"Short shorts" had their phase, then poof!

Your blog host is at right, joined by two of my cousins as all three of us wear the "short shorts" that were recommended fashion at the time. It was 1989. I look at the photo now and am struck by the dated look. Might almost make me want to laugh. Pro basketball players then also wore the tight and short shorts. We relax today and just wear what's comfortable. Who told us we had to seek the tight look anyway? How did such a "meme" establish itself? Pop culture and entertainment. We shouldn't allow ourselves to be led around by that. 

On a personal note, I'll share that my two cousins in photo are from a family of five children, with whom I had almost no contact for many years due to an uncomfortable (to say the least) marriage breakup. My aunt Mildred, mom's sister, was in the marriage. I'll offer no judgments here. I have an impulse to think a certain way but I'll stay zipped because frankly, I only heard the proverbial "one side of the story." I am biased: my late aunt Mildred was the only soul outside of my immediate family who remembered to share a warm birthday greeting in every year of my life! The names of my cousins: Kenny is at left in photo, David in center, and then it's me at right. 

How about those shorts! The photo was taken at my residence of Northridge Drive. I still have not normalized my relations with that family. Reunions have been scant. I think my mom thought there was too much "drama" in that family. My Williams family has little allowance for that, frankly. But I love all my blood relatives. 

 

The panel on "Fox and Friends" was a little amused one morning. Why would I watch Fox News? For the same reason that Joel Heitkamp of KFGO Radio does. Heitkamp is definitely left of center, so you must say it's surprising he can succeed on AM Radio. I laud him greatly for this herculean accomplishment, this magical feat. So there's hope for the "red" Dakotas. Who knows. 

The Fox and Friends panel of which I speak showed an old photo that included Tom Selleck. Selleck was what you'd call a "heartthrob" then. I don't know what he looks like now. Women once swooned over him, or so they said. 

The Fox News people on their morning "couch" were amused by the photo. It was because of how Selleck presented himself. Let me insert here that the reason for showing the photo was different from what I'm discussing here. I cannot remember the specific reason. But the TV panelists found amusement with the photo as an "aside." 

The aside was what stuck with me. Why? It's consistent with the theme I have in my head for today. And that theme is: "American history has almost completely discarded the once-important notions about body image and fashion." 

Stop and think: this is a truly significant change. If there's a prominent thread in my online writing of today, it's to note changes in cultural habits and values over time. God endowed me with a sharp memory that is almost too sharp for my own good sometimes. I guard it some. Most people are simply focused on today. 

The Fox News morning panel was amused by Selleck's very short and very tight shorts he was wearing. This was in a time when the loose fit hadn't started making its inroads. A person had to worry some about how you'd get dressed in the morning. 

The "Wonder Years" TV show shed light on how, when a family purchased clothes for a young son in the 1960s, there was always worry about pants being too tight in the crotch. Amazing the show would choose to remind us of that. Scriptwriters had the same kind of memory as me. They felt it important to remind people how values have evolved, how our judgment has evolved. 

Boys obviously wanted the "tight" fit or "slim" fit at one time. And let me tell you, a "heavy" physique might get you derision among your peers. It was "cool" to look slim. So for Tom Selleck to really come across as a "sex symbol," it was essential for him to have clothes real tight-fitting. How different from today. 

We went through a period when the so-called "nerds" decided it wasn't necessary to follow the body image norms. That epoch in our history faded rather fast. I smile as I recall how the nerds rose from marginalization to completely winning the culture battle. I mean, while the "cool jocks" were partying so much, the "nerds" were at home studying the manuals for all the geeky tech stuff that was coming out. 

"Nerds" seemed to completely disappear from our vocabulary. Kids still enjoy sports but we are less likely to think they are the "cool" or "in" crowd for doing this. 

Body image? A new set of standards took over where we simply did not pass judgment on "overweight" people. This is both good and bad. It is bad to judge a "fat" person in a mocking way, but the fat crowd should also know that from the standpoint of sheer health, they might want to take a second look at how they are living. 

Very often I'll see a heavy person and realize that person would no longer be stigmatized in any way, shape or form, not like when I was young. And in clothes? Heavens, a sea change away from the rigid norms that existed at one time, like adolescents wearing "tight-fitting jeans." 

