Friday, January 17, 2014

How to Bridge the Gap

Thought for the day:  Generation gap: A chasm, amorphously situated in time and space, that separates those who have grown up absurd from those that will, with luck, grow up absurd.  [Bernard Rosenberg]

I never saw anything about it in the Bible, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone told me the Old Testament Patriarchs had a major problem with how their teenage sons and daughters wore their hair... or talked... or walked. Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if cavemen and women harassed their teens over the length of their loincloths.

 Because I suspect there has always been such a thing as ...

                                         The           Generation               Gap.

The problem is, young people insist on growing up, (the little ingrates) and they instinctively rebel against the restraints of childhood. Unfortunately, their chosen forms of self-expression and independence are rarely appreciated by the older generations. (Whose own means of self-expression weren't appreciated by their elders, either.) Don't believe me? Let's take a peek at some teenage fads over the years, shall we?

The older generation thought nothing of getting up at five every morning — and the younger generation doesn't think much of it, either.  [John J. Welsh]

Okay, so the fella in this picture doesn't look all that young, but young people are the ones who started the whole flagpole-sitting frenzy in the 1920s. I'm talking loooong periods of time sitting on a teensy platform mounted on a pole. Making and breaking longevity records. Why? Beats me. I wasn't around back then, but I'm pretty sure I would've been one of the bystanders popping salted peanuts and gawking up at the idiot perched atop a pole rather than being one of the idiots sitting up there myself. (Heck, I never even liked sitting on a banana seat...)

Of course, the twenties was the roaring era of flappers, jazz, raccoon coats, bright red lipstick, and the Charleston dance craze, too. Can you imagine how parents reacted to some of those trends? (gasp!) The girls even let their knees show!

It's hard for me to get used to these changing times. I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.  [George Burns]

The thirties saw the onset of stoop ball and stick ball... which those lame-brained rebellious kids had the audacity to play right in the middle of the street. Okay, 'fess up. Any of you play those games? I did, only we called it curb ball, and I'd hazard a guess that parents were no happier about ball games played in the street in the '30s than they were in the '50s.

Swallowing live goldfish was one of the most popular fads of the '40s. Believe it or not, some kids claimed the goldfish were still alive when they came back out. I dunno about that, but I think we can all agree to a certain ick factor in the notion of anyone turning a pet goldfish into a twitching mid-afternoon snack.

There is nothing wrong with today's teenager that twenty years won't cure. [unknown]


The fifties boasted much more (ahem) sensible teenage fads such as poodle skirts, saddle shoes, and bobby socks. (Anybody remember sock hops?) Lots of guys wore shiny black Cuban-heeled shoes... or had taps on their shoes, so they made a distinctively cool sound when they walked through the school halls. And don't forget turned-up collars, black chino pants, and form-fitting white tee shirts with a pack of Camels tucked into a rolled-up sleeve.

Panty raids got their start in the fifties, too. The first one took place on March 21, 1952, at the University of Michigan, when about six hundred male students stormed a girls' dormitory, and exited with a bountiful booty of swiped underwear. This invasive fad continued across the country for the rest of the decade, and then fizzled out in the '60s. Makes sense. I reckon when the era of  free love blossomed, stealing undies seemed kinda lame... and tame...  by comparison.

Any of you guys recognize this haircut? Typically called the D.A., (short for duck's ass) the boys who wore it were often called greasers, because it took a healthy dab of grease to keep the hair in place. Thanks to stars like James Dean and Elvis Presley, long sideburns were popular, too. It's a pretty safe bet that there were a lot of inter-generational arguments over these hairdos. Especially since they came on the heels of crew cuts and flat tops.

Another fad of the fifties was telephone booth stuffing, where just like it sounds... the object was to squeeze ever-increasing numbers of kids into telephone booths. Or into little cars. Whatever. Not the most pleasant experience for the kids at the bottom of the heap, I'm sure. And not too terribly popular with their parents, either.


The sixties spawned tie-dye shirts, mini-skirts, go-go boots, granny glasses, hair ironing, bouffant hairdos, (Beehive, anyone?) Afros, mood rings, love beads, platform shoes, and bell-bottoms britches.



There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age — I missed it coming and going.  [J.B. Priestly]

Platform shoes hobbled onto the scene in the seventies. (I must confess: I still have a bright red patent leather pair.) I dunno if this was exactly a younger generation fad, since I was well past my teens then, but other fads included streaking, Earth shoes, string art, pet rocks, and ... ready? Eating glass. Yeah, glass. (Gives a whole new meaning to belly crunches, doesn't it?) That nutso fad started with a professional football player, who, I suppose, wanted to prove how tough (but not bright) he was by munching on beer mugs and light bulbs. Unfortunately, young people... especially college students... started to follow suit. Thank goodness, they wised up. I guess they saw the light.


