This ‘129 Ways to Get a Husband’ Article From 1958 Shows How Much The World Has Changed
How would you respond if someone asked you to describe the 1950s? Maybe you’d mention the Cold War between The United States and the Soviet Union? Elvis becoming more and more popular? The first satellites going into orbit? You could do that. Or you could explain how magazines advised women on how to get married. Recently, Kim Marx-Kuczynski from Madison, Wisconsin shared a 1958 McCall’s article, entitled “129 Ways to Get a Husband,” showing just how much times have changed.
“In the United States today there are sixteen million women over the age of seventeen who are still waiting for a marriage proposal,” the text begins. “Presumably the vast majority of them would like to be.” The publisher asked 16 people to brainstorm some dating tips lonely women could use to get men to pay attention to them, and they delivered. From ordering rare steaks and no gossiping to crying in a corner of the room and getting a hunting license, some of these life hacks sound like common sense, and some seem to be… questionable. In their authors’ defense, the magazine did ask them to throw away their judgments when writing down their thoughts.
“My boyfriend John Bascynski spotted it at a rummage sale and pointed it out. I bought it for a dollar,” Kim told Bored Panda. “I think the article is reflective of the social mores and 50s style in general, and I found the comparison between what was acceptable then and what is acceptable now fascinating. It also made me grateful that so much progress has been made.
Kim also believes that everyone who’s currently thinking about a long-term relationship should stay away from this kind of stuff, too. “I think if someone is actively looking for a life-long partner just for the sake of being married, they will end up in a failed relationship whether they legally sever it or not,” she said. “I’d like to read about someone’s attempts at trying out everything on the list though. They would either end up with a degree from Yale, in federal prison for stowing away on a military vessel, or in an intervention meeting with friends who’ve been very concerned with their recent dating profile choices.”
“It’s outdated and absurd and funny, but it had serious intentions,” Kim concluded. “Society has changed so much in the last sixty years, and this article exemplifies the differences between what our moms and grandmas grew up with compared to ourselves and the coming generations. It’s fascinating.”
Scroll down to read the list and tell us in the comments if you think they’re terribly outdated or kinda useful when anticipating for that first date!
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Here’s what people had to say about it
I think the best advice is there "be nice to everyone." There is no reason necessary... Be the reason the world is a better place.
That one caught my eye, too. Switch the genders to suit your needs, and a lot of these become decent advice for women AND men looking to marry. (Just don't ever cry in a corner to get attention, no matter what your gender is!)
cosmo do the same thing today! instead it's : 56 way to please your men! 37 dress to make your guy horny for you… 128 sex tips for spiced your sex life. it's no different today. different time only
You're right! Awful that women are portrayed in this way and valued so low. There's so much more to a person and to life than being married or a play thing!
yeah woman can make good cook too!!! :-)… kidding, i'm the cook in my house :-)
Don't see how it portrays women in a negative way. If you want a real kick, go back and read the advice women gave each other in magazines in the mid to late 1800s.
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Y'all bashing cosmo yet women are the ones who buy their magazines haha
I got to about number 10 and realized nothing has changed in magazines' goal of telling women how to make themselves appealing to men.
Ever see that movie "Dangerous Liaisons"? I keep thinking of that line "I've taught her to do things one would hesitate to ask of a whore" and wonder what young people think. It is sad that young women are expected to do things that once were considered so degrading you wouldn't even pay a whore to do.
Ummmm carry a hat box? Cry in a corner 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Get a sunburn? 🔥🔥🔥🔥😂😂👌
Let's not forget to stumble into the room. Lol
I do that anyway lol. Clumsy me.
First Name, that was the one that made me stop reading the rest. I am clumsy all by myself. I dont need to pretend. And I sure dont want someone who thinks I am helpless.
Sunburn used to mean suntan.
Thank you, Pat! I assumed it to be another conversation starter like "why are you crying" or "why do you have a band-aid?" Lol
Dont forget make lots of money and wear a bandaid
Ah yes, nothing says romance like skin cancer!
The sunburn thing is because at that time, blush was used on the whole face. A sunburn then would be like the equivalent of finding someone whose lips are red without any makeup. As for the hatbox: they're sometimes big and bulky. Maybe the idea is to inspire a man to help you carry it
I think the best advice is there "be nice to everyone." There is no reason necessary... Be the reason the world is a better place.
That one caught my eye, too. Switch the genders to suit your needs, and a lot of these become decent advice for women AND men looking to marry. (Just don't ever cry in a corner to get attention, no matter what your gender is!)
cosmo do the same thing today! instead it's : 56 way to please your men! 37 dress to make your guy horny for you… 128 sex tips for spiced your sex life. it's no different today. different time only
You're right! Awful that women are portrayed in this way and valued so low. There's so much more to a person and to life than being married or a play thing!
yeah woman can make good cook too!!! :-)… kidding, i'm the cook in my house :-)
Don't see how it portrays women in a negative way. If you want a real kick, go back and read the advice women gave each other in magazines in the mid to late 1800s.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Y'all bashing cosmo yet women are the ones who buy their magazines haha
I got to about number 10 and realized nothing has changed in magazines' goal of telling women how to make themselves appealing to men.
Ever see that movie "Dangerous Liaisons"? I keep thinking of that line "I've taught her to do things one would hesitate to ask of a whore" and wonder what young people think. It is sad that young women are expected to do things that once were considered so degrading you wouldn't even pay a whore to do.
Ummmm carry a hat box? Cry in a corner 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Get a sunburn? 🔥🔥🔥🔥😂😂👌
Let's not forget to stumble into the room. Lol
I do that anyway lol. Clumsy me.
First Name, that was the one that made me stop reading the rest. I am clumsy all by myself. I dont need to pretend. And I sure dont want someone who thinks I am helpless.
Sunburn used to mean suntan.
Thank you, Pat! I assumed it to be another conversation starter like "why are you crying" or "why do you have a band-aid?" Lol
Dont forget make lots of money and wear a bandaid
Ah yes, nothing says romance like skin cancer!
The sunburn thing is because at that time, blush was used on the whole face. A sunburn then would be like the equivalent of finding someone whose lips are red without any makeup. As for the hatbox: they're sometimes big and bulky. Maybe the idea is to inspire a man to help you carry it