Looking Up
Category: 1950s
Body Language
Sometimes you don’t need the deets; the body language tells a story all its own. Granted, we don’t need if he could’ve had a V-8 or if he forgot her name, but we know he just had a lightbulb moment.
So what do y’all think about her posture here? Is that welcoming, or overarching? Is he getting all up in her personal space? Her smile says “yes,” but her lower back says “no.”
By the looks of those palms on those cheeks, I think we can all agree on this one. Urline is screwing up the baked goods again. Bless her heart.
This one is a little more subtle. Clearly, Janice from Friends has a sister, and she is miffed. Maybe it’s because she’s six foot tall, and all the men are short at this party. Debra, on the other hand, is enjoying Monterrey Jack squares like there is no tomorrow. It’s a perfect balance to a flat diet Coke. And Diane–well, there’s that overarching again. Her smile says “yes,” but her eyes say, “Five bucks says there’s salmonella on that tray now. Debra never washes her hands.” Wait–did they have salmonella in the 80s?
And this last guy–Gwinn Henry? Well, you can tell by the way he uses his walk, he’s a woman’s man, no time to talk.
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I love the expressions on these college kids.
This party’s theme appears to be tropical.
Granted, Faith Hill wasn’t born yet, but she sure looks kin to that lady on the right.
Fat chance you’ll get crowned Mr. or Miss Howdy, but no harm in trying. 
Tarzan, a funny pages vampire (?), and a big-forearmed Popeye
Wonder Twin powers: activate! Form of: Shelly and Wendy!
And this next one? Well, I sure hope it was Halloween. Otherwise, there’s too much estrogen in his chicken nuggets.
Sadie Hawkins Dance
It’s a pretty common occurrence to find pictures like this of Sadie Hawkins Dances in my 1940s-1950s yearbooks. Tattered clothing, corn cob pipes, and overalls with only one arm on the shoulder were de rigueur. Guests often posed on haystacks such as those above.
The Sadie Hawkins dance is named after the Li’l Abner homely comic strip character Sadie Hawkins, created by cartoonist Al Capp. In the strip, the unmarried women of Dogpatch, a hillbilly mountain village, got to chase the bachelors and “marry up” with the ones they caught. The event was introduced in the daily strip, which ran on November 15, 1937.
Consequently, Sadie Hawkins dances are traditionally held in November, with the first official one being held on November 9, 1938. Within a year, hundreds of schools followed suit. By 1952, the event was reportedly celebrated at 40,000 known venues. If nothing else, it empowered women to do the asking–and perhaps face rejection.
In the comic, the voluptuous Daisy Mae has the hots for the dense and simple-minded 6’3″ Abner, hardly “l’il” at all.
Participants at the dances often wore tattered clothing or plaid shirts.
In the next photo, you can see that not much had changed as far as attire in the 25 years since its original inception and this 1964 Sadie Hawkins Dance.
What about you? Did you ever attend a Sadie Hawkins Dance? Did people dress up like the L’il Abner characters, or was it purely a girls-ask-boys affair?
We’ve Got Spirit, Yes, We Do
Y’all know I love old pep rally pics. The joy on the students’ faces, the smiles, the excitement. Not as jaded as these days.
The whole first row is clapping. No one is too cool for school. I just like to zoom in on these people and wonder what they were thinking. Were they whooping, hollering, or doing an Indian war cry? I love the shirt print, the jackets, the glasses, the cowboy hat, the hair.
Your guess is good as mine on this last one. Methinks it might be a Senior Skit, with some gender reversal all in good fun.
Ladies Of Horn Hall 1952
Are two of these grown women holding a fake poodle and a fake dachshund in their laps? Note their reactions to having “a record” explained to them by Bossypants McGee.
“Don’t nobody touch my Coke.”
Okay. I’m concerned now. I don’t think those dogs are legit. Is she petting the poodle?
Car-Baby Convertible
What could possibly go wrong in this topless trunk, balancing on the back seat?
This next one looks like little more than cardboard and a strap.
If baby just wants to chill, baby can recline with an extra pillow and a lap belt.
You’d think the idea of “just turn it around” would create all kinds of neck injuries upon impact. I’ve never seen a car like this, so I guess the idea never took off.
Nope. Here’s the headline from a July 2015 article: Volvo Takes Kids’ Safety To New Heights, Showcases Customised XC90 SUV Featuring Innovative Baby Seat.
What do you think? Does this look safe for baby? What if Jumpsuit Barbie flings all 105 lbs of her waxed body into him at a hard stop? Would that be a good idea? And won’t Barbie be silently resenting her position, relegated to the back seat, second priority in Ken’s life? That’s got to mess with her psyche. I don’t see it happening, Volvo.
Taster’s Choice
Topless Ladies With Dice On Their Heads
I came across this gaming guide from a relative’s 1954 visit to Vegas. It had everything one would expect of a Saharan theme. Arab sheikh? Check. Sand and camels? Check. Hedy Lamarr in transparent veils? Check. But then it gets weird. Topless men and women carrying dice, cards, and roulette wheels? Is that what people in the Sahara desert look like?
Nope. The Tuareg are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa, a nomadic, pastoral, Muslim people. They don’t look like that rendering at all. Their hair is much more fantastic.
Now are there women in Africa who go topless? Absolutely. Do they carry things on their heads? Sure. Do they have naked babies, carrying spears? Doubtful. I was reminded of the Louis CK SNL episode, wherein he discusses mild racism in his opening monologue. NBC has already shown it twice this year, which makes sense, as SNL evidently does five new shows per season and then shows reruns.
This Sahara ad, though, is more than mild. And redunkulous. I mean, how long can a woman hold a clock like that without her arms hurting? And that necklace would chafe.
And what about these fellows below, holding spears and shields? I just don’t see what this has to do with the Sahara. Veils I get. This I don’t. I imagine it’s offensive to many. But it also just looks odd.
Who knows? Maybe people of the Sahara would find our dancing girls’ outfits absurd. These gals were part of the “nocturnal diversion.”
That very Congo Room hosted entertainers for 59 years, until the Sahara closed in 2011. Big names like Mae West and Ray Bolger.
And if you were lucky enough to be in Vegas back in the day, you might have even caught a glimpse of this guy out front.
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