I have a vivid memory of watching TV with my father in 1967 when this new show came on. It was called Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. It featured rapid fire jokes, most of which were blatantly sexual in nature. A young Goldie Hawn was dancing suggestively in a bikini. The show definitely pushed the edge of what was then allowable on the air. I recall my dad exclaiming “I can’t believe this stuff is on TV!”.
Twenty years later, in 1987, I was flipping through channels on my own TV, looking for something to watch. Lo and behold, I came upon Laugh-In. The reruns were being shown on Nickelodeon, which was basically a children’s programming channel. I remember being stunned that a show that was considered cutting edge and extremely racy in 1967 had become suitable for a children’s channel by 1987.
It was a stark example of how quickly culture evolves. And how acutely we should be aware of it.
Yes, it is the people who have changed. What you tolerate today will dominate you tomorrow.