Posted on 12/27/2019 11:24:42 AM PST by Kaslin
The Roaring Twenties was the most fun, dynamic, and frivolous decade in American history. Let's make a new one.
I was born in the wrong era. It is a common refrain. It is very natural for us as human beings to peer back through the annals of history and find a time that seems better suited to us. For many people, myself included, one of those times is the mythical roaring 1920s. The dapper dress, the hot jazz, the peephole of a speakeasy sliding open as you pronounce the password.
Oh, to have lived in the ’20s. But wait. In just a few days, we will be living in the ’20s. And it is up to us to decide if these 10 years that start with “2” can rival the style, glamour, and legend of the 20th centurys party decade. Lets face it, the ’10s or whatever you call them were fine, but a bit dull. Now as we embark on a fresh set of downs, lets commit ourselves to beauty, fun, and a carefree life of no tomorrows.
We are actually pretty well poised for this. The economy is booming as it was at the height of the jazz age, new technologies that we are now accustomed to whirl around us such as planes, fast cars, telephones, and radios. Inhibition has no purchase in our judgment-free society. But a recreation of 1920s wont happen all by itself. We all have a part to play.
This arguably starts with attire. This past decade has how shall we put it it hasnt been an iconic one for fashion. Our debates regarding dress have centered on whether cargo shorts and leggings are appropriate for the office. People attend Broadway shows in Utah Jazz sweatshirts and jean jackets. We can, no, we must do better.
I propose that starting in January, every man in America should purchase at least one tuxedo, a pair of two-toned wingtips, and a smoking jacket. For the ladies, fascinators and cloche hats. And by God, let all of it be tailored. Now this is a conservative outlet, so I wont suggest that the government should subsidize these purchases, but if the Democrats ever get power
Once we are all dressed up like million-dollar troopers, it will be time to choose our vices. Alcohol obviously is at the top of that pyramid, but in regard to it, we ought to be discerning. Imagine the look of disdain your great-great-grandmother who sipped champagne at the Ziegfeld Follies would have shot you had she seen you crack open a White Claw. No, no. Let’s vow to imbibe more Manhattans, more martinis, more old-fashioned old fashioneds.
This brings us to the question of smoking, to which the answer is yes.
But all was not vice in the 1920s. Out of the smoke-filled haze of illegal gin joints, art and culture bloomed. The racy prose of James Joyce, the wild forms and colors of Kandinsky, and of course the howling horns and pounding drums of jazz. And there is a lesson in this culmination of culture that exploded a century ago, a roadmap if you will.
For all of Americas self-flagellation regarding its past sins of racism and bigotry, in the 1920s something happened that was not only remarkable, but that laid the groundwork for a more equitable society. In Harlem, a renaissance occurred in which black Americans, still under the thumb of legal and societal racism, seized the keys to American culture in books and music and dance. A bit to the south on the Lower East Side, the Jewish egg of vaudeville and the Yiddish theater cracked open new styles of comedy and storytelling that still frame our entertainment.
The diversity that exists in America today is unprecedented. It is a buffet of sights and sounds and tastes and tales. Lets embrace all of it. Lets appropriate the hell out of everything and forge new art, new beauty, new ways to conceive of the world. Fearless, lets take advantage of the time we have together to share and mingle the myriad traditions that dwell among us.
Now I know we all hate each other because of Trump and everything, but look, there were a lot of people who werent nuts about Calvin Coolidge. Even though he was awesome. It doesnt have to stand in the way of a good time. Whether he wins or he loses, the sky wont fall, the sun will come up, and when it does, we owe it to ourselves to be stumbling home from a late night of frivolity.
Now I know what youre going to say. The 1920s didnt exactly end on a high note. Fine. You cant have a party without a hangover. I mean, you could, but it would be a very dull party. I for one am willing to take this risk.
So come the New Year, lets all meet at the Hotel Algonquin to tip a few glasses, cleverly quip, invent some new dances, and slip into this new decade in style. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the ’20s.
Sounds like that would be the Cat’s Meow...or even The Bee’s Knees! :-)
Seriously though, I have noted that the last three years of WINNING have even changed the way people decorate for Christmas. It’s wild, and it’s wonderful!
I thought that was the 80's............
Fedora hat in the fall and spring and a straw boater hat or a Panama fedora hat in the summer.
23 Skidoo!..........................
Ok, I’m in but I still need a glass of warm milk before I turn in at 9:30.
I’m old . . . I’m planning to make this the snoring ‘20’s . . .
“The diversity that exists in America today is unprecedented. It is a buffet of sights and sounds and tastes and tales. Lets embrace all of it. Lets appropriate the hell out of everything and forge new art, new beauty, new ways to conceive of the world. Fearless, lets take advantage of the time we have together to share and mingle the myriad traditions that dwell among us.”
No
Gonna have to get a raccoon coat!
I can pick up plenty of ‘material’ off the roads around here..............
>>>a Razz-a-ma-taz to You! :-)<<<
Is that like a 20’s version of a Lazz-a-ma-taz?
Not sure if I can properly do The Charleston with my arthritis, but I’ll give it a whirl!
“Bareheaded JFK and compact cars” (Ford Falcon,Chevy Corvair,Chrysler Valiant,etc.) did the fedora hat in! (”they say”)???
*****
I still shitcanned my ball caps and went to Fedoras about 10
yers go.That was men in
America as I knew it in the 40/50s!
Feels good.
GyG@PlanetWTF?/WNW!
SemperTRUMP.45!
+++++++++++++++++++++
I used to wear one of those in the 60’s.
The 20’s hit it first. :-)
Apparently they are still sold:
"Decades" are a thing of the past, aren't they? If you wanted to divide history up that way, you could find serious changes every 10 years from 1900 to 2000. Different challenges, different styles. Since then, things seem to be more homogeneous. There are still wars and recessions and changes in government, but popular culture tends to stay about the same. Or maybe the culturesphere is so big that it can't be dominated by one idea or mood or trend.
Just as long as the ending isn’t the same.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.