To think that the wife in Back In Time For Dinner is a terrible cook

[derxa]

I can barely watch her hamfisted attempts at cooking. She can't even use a tin opener. Her pathetic attempts spoil a really interesting social experiment.

A little harsh! I think it's relevant to the experiment because although in the past it was assumed all women would have at least a basic idea of how to cook, nowadays women's lives are much more diverse and lots either can't or don't want to cook.

That's a bit harsh.

There's a whole thread over here discussing the show if you want to join us

But that's the point. In episode one it was said that she isn't the cook in the household, her husband is. Having someone who was an accomplished cook doing these challenges and trying to cook this food wouldn't really have made for very good TV.

I agree with SistersofPercy,
plus it makes for interesting viewing

It doesn't really celebrate the generations of women who worked hard to feed their families on very little. The programme is very sneery about women's position in earlier decades. A very London-centric programme.

ARe those things meant to go together?
"sneery"
and
"London centric"
?

They are quite separate points that you have made without any explanation and lumped toether as if they are the same thing.

Personally I think it does show an appreciation for the hard work of women trying to feed their families during these times.
It shows appreciation by demonstrating that it was BLOODY HARD WORK and no fun at all.
It's much more appreciative of their work than any cutesy flowery-apron-wearing "playing at being 1950s" show would be.
I especially liked the understanding that the 1960s may have been fun if you were 19, but if you were a married woman with children your lot was really no different to how it was in the 1950s.

I don't think it's at all sneery: it's simply showing the reality of life for women in earlier decades. The programme makers went out of their way to show how hard it was for women tied to the kitchen in the 50s and coping with rationing, especially when they had been used to much more independence during the war.

Also the programme does show her coming up some good meals, especially once she is past the rationing era. Have you seen all three episodes, OP?

I've found it really interesting to see it from a woman's perspective and it's made me see things in a slightly different light. But for the love of god, show that woman how to use a fecking tin opener

she probably gets an electric on in 1980s, in fact I think I have seen a clip of one!

I have watched them all. I don't believe that women in the 50's and 60's were as isolated as this portrays. She might have had family and friends to talk to and help her learn to cook. God knows Mary Berry tried but she didn't listen.

I was a bit scared of injuries when she was chopping stuff for her Bolognese. It might have been more the tiny crap looking knife than her actual skills though!

i assume that is all she is provided with tbh

You don't believe women were as isolated as the show portrays? I do believe it and more. Stay at home, take care of your husband, children and house with no mod cons. Not long after the war so still really expected to make do. As Icimoi said upthread most of the independence gaine through the war gone now as the men were home. It was far from a rosey time for women.

A lot of people just don't enjoy cooking. I'd much prefer the show as it is showing her struggling with certain things and getting on great with others than someone cooking up 6 course gourmet dinners for the family without breaking a sweat. I sure know that I'd be the struggler.

Aside from being filmed in London (I think), how on earth is it London centric?

It has certainly opened my eyes to some of the issues such as the not having a fridge and how hard rationing actually was.

Obviously it can be that true to life, for example, when it was the coronation they didn't have a street party, whereas according to my parents, every street seemed to be having a party.

It is just a television programme. I find it enjoyable and I think you must be expecting too much, it can't be representative of all female experiences at the time.

I've never forgiven her for not working out how to use the goddamn tin opener in episode 1.

I grew up in the 60s and my mother certainly didn't enjoy cooking. She was a university graduate at the time when the proportion of women academics was much lower. However she learnt to cook things like lentil soup and stews. The woman on this programme obviously sees cooking as beneath her.

According to the programme only 1% of women went to university in the 50s so perhaps your mother wasn't like the majority of other women anyway?

Secondly, did your mother learn those things in 5 days? Or did she find herself in the kitchen and spend time getting used to it?

I think she's done quite well, being in a kitchen she isn't used to at all, as someone who doesn't really cook and with very limited food choices.

You haven't justified why its London centric and so far the only sneery one is you.

God yes derxa, she's barely a real woman at all being unable to properly cook for her family! I bet her standards of dusting are appalling and all, you know what these career women types are like...

OP, did you write a sneery letter to the Sunday Times last week about this? Because I read one (in the culture supplement) that was almost identical in tone to your comments.

I remember thinking that person needed to get out more. Maybe you should do the same.

I think the programme is London-centric because the programme makers couldn't be arsed to go anywhere else. The woman in the programme should have been more clearly profiled.

Do you think a woman outside of London would have been far more au fait with a 50s tin opener?

And what does 'clearly profiled' mean?

I'm in London and very clearly profiled (I think) AND I CAN'T USE A TIN OPENER.

Surely in the 50s people learnt to use those tin openers from watching their parents and others? I suspect that most people would struggle if handed one without any instructions.