"Goofus and Gallant"-style film on the misadventures of a teenage girl who is a victim of her own bad habits, with a harrowing and patronizing narration.
That's because Helen plans all of her breathing ahead of time. That way she's never surprised by having to breathe spontaneously. Also, Helen has never colored outside of the lines, in her entire life. 😂😂😂
Oh, I don't think Helen is necessarily smug. It's confidence. Like the way I feel inside- but would never say- when I've planned an outfit and other women are running around looking and probably feeling scruffy. I bring a clean outfit to change into after my work shift. That way if I decide to go on an impromptu outing or I get invited last-minute to a friend's house, I don't have to feel unkempt. When we have the habit of planning in advance like Helen, we usually look better and feel confident about making a good impression. As for her not 'defending' Barbara at the party, some women are just like that. They feel that others can 'hold their own'.
Dead Woman's Grave - Except they taught it all in the most patronizing, negative, micromanaging way possible. The main idea about habits is good, but the anxiety so many would take away is so damaging.
Kim Duclos - I really feel like this video was beyond “blunt”. It sends the message that everyone is noticing and judging you on the tiniest things. The big “disaster” is all in Barbara’s head. It was just a couple of awkward moments. The benefits of being blunt probably have to do with being honest. I feel like a narrator isn’t being honest when she implies that Barbara is being judged on the dirt under her fingernails, for example.
@Sally actually having a good routine/pattern/habits (whatever you wanna called it) as been proven to reduce anxiety even if its micromanaging, in fact that'd probly help people with OCD. Having a routine helps you being grounded aka knowing where you are in the world at said time which helps a lot when you have anxiety. also im not sure what was negative in this, the video showed perfect and realistic examples even for 2019.
also the narrator isnt implying that barbara is being judged, barbara herself feels judged because she knows her fingernails arent clean. have you never went out to eat and had ketchup on your shirt or something and it bothered you all day knowing people could see it? if not that'd be weird but if so then thats what barbara is feeling.
As a teenage girl, I can definitely relate to some of the bad habits Barbara shows us. But, that’s why I value these educational videos. This one points out practical things that I will definitely make an effort to execute in my life!
Gosh, everyone is so sensitive. If you'd take time to look at the essence of her message you'd understand that she meant everyone who spend all their time on the internet doing unproductive things. It really isn't that hard to understand, yet you all resort to name calling. Really, very shameful.
I would have loved this advice when I was a teenager. The lack of good habits, tidiness and organization still makes my life messy. I'm anxious and insecure but this narration didn't bother me. It has a loving tone, like someone who cares about you enough to tell you the truth. Plus, the video is not comparing people but habits. It showing how anyone can achieve good habits that make you grow better, feel better in your skin and face daily life with more confidence. Consistency is the hardest thing for me and because of this I wasn't able to focus on my passions and projects for years, and I never got to experience the satisfaction of reaching goals through a long time of training and discipline.
Mary J, in all sincerity I must tell you that the narrator of this 1954 educational video does not have a loving tone. Not at all. It possesses a shaming tone, of extreme destructive condescension. The best way to get yourself organized - or to break from a bad habit or addiction no matter how vicious - is to become aware of it - and your place in it. Besides having the hot desire to change - you have to hold yourself in a moment of observation where you no longer allow a paralysis of shame. Then... you’re free.
@Zazu Zazz Yes but sometimes a little shaming that’s good because when you don’t have any shame you don’t feel the need to change anything even if it’s hurting others and yourself
Actually, this was shown to me in school and it changed my life. In a good way. My mother nagged me to death about my lack of preparation, but this other voice really made me aware of the mistake I was making, and the other girls in school looked different from me for a reason. Self-discipline is a good habit, and people telling us we don't need us do us no favors.
Except for the part where the narrator suggests that she should do anything so that those girls like her and feel bad if they don't. Those girls suck! Just find a different friend group.
I set mine at least 20 minutes ahead bc I can’t be trusted to get up😂 I think I can trick myself into thinking I’m going to be late …I hurry but it doesn’t help. I feel Barbara 😂
I can see this being helpful because sometimes we just need to be told. When I first met my therapist at 30 years old, she was the first one to ever (kindly) point out that I looked a bit disheveled. She wasn’t wrong, and I really wasn’t offended. I wore moccasin slippers with socks, leggings which may have had holes, and usually some type of hoodie with a messy bun. Yes, I was diagnosed with adhd but besides that, it was really helpful to realize how I was coming across. Sadly I never thought about it before that. I tried dressing up or putting in effort when it was appropriate, but it feels really good to look presentable no matter the occasion.
