- Home economics.
- The theory and practice of homemaking.
- But what does it actually mean?
- Can we pass a home ec test from 1954?
- Yes. - I don't know.
- Maybe? - Mmm, probably not.
- It's Ladylike and today we're taking
a home economics test from 1954.
- I took home ec in eighth grade.
- There was a class, I was in a kitchen.
I think we learned things.
- Taught by Mrs. Burton, in eighth grade.
- I didn't take home economics, we called it
home management.
- I have only very recently overcome my fear of ovens.
- I remember trying to learn how to make a pin cushion.
Never quite pulled through.
- Within the first week I broke her sewing machine.
- I am not the person who cooks.
- Burnt cookies onto a cookie tray.
- I do not do the laundry.
- And generally just made her question her decision
to become a teacher.
- I'm the person you call when you have a flat tire
or you don't know what to do.
- I was like oh, I guess this is
not my thing.
- Let's get schooled by the past.
(upbeat music)
- Could you pass a 1954 home economics class?
- [Woman] What's the first thing you should do
when you wake up in the morning?
Make your bed.
Open your window.
Put on your robe.
Or brush your teeth.
- Why is this
why is this relevant to home economics?
- Put on your robe.
(buzzer) Because you need to be classy.
- I mean, I have a robe, it's
luxurious feeling on my skin.
(buzzer) - Why does it need
to be in order?
- Also open your window, why?
I'm coming back to this one, I don't, I'm very thrown off
I'm very thrown off.
(buzzer) - Maybe it's make your bed?
(buzzer)
- Nope.
Not correct.
- No, it's open your window.
- So like your boyfriend can like throw rocks
through the window?
I don't, why do you want to open your window?
- Before you go to breakfast, open your window.
- If you closed it when you got up
pull the covers back over the foot of the bed
so they may air.
- Why do they need to air out?
As if they're not exposed to air the entire time
you're asleep.
(laughs)
- I'm already tired.
I'm already so tired.
- [Woman] Number two, how often should you wash
your stockings?
- [In Unison] I don't wear stockings.
- Every day when you take them off.
Every two to three wears.
- Once per week.
Once per month.
- Every two to three wears.
(buzzer) Seems about right.
Same rule of thumb with jeans.
- I feel like the answer is probably
you should wash them every day.
(bell rings) Every two to three wears.
(buzzer) - I'm gonna say every day
when you take them off. (bell rings)
- Okay, that seems like a reasonable instruction.
One of those instructions you might not listen to.
- If it goes on your feet
it goes in the wash right afterwards.
Also, why do they understand how socks work
but they don't understand how sheets work?
- [Woman] How often should you wash your hair?
Ooh, a fun question.
Once a day, every other day, once a week, twice a month.
- This one I know is gonna be wrong.
- I think this is the time where women would
go to the beauty parlor.
Get their hair done.
And that was kind of it.
So I feel like they just go to the parlor once a week
and that's that.
(buzzer) - I wash my hair
every other day. (buzzer)
- I bet it's something ridiculous like once a day.
(buzzer) - Nope.
- Twice a month!
- The hair should be shampooed regularly
at least every two weeks
or more often if it gets dirty.
- I have oily hair you guys.
If I waited two weeks
I would look like young (mumbling).
Just like strings.
- [Woman] Which of the following foods should always
be washed before you prepare it?
Steak, chicken, eggs,
fish.
- I've heard about people washing chicken, I think.
(buzzer) - I don't think you
wash chicken.
Do you? (buzzer)
- (laughs) How do you wash eggs?
(laughs) I just. (buzzer)
- Chicken. (buzzer)
Wrong, eggs?
- Eggies are beautiful, they don't need to be washed.
- Maybe if you like literally have a chicken
in your backyard, who's like vagina
you just pulled it out of then you should wash it.
- If I was washing an egg under a sink
I know that I would drop that egg.
- Maybe it was a rougher time for eggs.
- [Woman] The ideal family structure
is a blank.
- Patriarchy, democracy.
- Oh
my God.
- God I hope it's not patriarchy, I hope
it's not patriarchy, I hope it's not patriarchy.
- Please let it be democracy.
I'm gonna say patriarchy, but like. (buzzer)
- Democracy! (bell rings)
Yay!
- Oh, it's democracy.
- Oh, it is a democracy.
- Oh, really?
- That doesn't make sense, why should the kids
have an equal vote for the parents?
- According to our authors, the children of the patriarchal
family end up struggling because they had little
opportunity to make decisions for themselves.
- And were poorly prepared for adult life and a democracy.
- I mean a patriarchal family
not only hurts the kids, but it would hurt
the woman involved too.
- I hate to tell ya 1950's book
we still aren't pretty good at being adults.
Like, that doesn't change.
- You got seven out of 19 right.
- I got five out of 19.
- I got four out of 19 right.
- Five out of 19.
- That was exhausting man.
- I feel bad.
- If I was better at cooking I still would have gotten
four out of 19 right.
So I don't feel too bad about this.
- Pretty sure none of these rules existed
until someone needed a job.
And they've succeeded, they wrote a book and they sold it
to a lot of people.
- This was an actual textbook, this is something that
you were taught in school.
- What happens if you don't learn these rules?
Do you just like not have a future?
- It just feels like if it's your house
you should be able to do what you want in it.
- Choosing to stay at home
is a very noble and hard job.
- There's enough things that I do badly.
I don't need to add to that list.
- I just know that if you're coming over to my house
you're probably getting instant rice and chicken fingers.
And you're probably gonna be happy.
I'm so sorry Mrs. Burton, I didn't mean to
break your sewing machine.
I hope you got that fixed.
(hip hop music)