2/11: Life magazine, 62 years ago

Undertoad · 02-11-2002, 10:08 AM

A world pre-TV, pre-war, found that somehow it was a good idea to have women dress up in majorette costumes to serve refreshments to cars in drive-in movie lots.

This turned up in a collection of odd Life covers and it made me think a little. Things change, is what it tells us, and what we consider bizarre and unusual in history are just missing context.

Pat Buchanan is going around hawking a book forecasting that in a rather short period of time the white european-born culture will be at a severe minority, and much of it will be lost when that happens. He is, of course, insane. Culture changes; values are replaced; societies move on. It's a constant process, probably accelerated by our newly-found ability to communicate. Lamenting its loss is time wasted. Sure, there are valuable ideas that may be lost too, but I can see nothing worth *preserving* in the above photograph other than the idea that it DID happen and is now permanently a part of history.

And, at the time, surely there were scores of people who were mad that *their* culture of books, radio, and piety was being "replaced" by drive-in movies with waitresses in scandalously short skirts.

02-11-2002, 11:14 AM

Hmmm. That, my friend, is certainly not a bad thing. The world would be a much nicer place if all females walked around in scandalously short skirts.

Ah, the 40's...

SteveDallas · 02-11-2002, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
A world pre-TV, pre-war, found that somehow it was a good idea to have women dress up in majorette costumes to serve refreshments to cars in drive-in movie lots.

Oh yes, I find that repugnant. I prefer my waitresses in cheerleader outfits. (Wait, I didn't mean to type that.. is there a way to edit on this thing??? I tried my joe editors commands but they don't work.) That reminds me, better go make my Valentines Day reservations at Hooters!

Well, seriously, if you take a complete laissez-faire approach, then the Marketplace and the Invisible Hand will reward, or punish, people for doing stuff like this as appropriate. Can a free-market conservative rant about keeping government's hands off of business, and then turn around and say that some products that make money for businesses (say, Hustler magazine) should be taken off the market? Doesn't this mean that the difference betwee "liberals" and "conservatives" is not how much government they want, but which arenas they what government to be active in?

There was a somewhat interesting piece about the US pornography industry on Frontline last week. What I found fascinating about it was that it entirely addresses the supply side of the issue, without talking a bit about demand. Not once was it suggested that the reason people were making all that money was because people WANT to watch this stuff. Ditto with our 1940 waitress.... somebody thought the customers would like it, or they woudn't have done it.

(BTW, I got confused about which forum this was in... at first I thought were were sposed to photoshop it!

alphageek31337 · 02-11-2002, 02:25 PM

I want you to consider the following women in scandalously short skirts:

rosanne
rosie
kathy bates
oprah
mimi from drew carey
bea arthur
janet 'the wookie' reno

the list goes on and on

story of the moral, be careful what you wish for

02-11-2002, 03:03 PM

Long long time since you've posted Steve. Was wondering what happened to you. Glad to have you back.

Anyway. Roseanne actually isn't too bad. I could dig that. As for Rosie, hopefully she'll choke before the day ever comes. The others I'm not real concerned about - if you don't want to see, don't look.

jeni · 02-11-2002, 03:35 PM

it's 2/11! not 12. :p

anyway, i have a life magazine from 1949. there is a woman on the front wearing a bathing suit, if i recall properly. this has absolutely nothing to do with the thread, save the fact that it's a life magazine with a woman on the cover. yeah. that's all.

Undertoad · 02-11-2002, 04:30 PM

So it is, I'll edit the title.

warch · 02-11-2002, 05:17 PM

What's odd about the picture is that the service seems to be taking place on the salt flats or something. That's a huge parking lot, quite a trip for our young paramilitary waitronmajorette.

See, she's multitasking. I bet there is a baton (in flames) flipping 20 feet above her head that she'll just casually catch (behind her back) before locking that tray onto the window and making change.

I'm diggin' the epaulette- nude arm- cuff thing. Just enough flair...fringe, braid and brass buttons. Uniform wearing workers unite...

OH and the jaunty, cocked cap sez...fun!

Torrere · 02-12-2002, 12:35 AM

Paramilitary, ha! Hadn't noticed the fringes on her shoulders.

(Been playing Deus Ex, paramilitary has a huge meaning to me right now =])

02-11-2002, 10:08 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	2/12: Life magazine, 62 years ago A world pre-TV, pre-war, found that somehow it was a good idea to have women dress up in majorette costumes to serve refreshments to cars in drive-in movie lots. This turned up in a collection of odd Life covers and it made me think a little. Things change, is what it tells us, and what we consider bizarre and unusual in history are just missing context. Pat Buchanan is going around hawking a book forecasting that in a rather short period of time the white european-born culture will be at a severe minority, and much of it will be lost when that happens. He is, of course, insane. Culture changes; values are replaced; societies move on. It's a constant process, probably accelerated by our newly-found ability to communicate. Lamenting its loss is time wasted. Sure, there are valuable ideas that may be lost too, but I can see nothing worth preserving in the above photograph other than the idea that it DID happen and is now permanently a part of history. And, at the time, surely there were scores of people who were mad that their culture of books, radio, and piety was being "replaced" by drive-in movies with waitresses in scandalously short skirts.

02-11-2002, 02:25 PM	#4
alphageek31337 Enemy Combatant/Evildoer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 263	I want you to consider the following women in scandalously short skirts: rosanne rosie kathy bates oprah mimi from drew carey bea arthur janet 'the wookie' reno the list goes on and on story of the moral, be careful what you wish for __________________ The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. ---Friedrich Nietzsche

02-11-2002, 05:17 PM	#8
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	What's odd about the picture is that the service seems to be taking place on the salt flats or something. That's a huge parking lot, quite a trip for our young paramilitary waitronmajorette. See, she's multitasking. I bet there is a baton (in flames) flipping 20 feet above her head that she'll just casually catch (behind her back) before locking that tray onto the window and making change. I'm diggin' the epaulette- nude arm- cuff thing. Just enough flair...fringe, braid and brass buttons. Uniform wearing workers unite... OH and the jaunty, cocked cap sez...fun! Last edited by warch; 02-11-2002 at 05:20 PM.

02-11-2002, 11:14 AM	#2
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Hmmm. That, my friend, is certainly not a bad thing. The world would be a much nicer place if all females walked around in scandalously short skirts. Ah, the 40's...

02-11-2002, 03:03 PM	#5
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Long long time since you've posted Steve. Was wondering what happened to you. Glad to have you back. Anyway. Roseanne actually isn't too bad. I could dig that. As for Rosie, hopefully she'll choke before the day ever comes. The others I'm not real concerned about - if you don't want to see, don't look.

02-11-2002, 03:35 PM	#6
jeni is stuck on altair-4 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: santa cruz, california Posts: 514	it's 2/11! not 12. :p anyway, i have a life magazine from 1949. there is a woman on the front wearing a bathing suit, if i recall properly. this has absolutely nothing to do with the thread, save the fact that it's a life magazine with a woman on the cover. yeah. that's all.

02-11-2002, 04:30 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	So it is, I'll edit the title.

02-12-2002, 12:35 AM	#9
Torrere a real smartass Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 1,121	Paramilitary, ha! Hadn't noticed the fringes on her shoulders. (Been playing Deus Ex, paramilitary has a huge meaning to me right now =])

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