Which folks and what exactly are they saying was better.  Framing it in this fashion creates a automatic negative bias, though I for one am a firm believer in taking a pretty lady across my knee, but as everyone knows, I have issues.

We could just as easily talk about how sexist and racist life IS with modern advertisements.

In my experience, when people refer to that era as being somehow better, it is meant in economic terms for the nostalgic remembrance of the called burst of prosperity and growth of the middle class.  A prosperity that many somehow think should have been perpetual and that it was somehow America's god given destiny.  As should have been expected, the glamor did wear off.  Europe recovered from a devastating war and recovered it's manufacturing prowess.  Third would countries no longer shackled by imperialism started began producing goods at such low cost that business pushed for open trade and lower or eliminated tariffs and got them so that it's now cheaper to produce a $50 retail valued shirt in some impoverished country, ship it halfway around the world, handle it multiple times once it gets to the states and still make a profit when selling it to the retailer for 12 bucks.

It is also referred to as a time of courage and real leaders who fought for rights.  

But enough of that.  I find  such illustrations of change in social values humbling.  100 years prior some folks had no ethical concern about the right of one person to own, use and abuse another person.  If they thought of it at all, it most likely seemed perfectly natural and 'right'.  I wonder what people in another 50-100 years will say about us.