THE PAST COMES ALIVE

The past two Fridays I have attended a luncheon for old and retired media, p.r. and sales types from the Golden Age of Broadcasting.  It has been an education.  I had no idea that in my 30's and 40's I was still so naive.  I have heard stories of former bosses who had a serious womanizing problem, a former boss who drank heavily with his high-paid news anchors, etc., and who nearly left them high and dry when he wouldn't bring them back for the late news until it was nearly too late.  Then the next day when the news director was trying to explain the lapses of judgement, he expressed complete ignorance.  Many tales of alcoholic unrestraint and chasing skirts, here and there.  It was "Mad Men" come to life!

I knew nothing about any of this.  Or nearly nothing.

One Big Boss who came to town when the local news anchors were going to emcee the grand opening of a movie made in our city and told the main anchor "Your pants are a bit wrinkled!"  This anchorman supposedly went to a Chinese laundry and stood in his underwear while his trousers were dry cleaned.

One thing the anchor didn't know but could have used.  The Big Boss traditionally drank his lunch and in the afternoon remembered nothing of what had gone on before.

Broadcasting . . radio or television . . was a crazed profession back in the day.  Many are the "performers" who were nothing short of drunks, grifters and what were called back then - "ladies men".  Some of them were homosexual or bisexual or what we used to say were "trysexual" - they'd try anything with anyone.

Those days are gone now.  Political Correctness is the law of the land now.  I suppose it's for the better but . . . I remember the "good old days".  Unfortunately those days were meant for men.  Women were an underclass.  The changes in gender fairness are better now.  

So it goes.