Back to the Future
Nostalgia was invented in the late sixties when we discovered William Morris, aspidistras, purple velvet and sideburns. Knotty pine was to follow.
You had to go back to the future.
When I was a kid everyone tried to predict what life would be like in 'The future'.
Nobody bothers now as they know we'll all rot in hell.
This wasn't science fiction it was based on science and I really believed it would all happen.
Anyone remember The Jetsons?
Cities would be covered by a transparent roof which would protect us from the rain (good for Manchester). We would travel in the air by some sort of helicopter or aerial road system and metallic robots would do all our boring tasks. Our clothes would be polyester self cleaning one piece catsuits and we would get all our nourishment from a pill. Jamie, Delia, Nigella and Gordon remained unpredicted.
No one was ever hard up, riding a bike or scruffy. The goldfish bowl on the head seemed to be the prevailing fashion.
(Patti Boyd on the right??) 
This was to protect the air hostess's (sic) hairdo.
The top pic (click to read) is fascinating, though I don't think the 'phono vision receiver' is a laptop with internet.
But one thing doesn't change.
Note that the women are shopping, cooking or discussing fashion with a pal.
KAZ
posted by KAZ at 2:26 pm
45 Comments:
What's Wilma Flintstone doing in the future?
Yes, that’s Patti Boyd.
I read this book recently and I think that’s where I saw it.
My personal disappointment is that I got to the future and there are no commercial space flights to hotels on the moon. At the pace 1960s space exploration was on, those things shown in the movie 2001 were reasonably possible.
Oh Hai MJ!
Most future stuff now is grimly dystopian. Maybe we have lost faith in technology to deliver a contented future. In the 60s it was thought that the main problem in the future would be how to deal with all that lovely leisure. Now we seem to work longer hours than ever before.
Heigh - ho.
A woman's work is never done.
Geoff:
I think Wilma divorced Fred and married George Jetson.
MJ:
I used to want to be Patti Boyd.
Ringo's Maureen (who had an affair with George) was a regular visitor to Kev's mum's house.
xl:
True.
But at least we didn't get 1984 either and big brother Orwellian style.
WR:
Dystopian - exactly.
Why couldn't I think of that word?
Dave:
You have to do the lot don't you.
I can remember the illustrations in their weird colours, all vehicles flying or driving on their own with some navigating system, new sources of energy, a world gouvernement, and a lot of robots doing all the boring work ... as you say, the thinking went all along the old lines; it did not get out of the box, just enlarged it.
And today? Instead of the fully electrified house on the moon back into the co2-neutral farmhouse? Whoa, that will teach them suffragetes ...
We need another box.
did you know that the last firm in the US to make proper clothes pegs has now gone out of business - apparently very few householders are allowed to hang their clothes out on a line, because it ruins the ambiance of the neighbourhoods. . . apparently most people use tumble dryers, even on sunny days
a little off topic, but I was musing about Dave having to do the lot (and for some reason ending up thinking about clothes pegs)
those hats and helmets would be great on a bad hair day, eh
Love the leggy brunette sat on the desk. I'd love to have one of those. Is anybody selling them yet? I've yet to see them reviewed on The Gadget Show. What are they called? iBrunette's?
When is Kev's mum going to write a tell-all?
Oh Hai, XL!
The top pic isn't THAT far off is it? Big flat tellies, microwaves, electric heat and audio-visual telephony are all here. And genetically modified giant fruit.
Shame about the personal helicopters though.
You have a point - people used to dream of the future but now seem rooted in the present. "I am liking this..." etc.
Pills that provided you with all the nutrition you required. (But wasn't that in Brave New World?) And robots, yes. As in Woody Allen's Sleeper. Now there was a vision, tho' I can't say I've ever been in a house with an orgasmotron. Did I miss the cutaway drawing of one in the centrefold of Eagle?
Totally wrong dear Kaz,I was stripping knotty pine in the EARLY sixties.
Also do women have pals? I thought that was blokes stuff.
Mago:
Yes - it may be called upcycling now - but it's still all old stuff.
View:
That's so sad.
I live in a flat but still have facilities to hang out the washing.It's one of the real pleasures of housework.
I think you should buy Dave one of those helmets.
Steve:
I think she's a real flesh and blood woman - hands off.
MJ:
I think this happened in the days before there was anything to tell. Kev's mum knew Maureen's mum.
No doubt Kev fancied his chances.
Rog:
It's not bad is it?
Though I wish I had a dust free floor.
As you say - it's all present or retro.
Christopher:
Orgasmatron - well you certainly didn't get them in Girls' Crystal or Bunty.
But I saw a film about one - WR Mysteries of the Organism.
Gerald:
I always knew you were well ahead of your time.
I used think we once stood a chance of getting world peace but how wrong we all were but if we got the "great times" wrong maybe the "doom/gloom" merchants will get it wrong this time.
The models are Celia Hammond and Pattie Boyd in 1965.
