The Real Norman Rockwell and the 50's that Time Forgot

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!

I thought today would be a good day to write the following post, because this is a day to reflect on things such as patriotism and on what America is about.

Many of us have certain images surrounding the idea of "Americana" or 1950's America, and one name that commonly comes up is that of painter Norman Rockwell. Of course, Rockwell was an extraordinarily prolific artists, but in recent years he has be somewhat sanitized and stripped of his political voice.

" Sanitized?" Some people may ask. "What was there to sanitize?". While others may be surprised that Rockwell had any political leanings other than "old school patriotism". As the pictures on this blog should make clear he did. Of course, it should be remember that while the Civil Rights movement was much more controversial at the time, than it is today. And the do unto others poster would have been controversial at the time for it's pictures of people who would have lived in Communist countries. Now it might be just as suspect with some people for images of people from non Judeo-Christian faiths. (After all in our post Cold War time people have been known to make inquiries into whether or not Baack Obama is Muslim, and even whether or not Al Gore was in a Buddhist Temple.)

Of course, a lot of people also forget that many movements that have been labeled as "60's" in nature such as Civil Rights, Feminism, The Ecology Movement, changing sexual mores, and others actually did start in the 50's. As has been pointed out before on this blog "the hippie thing" went back WAAY before even the beatniks. During the 50's certain movies such as "Salt of the Earth" and "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (the 2008 version is a rip off on the original), while shot in much the same manner as "Lassie" and "Leave it to Beaver" actually expressed views that would be derided by Fox News as "hating America" or as "anti-male" , "anti-family", or "anti-capitalism".

Also try to imagine the reaction if the 1955 cartoon "Good Will To Men", was made in today's environment. Of course, the point is not to lionize the 1950's or to argue that "old fahioned America" is what progressives should shoot for. The point is to avoid making simplistic assumptons about any era or any society.

Some thoughts for this 4th of July!

Say goodnight readers!!