“Boys Will Be Boys” A Different View Of The Beauty Contestants

Times have certainly changed. What was once considered as a filler, stand-alone human interest news photo in 1960 would never be shared or published today without recrimination. If the photo appeared in any form of media, it would be called offensive by a significant portion of our sensitive society.

Here is the original caption that accompanied the photo:

8/5/1960 – Long Beach, Calif: Boys will be boys, even these young boys appear to be enjoying the scenery as contestants in the International Beauty Congress line up at poolside for the photographers. L-R are Miss Luxembourg, Lillane Muller 19; Miss Norway, Lise Hammer, 19, and Miss Germany, Helga Kirsch, 20. (UPI Telephoto)

Imagine what else would occur today as a consequence of dissemination of this photo.

The news caption writer would be called a sexist pig, for writing that boys looking up women’s skirts is “enjoying the scenery. ”

One moment of “boys will be boys” would be shared across all social media. For three nine-year-old boys, a little natural sexual curiosity would be heartily condemned by the madding crowd.

The boys would be publicly shamed, told to apologize, possibly be labeled sexual predators and barred in the future from ever getting a job.

Okay, the job part could be carrying things too far (maybe). But let’s be realistic. Thank goodness the caption writer did not give the names of these boys in 1960.

You can be sure, some activist maniac would track down three, now 68-year-old men to expose, admonish and persecute them for their childish “crime” of 59 years ago, now called sexual misconduct.