I have several hats with ear-flaps. Would love a proper space helmet. And suit. And house on Mars.
It's not much to ask, is it?
Oh, and Suzi Perry to work the gadgets for me.
No personal jet-packs, no Gabrielle Drake in silver jumpsuits, nor even Wilma Flintstone about the office.
The future is a disappointment.
(The workplace of the future is Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis.')
None of us should wear polyester suits.
At the risk of sounding like a miss Joanie wannabe
NO polyester suits EVER!
Anyway, isn't it funny how we stalled. We were supposed to be flying around Jetson stylee by 2000 and here we are ten years later and it's still snowing, cold and we have to walk through all that muck to get to work on time. Somebody please invent the teleportation pad already!
There has been a philosophical shift. Mix our hard-nosed consumerism with a media-driven apocalyptic vision and you have a cocktail that will make you forget the future and leave you with the mother of all hangovers.
Gerald:
Let's hope so - but your new avatar looks a bit doom and gloom.
Anon:
Thanks for confirming that. Sounds like you're an expert on the 60's.
Dave:
Remember what Elton John said
'Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell'.
Probably best to settle for Norfolk.
Kevin:
Gabrielle Drake?
I only remember her from 'The Brothers'.
My dad was far too fond of her.
Pete:
Oh yes - teleportation would be the obvious solution to our recent shutdown.
Minister of Transport please note.
Martin:
Excellent summing up of the situation.
The future will be recycled just like the past has been, but in a slightly more sophisticated way.
Clearly you've not been to Norfolk recently.
mainly it's transportation that's been the let down isn't it? We're gone backwards since Concorde was retired. Speedwise I mean. Going faster and interstellar travel, you need one for the other, I assume.
Soon though I believe, those clever quantum physicist friends of Vicus will tell us how we can all be in two (or three) places at the same time and only have to think about it to be there. We won't even need a teleport let alone Scotty.
Won't that be exciting?
We did get the dome in London...it may not be transparent or cover the whole city but it does keep the rain out. Ha!
We also have the menu-selector at planarchy towers.. you can have either:
a) A plateful of what I've cooked
b) An earful of abuse
Another Back To The Future moment last night:
The Super Bowl football game half-time starred What's-Left-Of The Who!
nice article. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did anyone learn that some chinese hacker had hacked twitter yesterday again.
The guy in the third picture appears to be Nicholas sarkozy. How eerily prescient.
I have enough problems with the present, thanks very much. I'll take care of the future, tomorrow.
Besides, the world is going to end 2012...I keep telling you this, you keep ignoring me.
I cant say I am that taken with the futuristic balaclava's with or without Patti
Gabrielle Drake was also in "UFO" as one of the fighter pilots.
I'm betraying too much knowledge here...
The future has been a horrible facking disapointment! I was a kid in the 60s and I was certain that by 2000 we'd have barbequed steaks in pill form, flying cars, the perfect drugs, world peace, vacations in outer space.
Now that we are retreating from the real world into the interwebs it is painfully obvious that we have given up. There are just too many problems and too many assholes on this planet...a decent meteor strike might get us back to zero but..I'm afraid my utopian dreams are long gone. I'm terribly sad at the way things turned out.
Istvanski:
But can this happen if the future is the past?
Dave:
I had a day trip on the Broads in 1972 - and yes, it was 'cold as hell'.
Ziggi:
We are completely dependent on the infernal combustion engine.
I can do that now if I close my eyes.
NiC:
I'm still fancying some of your butternut squash delicacy.
xl:
Including the real Bryan May complete with flowing locks??
Anon:
Thanks - I don't twit (much)
Hi Andrew:
It's the Gallic shrug that does it.
Roses:
Will it be before or after the Olympics?
Beast:
With the daily flak which comes your way - it might be very useful.
Kevin:
I've checked it out - I can see the attraction - but she's not my type.
Donn:
"I'm terribly sad at the way things turned out."
Me too.
There's hardly a place on the planet that's got it right.
But I still live in hope of a flying car.
I think it's a shame the all in one polyester silver look isn't more of a goer.
Do they do that helmet with fringing or sequins?
I can just see you in this
"Remember The Jetsons"? KAZ they moved to Hebden Bridge And now live next door to me!!!`
...and long may they continue doing the things which give them the most pleasure....
Tony:
Did they move in by aerocar?
Have they got self cleaning floors?
NB:
Fighting talk!
I'm sure they might enjoy driving the helicopter home to the helipad on the roof.
Well, I used to read Dan Dare and wonder if it would really happen.
(Soo-meone please tell the youngsters Dan Dare was the pilot of the future in 1950-something)
And I would just like to add that one of the most wonderful tele-things is the power of murder by telepathy. I threatened Blogger and they fixed the problem. Welcome to the future. The future is now!
Hi Dinah - good to have you back.
I certainly hope you never have cause to threaten me.
A bit late, but see this ...
Thanks mago.
I shall now be able to drop the term Astrofuturism into my casual conversation.
Beep.
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