Thanks largely to Madonna, fingerless lace gloves were all the rage in the '80s. Kinda cute, right? And harmless. I'm not sure if they started out as part of the Goth movement or not, but they certainly complemented the Goth look: all black clothes, dyed jet black hair, and even black nail polish and lipstick. Not my cuppa tea, but I guess that fad was harmless enough, too. They just looked like the leading edge of  the walking dead. Come to think of it, I guess they more resembled vampires. Without the fangs.


Body piercing and prolific tattoos became ultra-popular in the nineties, and are both still common today.

Most of the fads since then have been pretty tame. Low-rise jeans. (No worse than the hot pants we used to wear... just longer.) Thongs. (AKA tush floss.)

But there is one fad that absolutely positively drives me up the wall. Finally, and to the point of this post, I present to you one fad, and I can't help but wonder if it's a worldwide phenomenon, or if American youth are the only ones infected with this bizarre manner of so-called self expression...

                                                             

                                                           
                                                                I present to you

                                                       
                                                          the incomprehensible fad,


                                                          the fad driving adults nuts

                                                             
                                                          from one end of this country


                                                                   to the other.


                                                                I present the fad
                                                                 

                                                                     known as...


                                                                      sagging:




                                               

I mean, really? Do you think that's... comfortable? Suppose those kids had to run? Lotsa luck with that, huh? Every time I see kids with their pants drooping below their drawers, my fingers start to twitch, and I'm seized with an almost uncontrollable urge to yank up their britches so hard, it gives 'em all atomic wedgies. And it seems I'm not alone. Check this out:



How about you? Do you get this fad? Contrary to some of the emails you may have seen about it originating in prison as a way for an inmate to let other inmates know he's available for certain activities, that's just a bum steer. Droopy britches may very well have originated in prisons because of ill-fitting pants and no belts to hold them up, but according to multiple sources, it didn't have anything to do with sexual availability. Still... why would young people want to emulate something that may have originated in prison anyway, whatever the meaning?

(Then again, maybe we should just be grateful these kids aren't wearing thongs...?)

This whole post was predicated by a cartoon created by an award-winning Australian cartoonist named Tim Whyatt. Not only is he funny, but he nailed the solution to this angst-inspiring fad of low-hanging pants and exposed skivvies in one of his cartoons. What's more, he agreed to let me share his cartoons with you from time to time, as long as I link back to his webpage and facebook page. Done... and done. Now, want to see his brilliant solution? I guarantee you it'd work if we of the older generations merely attempt to bridge that gap by joining into a united front... (heh, heh... and back...)


                                                                        Ta DA!



Tell me about your favorite... or least favorite... teenage fad. What did you do to drive your parents nuts? What did your kids... or grandkids... do to drive you nuts? Ready to bare your undies in a concerted effort to end the sagging trend once and for all?

                                     Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

P.S. As a bonus, a fella from Atlanta sang this song on American Idol last year...


[Many thanks to wikipedia and morguefile for the images used in this post.]

106 comments:

  1. That one is a fad which has my fingers itching - to pull the strides up - or down depending on just how grumpy I am that day. Pulling them up would just irritate the little dears. Come to think of it so would pulling them down.
    Sigh.
    And another one which makes this dinosaur roar is like. like adding like to every sentence. like sometimes like more than once.

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    1. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who gets itchy fingers when "exposed" to those droopy britches.

      Another good one. Like, I agree. (But it beats dropping the f-bomb every other word.)

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  2. Sagging is a worldwide 100% disgusting fad and the sooner it dies the better. For heaven's sake, not only are the boys doing it, some of the girls out here have pants slung too low. Almost as bad are low-rise jeans and shorts, so low that when you sit or bend over we see far more than plumber's crack!

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    1. I'm with you! Let's hope this fad fades away real fast. Yeah, I guess some girls are wearing their britches pretty low, too... usually with thongs, and a tattoo across their lower backs. Don't they KNOW they're showing butt cleavage? (Or maybe they don't care?)

      Think cool. I hope your weather gives you a break real soon.

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  3. I reserve judgement upon all teenage fads because my friend --and true saint in Sacramento-- Jodette Johnson made me a Nerhu jacket in the '60s that I wore proudly. She sewed in a special pocket for cards to her Failasouth Shop and belly dancing lessons, and yes I distributed them. If modern fads create memories half as dear, I must approve of them. Great Post. Great memories!

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    1. A Nehru jacket! I almost forgot about them. And leisure suits, too. (How could I have forgotten those polyester "delights?")

      You'll have to post a pic of yourself in that jacket sometime. Especially if your wore striped bell bottom pants with it. As for the sagging fad, I can't imagine too many fond memories springing from that. Then again, I dunno. Years from now, after they've put sagging... behind them... I guess they can reminisce about what a bum deal they got from society... as they listen to their favorite oldies about... Never mind. I'm not even gonna go there.

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  4. I don't get this fad either Susan and I think I am pretty open... there is always going to be something that teenagers wear that might make me shake my head or give me pause for thought but I don't get the droopy drawers fad. You hit the nail on the head for all these generations... nobody was immune. Have a great weekend :)

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    1. Yep, I don't reckon any of us are immune. We're all subject to "unique" behavior as we traverse the teen years.

