BETWEEN THE LINES: Fads and other memorabilia spark memories
Most of us would like to think we are free-minded, independent spirits, but history tells us otherwise. The relatively new science of socioeconomics is beginning to demonstrate more and more the diversity of the herding instinct, which reveals that man has more in common with the animal kingdom than we would like to admit.
Fads over the decades are living proof that we like to follow trends.
My first glimpse of that occurred during the hula hoop craze of the 1950s. Who would have thought a circular piece of plastic that cost virtually nothing to produce would take the country by storm?
As a young pup I thought I was pretty coordinated; that is, until this craze hit the country. My initial explanation for my lack of success was that girls had larger hips to keep the hoops from slipping down. Time would ultimately teach me the truth — that rhythm was just not my bag.
The popularity of television also exploded during the ’50s. Shows such as Perry Como and "The Honeymooners" captured the public’s imagination. The latter starred Jackie Gleason portraying Ralph Kramden. It was a blue-collar comedy with Gleason playing a bus driver and living in an apartment with his wife Alice (Jayne Meadows).
The 1960s brought change beginning on the dance floor with Chubby Checker’s hit, "The Twist." It quickly caught on with the nation’s youth. The movie theaters of the era were showing one James Bond spy thriller after another. I must admit I was one of the knuckleheads who stood in line for two hours waiting for the opening night of "Goldfinger" in downtown Houston at the Tower Theater.
I still find myself on occasion singing the lines of Shirley Bassey’s hit theme song.
The quick rise and fall of the hit television series "Batman" demonstrates the fickle nature of fads. The DC comics classic hit the tube in the mid ’60s and reached cult status almost overnight. The villains became household names. The Joker, played by Caesar Romero; The Riddler, splendidly acted by Frank Gorsham; Mr. Freeze, portrayed by George Sanders; and Cat Woman, re-created by Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt, became classic foes.
I can still recall the students gathering around the television set at the student union wildly cheering the show’s action. The series would display on the screen the words "Ziff," "Pow" and "Bam" during the action scenes. My fellow students and I would loudly repeat the words as if we were in the action ourselves, and the result was much better than today’s reality TV.
Maybe it our way of ignoring the growing conflict in Vietnam. During troubled times distractions, as ridiculous as they may be, are greatly appreciated.
After Vietnam, the nation was looking to become less serious. Frivolity became the name of the game in the 1970s and "Saturday Night Fever" took over as the BeeGees hit the stage. The decade saw the debut of pet rocks, the Frisbee and Smurfs. Each fad, it seems, gave birth to another.
On the silver screen the movies ran the gamut. Heading the list was the award-winning "The Godfather" series of films. Then there was Jack Nicholson’s memorable performance in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest," featuring the chilling Nurse Ratched.
Another popular movie sequel beginning in the decade was "Rocky" starring Sly Stallone. He played the blue-collar, down-on-his-luck boxer with a heart of gold and a determination to overcome adversity. Rounding out flicks of the decade was "Kramer vs. Kramer," the story of a marriage gone south starring Dustin Hoffman and my favorite actress, Meryl Streep.
Looking back at my wedding pictures, I was reminded of a couple of other trends of the decade — long sideburns and polyester suits. They appeared appealing then, but time has seriously altered my opinion of both.
Stay tuned next week for Part II as I conclude my discussion on fads and trends, bringing them up to the present.
Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, e-mail ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.