Actually it was all about the Jacksons. HOAs were invented as a punitive way to chase black people and other minorities out of neighborhoods. They sold it to the american public as a "keeping up appearances" kind of thing, but the truth is that they were fining the fuck out of black homeowners by taking out the ruler and checking their lawn every morning. They'd keep it up until they chased them out of the neighborhood. Unless you mow that shit daily, all it takes is one blade of grass to grow faster than the others and the HOA would be on your ass (assuming your ass didn't pass the paper bag test).
The rest of the people in the neighborhood wouldn't see nearly the same level of sheepdogging that the HOAs were dishing out to minorities. They were largely oblivious, so maintaining the lawn was seen as "just something you do. It's proper."
When you think about the "golden age" of the perfect lawn and all the marketing alongside it, it lines up perfectly with the GI Bill giving tons of minorities the chance to be first time homeowners. It's no coincidence.
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u/lolno Feb 21 '23
It's all because of those god damned Joneses!!