The Crusader Herald, vol. 1, article 4, Standards Make A Difference

For a long time I have wanted to discuss “standards” or lack there of. Our society has been led to seek out the “lowest common denominator.” As a result, our culture has sunk to new lows. Years ago, a standard was set to show what the “best” in any area would look like. For instance, a football runner would try to emulate a great running back like Jim Brown or Barry Sanders. Or, if it is baseball, a Joe DiMaggio or Derek Jeter. If it was in the corporate world, it could be Fred Smith from FedEx or Lee Iacocca from Chrysler. The list of examples could go on and on but you get the point. They set a standard, a benchmark for all of us to look up to and aspire to. This is no longer a truth.

I am looking at a June 29, 1953 edition of LIFE Magazine. This magazine is full of “standards.” Let’s start with the cover. The cover shows a beautiful actress named Cyd Charisse dressed in a gorgeous gown. She is looking into the distance with her face nicely made up in every detail. On top of her picture is the headline: Exclusive Pictures, Victory Over Mt. Everest. Now look at that word victory. Did they use the word defeat? Or, disaster? No it is victory so you want to read and see some outstanding pictures of “humans” conquering this majestic mountain. Now let’s go into the body of the magazine.

Page after page shows products being sold and handsome models showing them off. Great products made in America like Chrysler cars, Goodyear Tires, Frigidaire refrigerators, and Champions spark plugs to name a few. These commercials are great! It’s a look at the earlier years and it is fun to compare these products as they progressed to current times. Then in the middle of the magazine you get a play on the use of color and light. A famous photographer shows off Hollywood’s top stars in various color scenes. Such stars as Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor, Cyd Charisse and Virginia Mayo. All impeccably dressed and made up. Wonderful. Standards! By the way, not one model or star had a “tattoo” showing.

Now let’s fast forward to today. The people pushing not only the “dumbing down” of America but the degeneracy of our culture and society. Every commercial you see a model is made to look at their worst. Yes, in the makers mind they look beautiful but they have no standards: earrings stuck in every part of your face, tattoo’s all over, un-shaven for men, and very sharp looks for women. Today’s commercials have no standards!

Two cases to make my point. There is a travel site that uses a man actor as their spokesperson. I believe they got him off the Bowery. Like he’s a bowery bum: hair not combed, face not shaved, clothes all wrinkled, etc. Based upon his appearance, I would never use this site to book a hotel or flight. My friend and I talk about this commercial from time to time because it is hard to believe they used this actor or set him up in this way to sell their product.

The other commercial has to do with a diet drink. I do not even know for sure because my mouth drops open when I see the female model they used. Now, remember, I am talking about standards. I am not saying that a person is “no good” because they are un-attractive. We are all beautiful in God’s eyes. But this is a commercial for a diet drink, I think. Well, they have an overweight female in a bikini dancing to a weird song with an equally weird looking old man dancing with her. They could get an “in shape” person to advertise for them. No, they did it on purpose. They want you to know that “you are no good if you think she is unattractive.” So, they purposely ensure that even though this is a diet drink somehow, it is ok to be overweight. Just great…

Our society has gotten so bad it is hard even to go out for dinner since the “in thing” is to dress as sloppy as possible. You mean, you can’t put on khaki’s or nice jeans and a decent shirt to have dinner? Is it so hard? No standards.

And the companies are the biggest “whores” because instead of setting standards (dress code) they cave for the almighty $$. Every vestige of America has fallen in line from these companies to the church to sporting events, etc. Hey, ever see those old baseball stand pictures with a father dressed to the hilt with his proud son besides him? Wonderful…standards.

A neighbor asked me one day why I was cleaning the weeds from the street in front of my house. I said, “Because the weeds make the whole house look less manicured.” That is why…I pass houses where the owners blow out their grass clippings into a pile in front of their house and it stays there day in and day out. I pass it while I take a walk. Is it so hard to sweep it into a garbage can of re-cycle receptacle? Standards.

The government plays along with it too. How about stopping graffiti? It is not hard. First, teach them in school not to vandalize another’s property. Then, if they insist on doing their beautiful works of art, if caught, they have to do 100 hours of community service including cleaning off their art. A second offense gets 30 days in juvenile look up. The word with get around that this city or town will not tolerate this nonsense. Set the standards.

One more area to point to. Remember, the great music groups of the 50’s through the 70’s: Four Seasons, The Four Tops, The Temptations and the Beach Boys to name a few. Did you see how they dressed? Now compare them to what you see today. And the music was so nice and positive. Not all were rock groups or heavy rock groups but many were class acts. Standards. Period!

I think everyone gets my point. Our country is down because we have no standards. The progressives have done their magic. We are on in a less pretty and more decrepit society just because these people do not “like standards” and would accuse us of being intolerant or, shall I say it, “racists.” They say, “We are free and don’t tell us anything like mores and norms or standards.” Or, they say, “Live and let live.” True but not a whole society gone the way of debris.

We must all “aspire to high standards” in our lives. Without standards there would be no great art, or music, or knowledge, or science, etc. We all have to look up to something that is good and noble. This is how you achieve great things.

Well, I thought we progressed past the age of the Vikings and the Pirates. But, I could be wrong…let’s pray to God that we can reverse this horrible trend.