      You have a super weekend, too!

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  5. I've heard about flag pole sitting. Weird, just weird.
    As for the sagging pants -- it looks stupid enough on the guy in the video who's at least wearing spiffy plaid boxers underneath. But the kid in the picture above it, showing off his blue Fruit of the Looms?? Eews.

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    1. Yeah, the flagpole-sitting fad was really weird. For safety's sake, I guess it's better if the kids walk around looking like morons with their pants hanging off their butts rather than perching atop a towering pole, but like you say... ewwww!

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  6. This is such an interesting post and thank you for it.
    I obviously don't go out enough to see 'sagging' but what a ridiculously stupid habit. I have noticed that so many people, your and old, have no respect for others because of the way they dress now.
    In the 40s when I was between the ages of 13-19 (we didn't have teenagers back then) I guess I drove my folks mad cos I enjoyed listening to early rock and roll. The 'new look' came into fashion in the 40s and a friend and I made ourselves longish black skirts to wear when we went dancing.
    I don't really recognise a lot of the things you made note of so perhaps lead a very sheltered life? : )

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

      The long slim skirts of the '40s were classy-looking, and I guess big shoulder pads got their start about that time, too, didn't they? They were both very stylish fads. Not sure anyone would define exposed undies as being the least bit "stylish." (I sure wouldn't, anyway!)

      Rock and roll in the forties? Huh. I didn't think that started until the fifties... a few years before Elvis started wiggling his pelvis. I think of the forties as being more about swing and crooners like Sinatra and Crosby. I'll have to look into what kinda R&R was around then. Thanks!

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  7. I think that the more teenage fads are criticized, the more they become prevalent. It's better, in my humble opinion, to let them go through that phase (since it's inevitable anyway) and they always come back to "normality" eventually :) well most of them do anyway!

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    1. You're right. In a lot of cases, undue criticism and restrictions only make teens dig their heels in and rebel even more. But when the kids are doing something that's potentially dangerous, or that's disrespectful of other people, I think it's the parents' responsibility to educate and guide them. Yeah, hopefully, kids will eventually outgrow this sagging phase. I shudder to think of a generation of sixty and seventy year old men with their britches hanging off their butts. Or sixty and seventy year old "biker babes" in leather short shorts and halter tops...

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  8. I succumbed to the Beatles fad of hair flopping in your eyes for a whole semester. To give them credit, my parents said not a word about it.
    What drives me nuts now is the current habit of speech where everything ends in 'uh'....No-uh, Now-uh, wow-uh etcetera.

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    1. I'll bet you looked adorable. When I was in seventh grade, my hair was floppy, too, but in a Veronica Lake kinda way. You know, swooped down over one eye in a peek-a-boo look. My parents must have yelled, "Get that hair out of your face!" a thousand times. Made me wear a hairband at home. But at school...

      The only time I've noticed much of the "uh" addition to words is on occasional TV interviews. Maybe that's more of a Canadian fad?

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  9. You've delightfully covered them all, leaving nothing for me to add. In retrospect, fads have always been bizarre and often annoying. I don't know whether it's worse to have a sore ass from flagpole sitting or a hideous body piercing. Personally, I REALLY dislike the saggers.

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    1. Well, the sore ass will eventually heal. Some of those hideous piercings stay obvious forever. (How about those ear lobes stretched out big enough to hold a beer can?)

      Yeah, me too. Much be a Saggy-tarius kinda thing

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  10. Yeah, the pants below the behind gets to me.

    My son told me that a foreign professor at the university that he attended saw a student with below-the-butt pants (not common at the university) and started talking to the student, explaining that he will never find a job if he dresses like that. He said, "Why would someone hire you if you always have to hold up your pants with one hand?" :)

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    1. That professor was right, but hopefully, that student would have enough sense to clean up his act before going on any job interviews.

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  11. You know I don't even consider it a fashion or trend or style... those are just stupid people and hillbillies. Thank God we don't have such fashion idiots in my country.... :)

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    1. HA! I'm glad you don't have such fashion idiots in your country, too.

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  12. I'm with you--I can't stand "sagging." It's bad enough when it starts happening to your skin when you get older. Why would anyone want to do it with their pants?

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    1. Ain't that the truth? Then again, if oldsters were to sag their pants, maybe no one would notice the sagging bat wings flapping under their arms.

      Delete
  13. Fads are usually fun and because they are fads, don't last long. In today's times, things last a nano-second so there is little reason to get upset about any new thing that kids are doing (except if it hurts them or someone).

    It might be time to throw away those platform shoes, Susan, because even if that fad comes back, the chances are good that you will break a hip of two if you wore them again.

    Thanks for the memories. Gee, I wish I had saved my red polka-dot hot pants. They were such a fashion statement.

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    1. Believe it or not, I wore those snazzy red platform shoes to a theme wedding a couple years ago, and they're still pretty comfortable. And I don't care if anything is in style or not... I wear what I want when I want. (Much to my children's amusement.)

