How was the Victorian era a surveillance state? Getting away with murder was basically a sure thing unless you were literally caught while sticking a knife into someone in broad daylight.
Idk what you’re smoking but can I have some as well
How was the Victorian era a surveillance state? Getting away with murder was basically a sure thing unless you were literally caught while sticking a knife into someone in broad daylight.
Idk what you’re smoking but can I have some as well
melsaskca@lemmy.ca 3 days ago
I was relating “best behaviour” to the strict moral standards of the Victorian era. Is the surveillance related to breaking the law or catching you in an embarrassing situation? If it’s the second case then we’ll all surely be vexed.
Dasus@lemmy.world 3 days ago
I think you’re probably imagining life in high society after watching everything Julian Fellowes has written.
Victorian prudishness is somewhat a myth. Not like completely, ofc, but way overblown.
If you’d make your argument just for Victorian high society, I might be inclined to agree. If you make it also for the middle classes, I’ll be skeptical. And if you argue that the working classes would’ve all shared in those strict morals, then I’ll disagree.
Although I’d like to point out that those Victorian high society or upper-middle class people, especially women, would’ve been de facto under surveillance most of the time, constantly having other people or at least servants around watching them.
But like we know from Downton Abbbey and the Gilded Age etc, they found ways around it as well. To answer your question about breaking the law or being embarrassed, being embarrassed would be why getting in trouble with the law would be troublesome and being embarrassed might mean being thrown out of society, which would be way worse than having to pay some fines.
Ooh I think there’s a new gilded age episode today btw
melsaskca@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
Lots of words based on current tv culture. I don’t watch the shows you are getting your information from. You may be right though. Human nature has been the same forever but there are pockets of collected, contrived, and derived behaviour, hither and yon, throughout history. Look at the USA today as a recent example that takes place in the television age (so you should be aware of that at least). I hope you enjoy your television episode you are excited about. Don’t make assumptions about me and what I watch. It makes you seem stupider than your fancy words imply. You seem like you are talking down to me in your answer so in the best historical context I can muster I would say…fuck off you arrogant piece of smugness. That took a turn, didn’t it?
Dasus@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Yeah I don’t get my information from TV-shows, you shouldn’t do that kid. I get my information from actual sources so I can spot anachronisms in tv-shows. Now that you’d understand since half the vocabulary went over your head by your own admission despite “the Gilded Age” being a literal and actual period of history.
I don’t have a TV and I would never put some reality TV garbage in it, which you’re clearly addicted to.
Ooh, babby a lil’ mad that I pointed out how little they know? :(