A few steps forward, a few steps back...

HALLIE EPHRON: I was outside this week doing spring clean-up now that the snow is well an truly gone. It's SO satisfying before the weeds have taken over. And as I was cleaning off the front walk, I was remembering what the first spring rake usually uncovered: a winter's supply of fragrant thawing dog poop. And now, nary a plop! People pick up after their pets.

In some ways, at least, we have become more civilized.
Which got me thinking about other things that I woulda done then but I wouldn't do now.
- Wear fur (if I could afford it)
- Smoke a cigarette ('nuff said)
- Eat octopus (they're much too smart)
- Use plastic wrap (trying to minimize plastic waste)

What about you? How are we becoming more civilized, and in what ways less?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Litter! I didn't but people used to throw stuff out of car windows,  remember? And now they really don't.  And those flimsy plastic bags! They are outlawed around here, and that's a good thing. (Except for the dog-pick up situation.)  I am not fond of octopus--they're smart enough to be disgusting.  (Well, fried, maybe, but not the tentacles.  Besides it sort of tastes like fried rubber.) I don't use mayonnaise or eat egg yolks very often. I recycle newspapers. (Would it be better not to buy them at all?) No Chilean sea bass.  Or ivory anything.  And recycling bottles, and returning the deposit ones.

And my producer has given up plastic straws. I must say I am not quite there yet.

I have to say this is very thought-provoking!

RHYS BOWEN: Certainly not smoke. I grew up in a household where both parents smoked. I had bronchitis non stop as a child.
I think the main thing for me is that we have become sensitive to damaging our planet. No more dark satanic mills.

Also we are conscious of what we put in our food. No red food coloring. No Tang. No Fried Twinkies. And even more important, our kids are growing up aware of pollution, animal cruelty, climate change. And sensitive to the differences in others. All good and hopeful for the future.

LUCY BURDETTE: Oh I'm glad you're feeling hopeful Rhys! We watched the PBS news last week and saw a piece about how Antarctica is melting and huge sea level rise coming which will affect New York, Miami, Boston, and of course my beloved Key West. I hope we haven't waited too long to work on this...As for the

paper straws, I use them when offered and by the time the drink is drunk, they are a soggy mess:). Still a step in the right direction--and for heaven's sake, can't we sip from the cup itself?

Ditto for squid on the octopus comment, and I really try to minimize pork too. Pigs are so smart and they need to be treated better.

As for what our kids are doing? Feeding their kids sweet potatoes and black beans and spinach smoothies, when we fed them Rice-a-Roni and mac n cheese in a box. Hurray for them!

JENN McKINLAY: I was raised by hippies so everything was from our garden and canned for winter, my mom made her own granola, bread, apple butter, she sewed some of our clothes and shopped thrift long before it was trendy because my parents were big into nature and they were all about reuse reduce recycle so I raised my hooligans to be the same and even got Hub to give up the aerosol deodorant (FTW!)

I admit it, I am very judgy about people who waste natural resources (like $40K worth of teak from the Amazon jungle for their flooring - WTH!!!) building their colossal McMansions right on the beach - nope, not shedding one tear for your stupidity when a hurricane sweeps your conspicuous consumption into the deep. Maybe it'll make a nice home for some really smart octopi. Anyway, I am ecstatic that small houses/mini houses are trending - I feel like people are finally getting it. Hurray!!! [Photo: From Wikimedia Commons]

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I am certainly happy to see the changes in public smoking! And that people seem more inclined to pick up after their dogs. (Except in Paris.) And litter!!! It used to be a huge problem on our Texas highways, and then we had Don't Mess With Texas, starting in 1985, and how things have changed. Now I'm so shocked now when I see someone throw something out of a car. And I think many of us feel more connected with and concerned about the rest of the world, and about how what we do affects it. 


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: On the cultural side of "more connected and concerned," I'm going with becoming increasingly aware of how hurtful stereotypes, assumptions and generalities are to the people they're aimed at. All you have to do is look at movies from the 60s, 70s and 80s to be appalled at the stuff that was considered comedy. Every one of those classic Rock Hudson/Dean Martin/ Cary Grant romantic comedies were full of women whose only role was to 1) compete with other women for a man 2) preserve her virginity against attempts that we'd all be describing as coercive nowadays and 3) find bliss as a wife. 

THE WORST

Thank goodness you're not going to see characters like Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles or even worse, Mr. Yunioshi from Breakfast at Tiffany's - played by the Micky Rooney wearing glasses and fake buck teeth. We've also come a long way from murderous bisexuals (Basic Instinct) and Gay = Death roles (too numerous to mention.) 

We still have way too many "Magical Negroes"  and movies where bad things happen to black folks so white people can discover Racism Is Bad (Green Book, I'm looking at you.) But at least we're pointing theses cliches out, which is a step on the road to eradicating them.



HALLIE: I don't know where to be optimistic or despair. What do you think? Is there hope for our fractious, selfish species??