      HA! Yeah, I wish I still had my red-and-white striped petti-pants with the kicky white fringe, too. Our granddaughters would get a real kick out of them.

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  14. This was a fun look back at things that have driven parents crazy. It is interesting how something that was so awful at the time can seem so harmless a couple of generations later. These days, the kids saying "like" several times in every sentence makes me a little crazy.

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    1. You're right. My parents made a Federal case out of the length of my brother's hair, but what did it really matter? His hair was plenty short all the years he was in the Marines. And still is.

      Like, that's seems to, like, be a fairly common pet peeve.

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  15. It may be what's wrong with me today - I never rebelled - didn't get the chance, my parents must have seen it coming - they threw me out before I had a chance. LOL

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    1. Oh, it's never too late to be a rebel. Go ahead and show your stuff... wear your favorite white shoes to the grocery store in the middle of January. Eat your dessert FIRST! Rip the labels off all your mattresses. (gasp) Run through the house with a pair of scissors. (But be careful!)

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  16. I must agree, pants that have to be held up by one's fingers in the belt loop don't look comfortable or practical. I have to bite my tongue when I see guys wearing their pants like that.

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    1. Nope, not comfy or practical. Just plain dumb-looking. Like the baseball caps worn backwards or sideways. Last summer, I saw a picture of a guy sitting in the bleachers at a baseball game, holding his hands up to shade his eyes from the sun... while wearing his cap backwards. Poor guy. I guess nobody ever told him about the handy purpose of his cap's bill.

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  17. >>... sagging

    I didn't know there was a single word for it. I've just called it "stupid-ass sh!t".

    Believe it or not, I never followed a fad. I've always been the individualist I am today.

    [Actually, that's not entirely true. Back in the late 1960s and early ''70s, when patches were popular, I had a denim jacket that was loaded with 'em.]

    Susan... "Peace", "Have A Nice Day", and remember that "War Is Not Healthy For Children And Other Living Things". (Yeah, I'm old too.)

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. "Sagging" may be the official term for it, but your wording is much more descriptive.

      Our kids didn't follow fads much, either. Our younger son was more of a trend-setter who'd get annoyed when other kids started copying him.

      "Peace" to you, too, dude.

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  18. Love that Poodle skirt! I had one of those!

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    1. Yeah, me too! I would have especially liked to have a red one, though. I mostly remember them in gray.

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    2. Y'all remember tent dresses?

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    3. Absolutely! They weren't exactly flattering, but they sure were comfortable!

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  19. I loved this post maybe because it's my son's birthday today and he's just turned sixteen. There's a generation gap surely but I think the fact that I like the music he plays and I only ask him to turn down the volume when foul language wafts out of his room and heads for my daughter's bedroom has probably done wonders to avoid crises. Still, he does kick off sometimes. But then, at his age I was cutting classes. Go figure!

    Greetings from London.

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    1. Oh, and a very happy birthday to your son!

      Agreed. Even though a certain amount of parent-child generational gap is inevitable, that doesn't mean the teen years have to be a traumatic time filled with drama and crises. We sailed through our kids' teen years without any major problems. I didn't always like some of the music our sons listened to, but no problem. They could listen to whatever they liked in their bedrooms, as long as I couldn't hear it in the kitchen. (Because I was listening to my own music in there... and not so loudly that they had to hear it in their bedrooms.)

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  20. I think the sagging thing is a way of expressing ghetto solidarity. In some neighborhoods, if you are a young male and you pull *up* your pants, you are likely to get jumped. And then it just leaked over to the mainstream through pop culture; boys trying to look like the men they admired in hip-hop videos. At least, that's a theory. In my city, it's not at all cool among teenagers, at least not the ones who graduate from high school. I very rarely see sagging among local young men.

    My daughter just turned 16, too, like the Cuban in London, how funny. :) She is not the least bit rebellious ... we listen to the same music and share wardrobes. We read the same books and watch the same movies. Her friends are the same way with their parents, or close to it. My son likes dubstep, which I am not fond of, but rather than using it to rebel against me, he keeps trying to get me to like it. I wonder if teenage rebellion has become a thing of the past, to be honest. It's a curiosity I've been trying to sort out for a while now.

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    1. You could be right about the ghetto solidarity stuff, but kids in middle class white neighborhoods are sagging their pants, too. Like you say, that could simply be a matter of them emulating their hip hop heroes.

      I think the teens who are most likely to rebel are those who are suppressed under extremely rigid rules. We were fairly strict with our kids, (i.e. They all had curfews, even though most of their friends didn't.) but the lines of communication always stayed open, and we never experienced any real problems. I remember telling our daughter when she was entering her teens that there might be times that we wouldn't get along, and that there might even be times we wouldn't like each other very much, but if that happened, it'd be okay. We'd get through it. But we lucked out. It never happened. She's still one of my favorite people. (Ditto our sons.)

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  21. I have never got why things had to sag
    Would really hit a big snag
    If they had to run as you say
    But it would be easy to yank them down if they wanted to err umm play

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    1. That saggy fad
      I wish they'd pass;
      I've no desire
      To see their ass.

      Delete
  22. Shoulder Pads. Yikes! Could not stand them. I loved Hot Pants, Bell Bottoms. The one fashion, if you can call it that, that I can not stand is the wearing of the pants down to knees. Anyways, I feel intro is in order. Hello, my name is Bobbybegood1 and I found your wonderful blog via "The Happy Whisk" which is a splendid blog, indeed. I am going to follow you. And I hope we can become blogbuddies. P. S. If you visit my blog, you will find that the post before the happy face post, describes what I am fed up, and disgusted with - men and women wearing their pants so low you can actually see the cracks of their butts. It's disgusting. It needs to be OUTLAWED!!!!! Great post. Cheers!!

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    1. Yeah, shoulder pads were pretty bad. Especially when they were worn under thin fabric, or got lumpy and wouldn't sit right.

      Nice to meet you, Bobbybegood. (Hmmm, I used to know a Johnnybegood fairly well... a relative, perhaps?) Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I'll be happy to return the favor.

      Welcome aboard! And cheers back atcha.

      Delete
  23. That panty raid in 1952 must have been boring. I bet the guys got some girdles and nylon granny panties. No thongs back then. Although I don't care for the pants worn down, down, down where they don't belong, I have to admit That Favorite Young Man's pants used to be a little too low. He never let his butt hang out, though. Now he wears pants where they belong, and with a belt. These things always change, so I don't bother to get too upset over them. Bad grammar upsets me more.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. HA! You may have a point. Then again, I'm sure SOME of those gals must have worn something a little more frilly and interesting. (If all they wore was girdles and cotton granny panties, the era of free love might never have happened... HA!)

      Bad grammar is definitely aggravating, but oldsters are just as likely to screw it up as teens are.

      Happy weekend, kiddo!

      Delete
  24. From one of my old posts: I believe that you should always dress neatly & appropriately, regardless of the current fashion. This point was strongly made by a gentleman (?) I saw on TV some time ago. He & some of his associates were working (more specifically, robbing a casino in Las Vegas) & a part of his job consisted in jumping over a counter to get to the money. His gang uniform consisted of shoes & socks, a bandanna, a shirt & pants that came all the way up (yes, UP!) to his butt. While jumping the counter HIS PANTS FELL OFF! This—probably the high point in his illustrious career—was captured by surveillance cameras. I don’t think Yves St. Laurent would have approved. (Sarcasm—just one more service I have to offer.)

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    1. HA! How fitting... or maybe it should be non-fitting... for the wannabe crook to be tripped up by his own over-sized sense of "style." I can understand someone flying by the seat of his pants, but for those guys, before they can fly anywhere, they have to pick the seat of their pants up off the floor. Ridiculous. (And I LIKE your sarcasm.)

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  25. Dear Susan,
    hahaha - thank you for this hilarious ride through the history of fads! Yes - hair: I thought I would stay calm and serene in the question of hairdos - then son (beautiful hair) started wearing at school a hairdo as American lawyers in black-and-white films do - I gasped - well, now he becomes a lawyer.. (But two years before that he wore Elvis haircut, I liked that - as he sang Elvis song at the High School diploma ball - and all the mothers screeched and wanted to book him for their birthday parties. He had brought back from Texas white cowboy boots (made especially for him - he is 2.02m tall) - and wore a white shirt - unbuttoned and white jeans - our daughter-in-love fell instantly in love). Myself: can still astonish people with my belated Angela-Davis-hairdo-photo - and when I wore a 'lion head-hairdo', my best friend passed me at university not reckognizing me (I changed haircuts very often).. Wore sunglasses as big as the moon, and mini-mini-skirts. Well - fashion - I love it! (But agree with you on those hanging pants. I always thought they do it to stay fertile?)

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  26. Dear Britta,

    I'm glad you enjoyed the ride. One of our sons had a mullet haircut for a while, and the other had spiked hair. I know I'm prejudiced when it comes to them, but I thought they both looked adorable. The only odd hairdo I ever had was a Mia Farrow haircut when I was a senior in high school. A short, short, short Pixie. It was kinda cute, but let's just say I wasn't very buxom back then, so I kinda felt like I looked like a boy. My friends didn't help. They called me "coconut head."

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    1. Friends - always trying to bring one down on the ground of so-called reality :-) - sometimes I follow their advice, sometimes I don't. Mia Farrow haircut - more hair than I had with a Jean Seberg once. Beside the Afro (still pining for it) I loved a special Courege cut most on me - emphasizing high cheekbones.

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    2. Teenage girls aren't always terribly kind to each other, but I knew they were teasing. (I DID kinda look like a coconut head!) I'm not familiar with Jean Seberg, but if it was a shorter cut than that pixie I had, it must be close to shaved! My favorite cut was a long shag. If I knew a hairstylist who knew how to do one real well, I might even consider going for it again.

