a conversation about "old age"

During the normal course of trick-or-treating, a band of girls, age 13 or 14, rings the doorbell. One of them is wearing a banner that gleams "MISS UNIVERSE 1987." This confuses me.

Me: Miss Universe, 1987?

MU1987: (rolls eyes) I'm supposed to be dead.

Me, finally noticing her death makeup and silver-streaked hair: Oh. But that was only 20 years ago. Did you die in a freak accident?

MU1987: panics.

MU1987's friend, some sort of sexy superhero: Yeah! That's only 20 years ago! (slugs the dead MU1987 on the arm)

Me: here, have some more candy.

Comments

[Gil]

Deb, you're such a youngster! Us old folks remember the days when Miss Universes were only allowed to reign for 3-5 years before they were sacrificed to the gods and then reanimated as zombies...

[bonnie kyburz]

it's like when i reference some cultural text in a class discussion and no one gets it. at all. recently, films and people and other unrecogniz(able?) dropped names:

1.) _Chinatown_
2.) _Blue Velvet_
3.) _Twin Peaks_
4.) David Lynch
5.) Laura Dern
5.) "Epic" (Faith No More) -- in a discussion about vague pronoun referents (think about it)
6.) _The Handmaid's Tale_ (and Margaret Atwood)
7.) _Breakfast of Champions_ (and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.) -- i drew "the asshole" to entice them into reading it. it got a little laugh.
8.) _A Modest Proposal_ (i thought kids read that in High School!)
9.) Sisters of Mercy
10.) The Cure

there are so many more. i'm gonig to keep documenting them (on my own) because it's interesting ("interesting" is my way of avoiding framing it up as an age issue ;)

[dave mazella]

I haven't dressed up for Halloween for at least 10 years, when I went to a costume party dressed as "Burt Reynolds." That was a sport coat and a lot of explanations.

This year, I was "Dad," walking around the neighborhood, and waving at anyone who would open their doors and give my kids candy.

As for the Modest Proposal, my kids still get it in high school. It's the only Swift they recognize.

[Z]

Tonight I have a Halloween party, and the theme is "rock stars." I'm going as Joe Strummer. But no one will know who I am, I'm sure.

[dave's not here]

Additions to Bonnie's list:

1.) the first Live Aid
2.) TV antennas (and no showing the same episode several times a week, a/o no TiVo).
3.) the farm crisis
4.) Atari (specifically "Pong").

To students' credit, however, I have had one come to class w/ a Ramones T-shirt, and they are aware that MTV used to play nothing but music videos at one time.

[dave's not here]

Additions to Bonnie's list:

1.) the first Live Aid
2.) TV antennas (and no showing the same episode several times a week, a/o no TiVo).
3.) the farm crisis
4.) Atari (specifically "Pong").

To students' credit, however, I have had one come to class w/ a Ramones T-shirt, and they are aware that MTV used to play nothing but music videos at one time.

[k8]

There's still a farm crisis, says the hoosier girl.