Swingtown

[hepcat]

Originally Posted by Writerinthewind

1. Realistic: My high school was in a fairly small town (about 7,000 at the most). I can recall several incidents of teacher/student or guidance counselor/student relationships. I would think these situations are less common but more publicized NOW rather than THEN. Oddly, during my high school years, two History teachers married students! (right after students graduated!). These relationships broke up long term marriages. Both girls were "teacher's aides". Both of these May/December marriages later fell apart, too.

A government teacher at our school married a student from my sister's class ('76). The rumor was that he would give out cards on graduation to a few select girls inviting them on a date, and eventually one of them said yes. I don't know if it was during the time she would have been a student, though!

I was interested in what you said about "upper crust" parties. I guess I'm slow on the uptake - so there really was class division when it came to swinging? That seems to be what the show is implying, but I thought that was just for the Janet/Susan plot.

[Google]

 

[causingchaos]

I agree the teacher student thing was realistic. It might not be the best judgment but it did happen then and still does now.

[Writerinthewind]

Originally Posted by hepcat

I was interested in what you said about "upper crust" parties. I guess I'm slow on the uptake - so there really was class division when it came to swinging? That seems to be what the show is implying, but I thought that was just for the Janet/Susan plot.

Yes, this group of five couples were the "seen and be seen" group of our town - prominent families. I'm guessing they were in their mid 30's at that time. I remember being shocked to learn of this phenomenon - I was a naive newlywed and had just returned to town after being away at college. My mother in law was the first person who told me about them. I did not learn of the "swinger" term until years later. It was always just referred to as "key parties" during whispered conversations among townspeople.

Interestingly, of those five core couples nearly 30 years later - one divorced, one widowed, and the other three are still together and all most remained good friends. I wonder if they have regrets or "what were we thinking?" moments.

[buglover]

I think that just like any decade, people did what was considered to be normal then. Most people who did drugs in the 60's don't regret doing them, they just chalk it up to being part of that time. My mother and my father had swinging parties long before I was born. Their marriage didn't last because my dad was lazy and wouldn't keep a job, not because of the "fun" they had in general.

[libgirl2]

Originally Posted by hepcat

A government teacher at our school married a student from my sister's class ('76). The rumor was that he would give out cards on graduation to a few select girls inviting them on a date, and eventually one of them said yes. I don't know if it was during the time she would have been a student, though!
.

My Consumer Ec teacher from high school married a former student right after she graduated!! And I think she was class of 76! Did you go to LZHS??

[hepcat]

Originally Posted by libgirl2

My Consumer Ec teacher from high school married a former student right after she graduated!! And I think she was class of 76! Did you go to LZHS??

Nope...I guess it was pretty widespread!

[Rattus]

Reading these reminded me of the same teacher/student relationship at my school, circa 1977. Art teacher + student who wore a beret and a snotty expression. Nobody found it particularly unusual at the time - it was pretty much conceded that they belong together.

[combatcutie]

I completely forgot about this show. I TiVo-d the first episode, but then forgot. I just set my TiVo to record future episodes. If I missed two weeks, do you think I'll be out of the loop and not be able to get the drift of the show?

[SavhLaney]

You can watch all of the episodes on line at the CBS website.

[PWS]

And it would probably be a good idea to do that just so you know some background....on the other hand you can probably get the drift even if you've missed an episode...