In my mind, the tight fit was simply uncomfortable and frankly, not good for one's genitals. I'll add something here that is true but so many males would not like to confess: the "tight" clothes of the bygone time made it hard if you had an involuntary erection with your penis. Sorry but I'm just divulging the truth. 

The tight-fitting norm put me in a position where I'd resolve to lose weight. This was just to handle my clothing better. I didn't really need to. I was intimidated by the fashion standard. 

Is "fashion" today gone with the wind? You can make an argument for that. My window on fashion habits is at the cafe area of Willie's Super Valu where I sometimes relax, enjoy something from Caribou Coffee. People put on clothes that are simply comfortable. Often that means something that might seem somewhat too big. Who cares. 

I have found with loose-fitting shirts, perspiration odor develops much slower than with the "tight fit." There's no  comparison. I remember the tight-fitting shirts from when Bill Kopitzke had his little men's clothing store in Morris. I don't blame Bill because he was catering to fashion standards. If I wore one of his shirts for just one day, when it was "press day" at the newspaper, it would be hopeless for wearing again without washing it first. 

This is sad to recall, but I put together whole piles of cheap T-shirts, many of which I had received gratis for being in 5K and 10K runs, and wore them continuously through the warm weather months. Wearing a nice standard shirt was not practical because of the odor issue from working hard. And to think many people in this community thought I did not work hard enough! Commentary for another time, I suppose. 

Indeed, "short shorts" faded out to a degree that a TV panel like on Fox News would actually laugh at them! Back in the day, Tom Selleck was the cock of the walk with how he presented himself. Imagine! Today the prevailing attitude is just "put on something comfortable." 

Boys and men no longer worry about trying to look like an Adonis when they look at themselves in the mirror in the morning. How stupid that was anyway! We are so human an animal. 

And someday we'll be astounded about how so many of us chose to support Donald Trump for president. Is there any doubt about this? First, though, we have to make sure he doesn't get back into the presidency in 2024. I'm not sure that won't happen. So are we Germany of the 1930s? We may very well be. There is nothing I as an individual can do to stop it, sorry. 

So all you "conservative" rubes, keep going to your Christian churches. I am a mere observer. 

I can recall another surprising comment from the "Fox and Friends" couch. The gang there was talking about the Rolling Stones. They showed a video of the group performing today. Of course we all are supposed to be so reverential. The purpose of the discussion from the couch was to update on how the Rolling Stones were doing, where they were touring etc. 

Brian Kilmeade (fox news)

But finally Brian Kilmeade (a fellow "Brian" of mine) broke down and, in effect, said the emperor has no clothes. He said "it doesn't sound good." Ah, bless him. 

By the same token, what if yours truly, who has songwriting as an avocation, were to write "Strawberry Fields Forever?" What if I presented that as a "demo" today (and Lennon had never written it). Hell's bells! It wouldn't be taken seriously for an instant. Anyone screening the song would be irate at having spent the time! 

But this was once a song considered genius, inspiring endless analysis, people wondering about symbolism etc. Culturally significant music! Eventually Lennon tired of the over-analysis of some Beatles music and that's why he gave us "I Am the Walrus." The song actually meant nothing! 

The boomers who once had to deal with the "trim" look can relax today, indeed. We can go up for church communion and not worry about an erection being visible in the crotch area of our pants! Tremendous sigh of relief, eh?

I feel like I'm giving a family slide show. Above you see your blog host in middle, and I'm with two of my other cousins. They are in the same family as Kenny and David in photo at top of this post. I'm playing in the wheelbarrow with Dianne (left) and Debbie. Dianne made a surprise visit to my Williams family in about 1979. We hadn't seen each other in many years. Conflict within my aunt Mildred's marriage. Dianne was two years older than me, Debbie was my age. Their male siblings were Kenny, David and Karl. I only remember Karl when he was an infant in high-chair. Mildred was mom's sister. We lost Mildred to esophageal cancer a few years ago. Speaking of family slide shows, remember the comedian Jackie Vernon? "How'd that get in there?"

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com