Let's Take A Train Back In Time
Let's Take A Train Back In Time
When Americans Were Governed By Entirely Different Interactions and Speech Patterns
I didn’t grow up in the US, was not born when JFK was killed, but more and more I find myself listening to him, wondering about that era, wondering what happened to us.
I had never heard of this Vaughn Meader comedy album, which apparently every American household had, and ceased to play, or speak of, or touch, after JFK was murdered. Vaugh Meader himself worked hard to eliminate it from collective memory, but I think it’s time for it to come back.
Jeff Schreiber alerted me to it in the comments, a few weeks ago, and I began to listen to it. I was struck by the sound of the 1960s bedroom light (with a chain) being turned off. I remember that sound. And when Meader said: ‘Goodnight Bobby. Goodnight Ethel,” I laughed out loud. Also the part where Meader with his voice rising with such perfect comedic timing says: “Jackie…speak English!”
Hilarious.
It part of my process of reclaiming my country, as a kidnap “survivor,” who never thought about the loss of nation. I always try to fill in the blanks left by the eight missing years when I didn’t set foot in the states, and was so cut off from US events and news I literally did not even know my own father was running for Mayor of New York City.
I do not remember this album, but I do remember our family always talking about the Kennedys. Their love of athleticism- their love of fashion- the beauty of that family. Our family loved the Kennedy's - we lived in a little town in Ohio that voted for the republicans- so we were the only family whose parents voted democrat in our school. Black people were not allowed in our schools- and black children were not allowed in the only public swimming pool- and the kids would look through the bars while we were dancing the twist in our bathing suits, drinking pop and popcorn, and eating cotton candy. It was a surreal time.Then JFK was killed- everyone at school went out to the playground- we were crying. We were told that the Russians would be flying to the US to bomb us. We were watching the sky- waiting for the planes. Shortly after that we moved to Germany- and we missed the entire civil rights movement with the ensuing deaths of the black leadership and RFK and others. I remember that the G.I. s at the Army base in Weisbaden and the older boys at school would get out brass knuckles and their belts and beat up the German boys downtown. The US currency was 4-1 so for the american's life was cheap and most ate better than they ever had at home. Many of the homes in our town had never been rebuilt- a number of the families were so poor - and lived without running water or heat. We had 12' snowdrifts at times in the Taunus mountains. The people were brutalized. The americans called them krauts. That's because many of them couldn't afford much more than cabbage. imagine. It was a brutal occupation. People have no idea what it was like back then. And what we are heading for again.
I'm 65, born and raised in California and I only vaguely remember hearing about this album. I think what is more significant than how the assassination destroyed Vaughn Meader's short career as a comedian, is how a scene in the movie "Dr. Strangelove" was changed after JFK was killed. Slim Pickens was originally supposed to say "a fellow could have a pretty good weekend in Dallas with this stuff" but the city was changed to Vegas. Other parts of the movie were also changed:
https://www.bestmoviesbyfarr.com/articles/how-jfks-assassination-changed-the-fate-of/2014/07