave me?). It would also seem that back in the day lots of women shaved their husbands. The most obvious example is in the movie "The Color Purple" Danny Glover slaps his wife around for a bit, calls her ugly and stupid then puts a straight razor in her hand.

Call me crazy or just call me evolved but I for one prefer to do my own shave. I wouldn't mind a barber shop shave but having a buddy or let alone my wife, shave me would be completely out of the question. I guess I'm just kinda curious as to if that was the social norm back then or if I'm just crazy.

I had a friend whose wife used to pack his parachute when they went skydiving. I thought that was pretty weird. :thinking:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I had a friend whose wife used to pack his parachute when they went skydiving. I thought that was pretty weird. :thinking:

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In that case your life is in the hands of the packer.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I had a friend whose wife used to pack his parachute when they went skydiving. I thought that was pretty weird. :thinking:

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Key word there, was Jimmy HAD a friend,,, as in past tense !!!! :)


J/K

That is a good question 1OldGi. Back in the day though, barbers probably did as many shaves as they do haircuts so it was no big deal. These days in the disposable world, it is uncommon (that i know of) for a barber to give a shave. I for one would not let a barber shave me until i had observed his results on others.

I dont know Soldiers as a rule take care of their buddies. My commo guy got disentary in afghanistan I fed and shaved him till he was better. Granted it was with a Mach III I wasnt into the SR then. You just do what is needed for a buddy

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Key word there, was Jimmy HAD a friend,,, as in past tense !!!! :)


J/K

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:rofl2::rofl2::rofl2::rofl2::rofl2:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Key word there, was Jimmy HAD a friend,,, as in past tense !!!! :)


J/K

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Reminds me of that joke where the wife and hubby are off on a road trip and the wife says "Be an angel and let me drive?"

So he did. And now he is.

:D

There is a certain trust factor inherent in these things you describe that I think has been bred out of us. This is outside of the social norms.

Possibly we have become more distrustful and cynical so that we wouldn't let anybody do those kinds of things for us.

Or maybe the types people drawn to these things just would never entertain somebody else doing it for them.

This is a great post to think about.

The fellow whose wife used to pack his chute was an ironworker from Texas whose first name was Pierce. We called him Pierre. He had been a paratrooper in the army and a member of the Golden Knights. He was one of the three most agile and daring connectors I have seen in twenty years of steel erection. Two of the three were killed on the job and he was one of them.

I would never let my wife pack my parachute! Or shave me! Or come hunting with me.:gwh: :)

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Originally Posted by Alembic

There is a certain trust factor inherent in these things you describe that I think has been bred out of us.

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It needs someone more intelligent than me to answer this, but I suppose working together was necessary for the survival of the group, back in the days of hunter-gatherers.
I think that there would have been an element of 'survival of the fittest' as well.
Perhaps not trusting completely was essential for individual survival.

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Originally Posted by welshwizard

It needs someone more intelligent than me to answer this, but I suppose working together was necessary for the survival of the group, back in the days of hunter-gatherers.
I think that there would have been an element of 'survival of the fittest' as well.
Perhaps not trusting completely was essential for individual survival.

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You said it better, but I think that was kind of my point.

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Originally Posted by welshwizard

Perhaps not trusting completely was essential for individual survival.

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Still true in my 61 years of experience. :mace: