SEXIEST PERSONS ALIVE

Thursday, September 03, 2009

young people, look away




Bad Mom posted a funky haikulicious poem the other day a while ago with a 70's theme in honor of You Know...That Blog's Haiku Wednesday.


It made me think of something that freaks me out on a regular basis. Or whenever I allow myself to "go there." Which I don't do very often because it gags me with a spoon.


I was in high school in the late 70's. Back then, it was a big fad to dress up in 50's attire: poodle skirts, bobby socks and saddle shoes. We had a sock hop dance and various other school functions with the 50's theme.




My mom was a high schooler in the 50's. She used to reminisce with us. Especially with the music. Those great 50's songs: That'll Be the Day by Buddy Holly; Earth Angel by the Penguins; Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. Loved those.



But to get to my point. I distinctly remember thinking how ancient it all was way way WAY back in the 50's. A whole two decades ago. Dried up and crusted over ancient.



And now? It's the rad thing to have parties with a 70's theme. My decade. Three decades ago.


So today's high schoolers are looking at me with even more "you're so ancient" disdain than I judged my mom and her chronies?




Is that bogue, or what?



Does anybody out there copy?






22 comments:

stephanie said...

Ooh, linky love - thanks! :D

Let me tell you, I was in high school in the 80s and my mom in the 60s, but I was *inlove* with "the olden days" because of Happy Days. I dressed as a bobby soxer every Halloween from 5th - 8th grade; I lip synced "Leader of the Pack" at least once a week; I took the American Graffiti soundtrack to the hospital for the birth of both kids.

I've got a little bit of credibility with my students because I can recall with clarity tidbits from my 70s & 80s childhood. But then there are those pitiful looks at the realization that this makes me officially OLD.

I'm learning to just live & love it.

Karen Jensen said...

I am trying to cut the "Im so old" jokes out of my classroom routine because my students no longer think it's a joke. When did that happen?

blognut said...

I was in high school in the 80's, and I am enjoying proving to my kids on a regular basis, that many of the trendy songs to which they listen on their iPods, are actually copies of the songs I listened to in the 80's.

Kinda takes the kids down a peg or two.

Mental P Mama said...

10-4

Fantastic Forrest said...

This reminded me of my post about the middle school '80's party.

Each fall, Professor X receives a list of all the culture references that he might make which occurred before the birth of the current year's crop of students. Talk about a way to make someone feel old. I remember one year, one of his college students asked me "What was it like to be alive when Ronald Reagan was President?"

Oy.

Anonymous said...

I wasn't too worried about it until now honestly....I can totally relate to your story.. graduated from high school in '80, parents who married at 19 and 20 in 1959...do my kids think I'm as old and out of touch as I imagined my folks? Probably. Sort of sad...

Lee said...

right on, mama

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Don't look now, but our nostalgia day is almost gone. Around here it's all 80's all the time. Even FAME is coming back.

Jodi Anderson said...

Fortunately, our 17-year-old hasn't given us the *you're ancient* look yet. Then again, we listen to the same music and have similar fashion sense.

She did make one mistake though. Yesterday, she thought that her dad and I were part of the first round of punk rock. I said, "I would have been under six then, but I was part of the second coming of punk." :D

I have such fond nostalgia for the 1970s. The 80s, on the otherhand ... I wish that I could do them over again.

dkuroiwa said...

I graduated in '80 and loved dressing up like on Happy Days...letter sweater, rolled up jeans, Daddy's white shirt...did anyone else also have Daisy Mae Dances? oh...what fun! the old days! I also remember thinking, in high school, that people who came home for their 20 and 30 year reunions were SO DAMN OLD!! Now...I'm thinking high schoolers are stupid and don't know crap.
It'll be interesting to see what my boys (who are still really young) think about their old mom and dad when THEY get in high school...We were watching some Woodstock footage the other night and Issei asked his dad if he was there. We just laughed.

Judy said...

First visit here, thanks to Sara. Because of FB I've been reconnecting with old HS buds. But, they are old and have grandchildren and most have less hair. How did that happen?

The hubs attended a UA football game last night and when they played Creedance Clearwater "Who'll Stop the Rain?" all the student section sang along. Go figure.

King of New York Hacks said...

Thank you your kind and thoughtful words that you left for me on my 9/11 Memorial blog from last year...I know it was a lot to read and view, and am happy that you felt what I was trying to inform people of , and how we do remember as the change continues. I bow down to you in thanks , your comments were very well received. I will be posting another similar post with my walks this year on 9/11 as well. God Bless you.

-Edward

bernthis said...

i remember having a party like that when I was 13. Dressed up the whole nine yards.

Margo said...

Gotcha :) I keep coming across faded square photos with cars that look like they're from the Gatsby era from the year I was born - baby blue comet station wagons with wood paneling. There was one photo of my dad with John Lennon glasses and sideburns in a lawyer suit that really gave us pause - it looked more like Dicken's era.

imom said...

Oh yeah, I hear ya! This weekend I was showing my wedding album to some late 20's women and they were impressed with how pretty my dress was, considering it was the 80's! Gah!

Glennis said...

So true - the 40s and 50s seemed ANCIENT when I was young, and yet here we are in 2009 and high schoolers are still listening to Led Zeppelin tunes from the 70s.

Kathleen Scott said...

Fun post.

Fifteen years ago I sat next to a guy at the hairdresser who explained to me that no good music was made after 1972. He was 200% positive of the fact. My hubby, sitting on my other side, was happy to have his thoughts confirmed.

I think life is a moving target and as long we're still going, we're good.

Anonymous said...

Ya know the thing I can't stand about oldies? There are never any new ones.

Just wanted to swing by and thank you for your wise words at Flutter's. I have always wrestled with whether I can call myself a victim and keep a straight face, especially when I read the stories of others who endured things far worse.

Again, thanks, for your words, and for this post. I'll be around . . .

Jenn@ You know... that blog? said...

I suck - just now saw this post! Thanks for the link, Doc!

Sure would love to get a haiku from you and your patients... er... readers here! ;)

Tomorrow's theme is education (in celebration of the kids heading back to it and leaving us in peace!!)

Anonymous said...

I was in high school in the early to mid nineties, and even I started to feel old this year when I was talking about music to some 9th-graders. I mentioned "Nirvana" and their eyes just glossed over. They had no idea who I was talking about.

It was very depressing, as those days don't seem all that long ago to me.

Pete said...

I had to look up "bogue" but now I'm cool with it. I was in high school in the 80s so that's my decade but the 70s are pretty good too. Thanks for the nostalgia trip.

Mels Place in Big Bear said...

You're not alone. My kids babysitter was going to prom a few years back. Turns out she was born the same year as MY prom. I showed her my dress and it fit her like a glove - very 80's with bright green fake silk and wacky shoulders (of course.) She exclaimed, "Oh my god! Youre, like, sooooo vintage!"