I feel like I have learnt more from these videos about personal lifestyle from the 50's and it was more constructive than any youtubers unrealistic daily habits or morning/night routine.
Fun fact, this actress starred in Night Of The Living Dead 14 years later, also as a character named Barbara. So maybe she was training for the upcoming zombie apocalypse
Barbara got married after high school but divorced her husband after tripping acid in the 60s. She became the mother hen in a hippie commune before becoming an evangelical christian in the late 70s. She remarried and died in 2003.
omg.. the part where Helen puts worn clothes to the back is so smart!! I always forget when the last time was, that I wore the item and I don't want there to be clothes that I never wear.
Actionable Summary: 🙂 - When you wake up, then establish a morning routine that includes grooming and a healthy breakfast. - When selecting your clothes, then make sure they're clean and properly matched. - When leaving for school or work, then be on time and well-prepared. - When planning your day, then consider the special events that might take place and prepare accordingly. - When engaging in conversations, then listen actively and participate in a way that adds value instead of just talking about yourself. - When maintaining personal hygiene like cleaning fingernails, then make it a regular habit to avoid being caught unprepared. - When handling your clothes after wearing them, then check them for cleaning requirements and hang them properly for further use. - When planning for the next day, then make the habit of organizing your clothes and tasks in the right order. - When you realize you have bad habits, then recognize the need for change and make conscious efforts to establish better habits in their place. - When you end your day, then ensure you get proper rest by sleeping at reasonable hours.
Neurodivergent teen here! I think habit patterns and planning is very important and stress relieving. It can be difficult at the start but in the end it’s very helpful, beneficial, AND it saves a lot of anxiety. Start off small. One step at a time. It’s all about progress. Remember, everyone; you got this! ❤❤
As a 14 year old, i can still definitely relate to most of these bad habits, so thats why these videos are very important to me. I really like how sophisticated yet simple things used to be, so I am going to try and impliment these into my own life.
As a young woman I wish I had seen this video when I was in middle school. I always showered and brushed my teeth daily but I wasn’t as groomed and prepared as I could have been. Now that I have a son I will make a conscious effort to teach him to do better than what I did.
Couldn't help thinking right in the beginning when Barbara was crying her eyes out and the narrator was saying you knew this day would come and you should have prepared for it I thought..yup her friend has finally arrived for her years and years and years to come monthly visit.
@@ffy0000 nothing to be embarrassed about but you may want to look into sleep studies, could have sleep apnea? You could really wake up feeling refreshed!?
@@jasamkojajesam6108 yes it is you can literally see the uncooked clear asf ass egg whites on the top, egg whites are supposed to be white, that's how you know it's done
Sometimes it isn't neurological divergence, sometimes it's just poor habits that don't serve us. Neurologically divergent or not, the tips offered can definitely aid one in building routine and getting along socially.
They aided me for certain. I developed better habits *after* watching this short film. I can see why people would want to diagnose Barbara with ADHD or something, but that ironically rids her (and those with ADHD) of their agency. Sometimes, people can have bad habits simply because they have bad habits. I used to have a messy room, was rude during conversation, etc. That wasn't because ADHD or even my diagnosed autism. I just simply had bad or nonexisting good habits. Many people do. Bad habits aren't a sign of a mental disorder.
Oh jeez I could be Barbara, and I’m 37 years old. The “where’s your hairbrush?” And the random crap piled on the table is eerily similar to my everyday life.
Honest, to the point, blunt and only meant to be helpful. We need so much more of this today. They were not about coddling back then and I’m here for it.
It's like the exact opposite of what any modern day teen movie would teach you. These days they would tell you to forget the mean girls, be yourself and find people like you to hang with. This one? "DO EVERYTHING SO THAT THE MEANIES LIKE YOU"
I was so engraved into this film that when it ended. I had forgotten that I'm living in 2019 and felt like I had time travel to the future lol Times have really change in the way we do things but the moral good of good living basic never change.
Dang that really made me feel identified in the worst way, I will begin to change the patterns I created and take back control of my life. I HOPE ANY ONE READING THIS DOES TOO!!!