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  27. hilarious. Younger son Kevin wanted a so-called tail - sort of a long bit in his hair. Well, fine. My husband was berserk, but I said, "hair is inconsequential." Sure enough. girls kept tugging on his pony tail. Kevin came home and asked to have it cut. Problem solved and we were not bag guys. I do agree on your subject - Pull up your pants! Sigh

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    1. Gee, Ma, you took all the "fun" out of a having a "strange" haircut. (Smart lady!) We did the same thing with our boys when they were teens Their mullet and spike styles were actually quite cute. I can't imagine me letting them wear droopy pants, though.



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  28. not bad guys - duh. I typed too quickly. Sigh again

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    1. No problem. I knew whatcha meant. (My fingers go kinda crazy on the keyboard, too. I think they're dyslexic...)

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  29. I have a full closet of soggy, um, saggy pants. I like to move along with the times and fit right in as I trip along the sidewalk. My closet is also full of bell bottom jeans, tacky floral shirts and really wide ties. Never know when the seventies might make a comeback.

    Thanks for this, Susan. I shall now go to the London Underground and "mind the gap!"

    Gary :)

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    1. Absolutely! Those old styles are bound to come back again. If you want to make SURE they come back, give them all away as soon as possible. Guaranteed to make them the next big fad.

      You do that... always gotta mind that gap. Especially if you're wearing saggy pants.

      Cheers!

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  30. I was born in the early forties … teenager in the 50s and whatever I was in the 60's and 70's … had a kid in the 80's weathered all the 80's and 90's stuff and hello 2000's and all the doom and gloom of the world ending … and computer chips gone awry … all of a bunch of stuff…

    but I have never … ever despised anything more than this droopy drawers business… it's insulting. … and I wore feathers in my hair and red suede fringe… miniskirts! ha

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    1. I hope you still have pictures of you with the feathers in your hair, not to mention the red suede fringed mini skirt. Ooh la la! If so, you'll have to share them on your blog sometime.

      Yeah, the droopy drawers are pretty... low.

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  31. I had forgotten some of the fads you wrote about!

    My parents moaned and rolled their eyes about my listening to "that wild music" from the Beatles. I swore that I would NEVER criticize my kids' musical tastes...and then had to bite my tongue many, many times when my oldest two kids were into rap music for a bit. Luckily, it was a very short fad for them.

    I wish I had saved some of my 1970's fashion statements. It would make Halloween so much easier... ;-)

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    1. That's funny. I think my mother was more of a Beatles fan than I ever was, but I sure never thought of their music as "wild". Your mother must have HATED Elvis.

      Rap is one of the few kinds of "music" I don't like. Our older son listened to it, but the rule was if he wanted to listen to it in his room, fine... but I didn't want to listen to it, so his door had to be shut, and it couldn't be loud enough for me to hear in the kitchen.

      I still have a few things left from the '60s and '70s, but I probably can't squeeze into them any more.

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  32. Oh yes - that's a fad that crossed the border some time ago and I detest it. Not much else, apart from rudeness, upsets me. I remember my mother being very anxious about boys with long hair. I wish she could tell me what she things of my daughter's father-in-law who has a very long, grey pony tail!

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    1. Lucky you to share in the "joys" of sagging, huh? In a way, it's an expression of rudeness, too.

      What can I say? Pony tails and earrings aren't just for young men anymore. Could be worse. Her father-in-law could be a sagger... (His pants, that is!)

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  33. They're simply desperate for something 'new'. Maybe the next fad will be for smart suits, and seeing old ladies across the road.... now that really would be innovative!

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    1. What's that saying? Something like, "There is nothing new under the sun." Each generation seems to think it's unique. (Although, I must admit, pants hanging below the derriere IS pretty unique. Not attractive, but definitely unique.)

      Oh yeah, I'd be all for those fads! The world could use a lot more Boy and Girl Scouts.

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  34. Fashion is hilarious, that's maybe what I like most about it! My clothes are mostly secondhand things that friends/daughters pass on- luckily am a practicing eccentric.
    Sagging seems rather unoriginal now. But if the pants were sequinned I'd probably be won over :-)

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    1. Yeah, you're right. Fashion is hilarious, and people who feel they simply MUST wear whatever is "in" are even funnier. I've been kinda shabby chic most of my life, because I don't much care what's "in style" or what everybody else is wearing. Practicing eccentric, huh? I like that.

      HA! You can always get yourself one of those Bedazzlers. I'll bet you could find one in a thrift store.

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  35. I saw a new father and his wife (?) with baby/stroller wait at the corner to cross the street.
    She was dressed nice, shorts, tee shirt but he had pants almost to his knees, a long football shirt down to his knees plus a sweat shirt draped around this neck. he keep pulling his pants up to mid thigh and then readjusting the shirt and the sweatshirt. I was tired just watching him.
    My light turned green so I had to move and didn't get to see how he walked hahahahha tripped across the street

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Gee, do ya think the baby's diaper was sagged...?

