This month, those born in 1940 will begin turning 80 years of age. A lifetime. More than a lifetime for many born in that year. It’s pretty amazing to take a look back and see what these people have experienced in their lifetimes.
You can see a lot about a culture from how and what is advertised. An example is how our culture was recovering from a decade in the 1930’s that came through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. This is witnessed by a culture determined to live within its means and a culture that believed in cleanliness. Nucoa was an oleomargarine in the 1940’s (and beyond) that in 1940 advertised their product with the help of a nurse that said “Nourishing Nucoa helps balance the budget and the diet too!” Or the vacuum cleaner maker Hoover touted, “Where children play, clean must be clean. You’ll need Hoover.” Fair play and sportsmanship were important. A Dole Pineapple ad shows a female handing a glass of Dole Pineapple juice to a guy in a swim suit and saying, “Here Ben, you won the race fair and square so you get the first glass of Dole Pineapple Juice!”
Someone born in 1940 likely lost a loved one or family member in World War II. They most likely had no television but were entertained and informed by the radio. If they had a phone, it was also likely a “party line” phone, which meant when you picked up your phone, someone across town might be on it talking to someone else and you would have to wait to place your call. Fast food was mom working extra fast to get supper on the table, though it was in 1940 that Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a hamburger stand at their drive in, which marked the beginning of the McDonald’s franchise. Jobs were valued and you worked hard and did what it took to hold on to that job. But also in 1940, the 40-hour work week was instituted.
Now pretend you are Rip Van Winkle and you had dozed off in 1940 for an 80 year nap. You wake up in 2020. You feel a bit woozy and want to turn on the radio to figure out what day it is and what’s going on in the world. Only problem is you can’t find the radio. So, you decide to call your neighbor, but now you can’t find the phone. Mother nature begins to call you and you wander around the house and find the bathroom. “Whew”, you think, “at least these are still around.”
The front door opens and in walks two kids. “Hi, Grandpa, you finally decide to wake up?” They plop down on the sofa and immediately begin looking at a small device they hold in their hands and seem to manipulate with their thumbs. “What are those?” you ask.
“Really? These are our phones.”
“Don’t you talk into them?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes we email on them, or text on them. Sometimes we play games on them. Sometimes we Facebook or Instagram on them, you know, all sorts of stuff.”
Well, you get the picture.
The culture of the 2020’s values information. The more, the better, and we need it immediately. Not tomorrow morning when the paper used to be delivered, but now. The culture of the 2020’s values diversity. Being “Americans” and being united isn’t as important as maintaining your cultural and ethnic differences. Tolerance is more important than conformity. In 1940, people wanted batteries that didn’t leak. In 2020, we want batteries to power our cars. Our culture in 2020 is more concerned about their credit score than living within their budget. At the highest levels, winning seems more important than competing fair and honestly. Having a “work-life” balance trumps working hard and doing what it takes to keep your job.
Most families have more than one television and more than one car. Unheard of in 1940. People use a piece of plastic to pay for stuff rather than cash. You can tell Alexa that you need more toilet paper and the next day there it is on your front porch. We can replace our old worn out joints with new mechanical ones.
People born in 1940 have experienced and witnessed so much, but even so, a lot of this is head scratching stuff.
These are the opinions of Mike Berry and not necessarily those of Cambridge, are for informational purposes only, and should not be construed or acted upon as individualized investment advice.
Mike Berry is a Registered Representative offering securities through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Legacy Wealth Management, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax advice.
Copyright ©2020 Mike Berry. All Rights reserved. Commercial copying, duplication or reproduction is prohibited.