This video is literally the definition of female ADHD. Barbara had: Trouble organizing Trouble finishing projects she started Interrupting conversations Being late Among many other traits. I don’t know if they meant to show this, but it’s so spot on
Accurate but for both sexes. The biggest tell is trouble 'conforming' to the 16 hours awake, 8 hours asleep pattern. Not awake at 6 am every day? Utterly un-American!
Meh. This video describes me when I'm in a bad way, but I've not got ADHD. I'm able to get good habits together, I just fall out of them again when I move home between university terms.
Hey kids, you know all your little insecurities about your looks and popularity? They’re all true, everyone can see them and you should worry about them!
@@HereIAm247 Another comment just drew me back to this video. Your comment is reasonable, but it doesn't reflect what the narrator said. Yes, they sort of touch on the how after berating the main character. And I realize why this bothers me so much is because I have spent a lot of time in therapy trying not to berate myself like the narrator. Ironically, self talk was a habit I had to learn, but I didn't need shame to learn it.
"They were talking about a popular book..." Sadly, the female narrator neglected to mention that if the other girls were 'better examples' of social habits, then they would've noticed that she hadn't read it so they should've tried to explain the plot to her (and gush on how good it was, etc). Like normal people do.
@@michaelpryor78 what Joanne's commend had to do with it, is the fact that back then the likes of depression and so on were overlooked, and these videos would be pushed into school's societies to ensure that regardless of how you'd feel, you'd be doing these anyway else you'd let your family down. Back then the mental health and the whatnot weren't discussed, and so yes, it is outdated. This would be, if in today's society, changed to relate to multiple mental health problems, and also physical disabilities.
The thing is, yes it’s old but the messages in it are absolutely timeless. Another difference is the orderly routine of the home, the parents. The foundation was there that for many kids is not now. None of the girl’s problems are that rare for teens and they can be overcome with help.
Social organization for teens in school and community much much healthier then. Pleasant conversation skills, dressing appropriately for different situations, polite manners need to be taught and kids given safe fun opportunities to practice them.
This all sounds a lot like my experience in camp. When I was in camp, I shared a room with another girl my age and I woke up super early to get extra time to bath, clean, dress and read. It felt really good to have a fresh start like that everyday. However, my roommate woke up late everyday and got panic to find her underwear and clothes and to make it in time, which were thrown under the bed.
Within the ten ensuing years after the release of this film our Barbara will be out on the road living the quintessential epic, “Rebel Without A Scarf.”
Actually fun fact, 14 years after this short the actress who played Barbara went on to play another Barbara in the classic zombie movie Night Of The Living Dead
Honestly? This is actually very accurate and still very relevant. It's somewhat... harsh... but the message is there. I love the 50s videos because they're informative, sensible and pack a punch. The message from this video? Get up on time, be kind and courteous to those who do nice things for you, eat properly, wear clean clothes, have a breakfast, be on time, do your work, pay attention at school, don't be a gobshite, do your work, be organised, get enough rest and wash. I was a Barbara throughout high school and I fucking hated it. I could have been more Helen if I'd have tried.
harsh? come on. truth it not HARSH. it's helpful. people need to grow a thicker skin. too many weak-minded people with these mindsets out there and it's keeping society down.
No, that’s also not her. There is no definite info on who this young lady is. Garner would have been older than this girl at the time this was made, and they don’t look alike. The girl playing Barbara was in this and one other episode for Knickerbocker Productions, but there are no credits that give her name.
Fun fact, 14 years after this short the actress who played Barbara went on to play another Barbara in the classic zombie movie Night Of The Living Dead. She’ll have even more to be depressed about in that movie
The actress who played Barbara is Judith O’Dea, she is 77 years old now, so she would have only been 8 or 9 in this film, I thought she was a teenager!!
This may be old fashioned now 2020 but the same things still resonate, basically we all have the same social hopes and fears whatever era we happened to be young in.
Well this explains a lot!! This must be the narrative tape that ran in my mother's head as she berated me on the daily for the least infraction. My drawers still look like Barbara's....I still have the half-finished afghan LOL
G W same with me, I don’t cuss, I use manners, people might think that’s boring but they need to remember, the world was like that before things change, I also don’t listen to rap or anything like that
I’m a guy and Helen is inside me, I know it...even though my house screams Barbara. I dream of getting up when the alarm goes off. I spring right out of bed, no yawning or stretching. I immediately comb my hair, grab my clothes and head off to the shower. I would get SO much more done if I was early to bed and early to rise.