      Cheers!

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  36. This is SO good! Yes, pants hanging halfway (or all the way) down the ass drive me insane. Who CARES whether your underwear is Borg or Muchacho Malo or whatever other faddy sort of brand you spend your parents' hard-earned bucks on? Seriously. SERIOUSLY. No, I have no patience for it. Which is probably why I don't have kids :D

    But you're right, it's a matter of perspective and, well, time. I was lucky (or not; perspective again) to have pretty mod parents; my dad was a graphic designer, super avant-garde for Mexico in the 70's and 80's, and he was all for me going with the latest, craziest fashions. Result: I became a sedate, baggy-sweatshirt-wearing grouch. Go figure. But I did buy into the 80's tight-skirt craze. Not mini-skirts, no; ankle-length, and so tight it was really a godsend that dancing back then involved swaying the upper body while the feet stayed put. We had to skip to the toilet :D And the hair! Bangs sprayed and blow-dried to vertical mummification thanks to a gooey electric-blue liquid called Super Punk. I'm just glad my adolescence happened before Facebook :D

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    1. Thanks. Glad ya liked it.

      And oh yeah! I am definitely glad my youthful shenanigans (and my kids', too) preceded the computer age. Worse than Facebook... think about Youtube!

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  37. I hate that too! Several of our local stores boast signs that say you can't come in unless your pants are up.

    When I was a teen, I wore feathers in my hair, the ones where the clip was a "bong clip." Oh yes, total rebel.

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    1. Hmmm, since so many of us hate that fad, maybe the best way to stop it would be if we all freak them out by complimenting them on how "terrific" they look, or on how much we "loved" their nice undies.

      When I was a teen, I don't think there was such a thing as a bong clip, so I wore ribbons. (YUK! I like the feather idea better.)

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  38. I think I'm on your page with your least favorite. There's obviously no fast walking. Thanks for your comment on my blog--I should have included what you said, as yes, lately, I'm seeing things that I am currently using … oh no I said to my hubby, have we reached that stage of life? ! :-) This was a fun post and I really enjoyed the trip through the decades!

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    1. It kinda sounds like all of us are anti-sagging. (Both pants and skin...)

      HA! We've definitely reached that stage. It cracks me up when someone posts something on Facebook, showing some "old" something-or-other, and asks, "Do you remember this?" Remember it??? I've still GOT it... and USE it!

      Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  39. Lol! I had fun reading this post! Thanks Susan!

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  40. Fun post. I can'd stand sagging pants. I'm always telling my students to pull their pants up. I'm sure it'll stop for the ones who grow up and enter the workforce. I remember many crazy things, like people wearing overalls with one strap loose, everyone wearing a book bag on one shoulder only, girls carrying out Cabbage Patch dolls for status in the playground...so many fads.

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    1. So far, the opinion regarding sagging appears to be unanimous. (LOTS of smart people hang out here...) Let's hope the young people outgrow it, or they'll have a mighty hard time getting into the workforce.

      Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about seeing kids sporting a one-shoulder overall look.

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  41. Swallowing live goldfish is still part of the hazing ritual in some fraternities. I'm also not a fan of sagging pants. Love the sign and the cartoon!

    Julie

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    1. Years ago, the leader of the church youth group gave the kids a choice of two things on a sleepover at her house: eat a live goldfish or kiss a snake. (her son's python) Our daughter was a member of the group, and we weren't at all happy with that disgusting choice.

      That cartoon is perfect, isn't it?

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  42. Oh, that cartoon is perfect. I am not a fan of sagging pants. It must go away.

    Happy New Year, Susan!

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    1. I think we'd all like to see that fad go away.

      Happy New Year to you, too!

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  43. The sagging....ugh. No and I don't think I'm very old. haha

    I wish I lived in the 50s. :-)

    Have a great week!!

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    1. I don't think age has anything to do with it. I think ALL of us are fed up with the sagging nonsense.

      HA! But if you'd lived back in the '50s, you'd be an old fartessa like me!

      You have a super week, too.

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  44. lol at some of your word play here. :)

    I think the sagging pants is less than classy.
    I hate the snake bite piercings (add eyebrow piercings, to that too), gauge earrings that make your lobe dangle to your knees, and the tattoos. My oldest joined the military and he's got them up an entire arm, and from the elbow to wrist on another. Trendy (and I'm guessing he won't like them later in life, though he disagrees vehemently now).

    The phase I hate though, is iPhones/smartphones. It's no biggie for people to answer a phone mid-sentence while talking to you, during a lecture, etc. and texting on them all the time makes me crazy. I've been to a 4th of July fireworks display and seen whole families texting on their blanket on the ground instead of watching the display in the sky above them. Why bother to go?

    lol at the pole sitter!! I hadn't heard of that one until now!!

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    1. Snake bit piercings? I'm not sure exactly what that is, but it doesn't sound like something I'd like. I DEFINITELY don't like those holes in the earlobe big enough to drive a Mack truck through. (Or at least a can of soda...)

      I don't think the phones are the problem, not that I own one, or care to own one. I think inconsideration is the problem.

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  45. It's a neverending cycle. I'm quite sure my grandparents were appalled at my parents' antics ("How can you listen to that Elvis juvenile delinquent!!?? The girls at the beauty parlor SWEAR he's a negro!"). As they were appalled at MY antics ("Streaking? What the hell fool kinda crap is that? And...Jesus Christ Superstar!? That's BLASPHEMOUS, goddammit!"). As I am appalled at my kids antics ("iPod, schmiPod. Just give me an 8-track and I'm happy! And what the hell is Miley doing with her frikkin' tongue??").
    I can't wait to hear stories from my grandchildren. Who aren't born yet. So I still have time to embarrass my kids.

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    1. I'm sure you'll make the most of the years you have left to embarrass your kids. Our kids are busily embarrassing their kids, and we're just the old people sitting on the sidelines smiling and nodding.

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  46. *Lolling* round at the sagging pant syndrome! Is it really fashion?

    Nas

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    1. It isn't "fashion" in MY opinion, but some sorely misguided young men seem to think it is.

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  47. I don't get the current trend toward tattooing every square inch of one's body but the teen behavior that's making me crazy right now is not wearing a coat when it's below zero outside. I pick up my grandson from high school and 90% of the students (including mine) come strolling out in nothing warmer than a hoodie. Evidently coats are not cool.

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    1. In fifty years, there's gonna be a lot of saggy-skinned tattoos around. I don't get the technicolor skin, either, but I know a lot of lovely young ladies with tattoos all over their arms and backs.

      Well, I can't say too much about the kids not wearing coats, because I don't like to wear 'em, either. (Of course, the temperature doesn't dip that low here, either...)

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  48. Gosh what a walk down memory lane. I remember the tye dyes and the bell bottom jeans, mood rings and all that good stuff and Nancy Sinatra reminding us that those boots were made for walk'n. :) Loved the post and yes count me in on one of those not understanding today's generation at all. :/ Due to the gang banger types in this town we now have a hoodie law and you can be fined for wearing a hoodie over your head here. Too bad they didn't add something about pulling up those drawls in that law! Great post! Have a Happy Wednesday

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    1. Oh yeah, Nancy Sinatra. That was a fun song. Somehow, I don't think she's wearing go-go boots anymore, either. (Like mine, the go-gos went-went.)

      No hoodies? Wow. You're right; they shoulda outlawed those darned droopy drawers, too.

      Happy Wednesday to you, too. Oh, what the heck... have a great rest of the week!

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  49. They still sell mood rings at some of the beach shops around here. Maybe it's a vintage thing. Maybe I should buy one :)

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    1. Really? Maybe the shops overbought when the mood ring fad was hot, (Remember the "potty ring" commercial?) and they're determined to keep selling 'em until they unload their whole stock. (Kinda like me and my book... if I'm still living 30 years from now, I'll still be trying to peddle it!) Oh, and by the way, I'm pretty sure I still HAVE a mood ring... and earrings. (I'm such a fashion star.)

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  50. LOOOVED this post . . . and the trip down Memory Lane! Yep, wore my collar up . . . but that was about it in a very small town where everybody'd known each other since Forever. However, back in the mid Sixties, my hub was on Catholic school's football team . . . six-man as it was a small school. His first cousin showed up with a beehive Up-to-There, with a little pink bow. The guy she was dating wore a long raccoon coat and waved a Dartmouth pennant . . . umm, he was in high school, didn't go to Dartmouth. Well, the entire team 'froze' at the sight. Fast forward and this cousin lives up the road from us. Good luck getting hub to visit her!

    On a more serious note, I detest drooping pants Down-to-There. I can't quite decide if this is a fad or a middle finger at the world. Having said that, I know devout, church-going parents of wacko-dressed kids who think nothing of it. Hmmm . . . problem!

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the trek down memory lane, even if it did make you remember that beehive hairdo you were probably trying to forget. I saw lots of those hairdos in the '60s, but I don't recollect seeing anyone wearing a raccoon coat. (That guy musta been a real rebel!)

      You could be right. The whole sagging pants thing may be more than a fad; it makes more sense as a deliberate in-your-face statement to the world. (Yeah, it says, "I'm stooopid.")

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  51. Thanks for your trip down memory lane. I lived through it all. that picture with the poodle skirt and saddle shoes is a hoot. I remember how cool I thought they were and I do believe every girl in school wore saddle shoes. Now, in dance land, a lot of the swing dancers wear them but they are regular dance shoes.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the trip, Manzie. Well, those poodle skirts WERE cool! And I can imagine you wearing one. Maybe with a pageboy hairdo? And a pretty scarf tied around your neck? (Oh, wait... no! That was me...)

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  52. I don't know if I should thank you or not. It was a terrific trip down memory lane, but I now realize my age.

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