And it was, um, interesting.
Firstly - it was a dressup party, the theme of 1986 specifically. So mumsy, dadsy, eldest bro, middle bro, youngest bro, eldest bro's gf and I went as Devo. Unfortunately, I don't have any edited pics for you as I parked in the middle of the street and there were cars coming from both directions and I panicked and only remembered my grog and my whip and not the spiffy new camera that we are still to use since returning from out OS holiday before The Hun had to jump into the drivers seat to take the car back home. However, take my word that most of Saturday was spent loitering around Bunnings, stocking up on pot plants, red spay paint, elasticised cord and pieces of dowling from which to concoct the outfits which were then compiled in the shed and teamed with skivvies and sweatshirts from Lowes.
Tension was high as we lined up on the front stoop, ready to make our debut - evident when youngest bro's hat fell off and smashed into three seperate pieces and dadsy was super quick to admonish him for it. It was not all his fault however - there was a bit of an inaccuracy in our outfit...
These are what Devo Powerdome hats SHOULD look like.Our hats were instead WAY too high - that's what you get when you secure two potplants together with a hot glue gun, stick a plastic drinking cup on top and spray them hot red.
The host didn't answer the door, so it was up to us to shuffle our way through the more than 100 strange people crammed into the house (bloody Canberra weather), ignoring the looks and not so quiet whispers of 'Who are they meant to be?' 'I don't get it' and 'Am I missing something?' to the relative safety of the very back corner of the backyard where we could huddle away from them. Did you know that apart from the few who made an effort - such as Hans Solo and the Ghostbusters - that dressing up as '1986' just means you dress like a slut? You just wear whatever the current fashion is and make it shorter and have a quick go with the crimper.
I felt sh!t - My hat broke during the rush to the backyard, so I was just the older person who was wearing a frumpy black Lowes skivvy and workpants. Then the bro's hung out together in the corner where there wasn't a seat for me, eldest bro's gf did a good job of talking to the others that were gathered around the fire and I searched for mumsy and dadsy on the inside. This is where I got to experience being asked my age for the first time since my birthday (I don't like saying '25'. I thought I'd be better with it now, but I guess not) and argued with a guy about veganism where my lack of knowledge shone through again ("Well, I worked on a dairy farm and they didn't seem to mind having their calves taken away" "We evolved this way" "We have canines for a reason"). Good times.
Anyways, seems the young are getting younger - these ppl were children. They were giving their speeches and were all 'We'll be friends when we're old and gray' and 'We've been through so much' and 'I love you so much, I'm sorry... I'm tearing up...'. Seriously now.
And sluttier. There was so much cleavage, so many skinny jeans and too much eyeliner. There was also an amazing front muffin top that was prominently displayed and I'm still not sure if it was intentional as part of the costume or not... I also came across a girl who dated my first ex after me (she is only turning 21 this year, he is 27 now) (also he was telling people they were dating and she always denied it and never talked to him again) (and he's now dating a 20 year old) and she is now into the ladies. She was also a baby-talker (I didn't stick around long enough to see if this was still the case) and dressed as one of about 6 Rainbow Brights - which basically meant dressing like a slut but with lots of different colours.
And nastier. Apparently one of the sluts walked up to where we were all sitting and announced 'Oh, this must be the corner for people who can't be f*cked to dress up'. Seriously. Had I actually heard her, I may have started a rumble. That is not taking into consideration the people who were calling the party girl a c*nt while she was up the front during the speeches, the people behind me talking through the slide show about how they hadn't seen one the photo people for years but that was ok because she got super fat, the people yelling out if there were any photos in the slide show that WEREN'T taken by the party girl herself, the people moaning that the party girl was a bitch for not including them in the slide show and the domestic in the bathroom I walked in on where one girl was threatening to leave because 'she didn't stay long at my 18th so why should I stay?!'.
I also woke up with a bit of a headache - I only had 5 drinks.
I wouldn't mind being 21 again, only because there is NO way I was like that at 21. Surely. And if I was by some twist of fate, I guess then that being 25 isn't SO bad... Has there always been such a big difference between 21 and 25? Have you changed a lot in that time?
The host didn't answer the door, so it was up to us to shuffle our way through the more than 100 strange people crammed into the house (bloody Canberra weather), ignoring the looks and not so quiet whispers of 'Who are they meant to be?' 'I don't get it' and 'Am I missing something?' to the relative safety of the very back corner of the backyard where we could huddle away from them. Did you know that apart from the few who made an effort - such as Hans Solo and the Ghostbusters - that dressing up as '1986' just means you dress like a slut? You just wear whatever the current fashion is and make it shorter and have a quick go with the crimper.
I felt sh!t - My hat broke during the rush to the backyard, so I was just the older person who was wearing a frumpy black Lowes skivvy and workpants. Then the bro's hung out together in the corner where there wasn't a seat for me, eldest bro's gf did a good job of talking to the others that were gathered around the fire and I searched for mumsy and dadsy on the inside. This is where I got to experience being asked my age for the first time since my birthday (I don't like saying '25'. I thought I'd be better with it now, but I guess not) and argued with a guy about veganism where my lack of knowledge shone through again ("Well, I worked on a dairy farm and they didn't seem to mind having their calves taken away" "We evolved this way" "We have canines for a reason"). Good times.
Anyways, seems the young are getting younger - these ppl were children. They were giving their speeches and were all 'We'll be friends when we're old and gray' and 'We've been through so much' and 'I love you so much, I'm sorry... I'm tearing up...'. Seriously now.
And sluttier. There was so much cleavage, so many skinny jeans and too much eyeliner. There was also an amazing front muffin top that was prominently displayed and I'm still not sure if it was intentional as part of the costume or not... I also came across a girl who dated my first ex after me (she is only turning 21 this year, he is 27 now) (also he was telling people they were dating and she always denied it and never talked to him again) (and he's now dating a 20 year old) and she is now into the ladies. She was also a baby-talker (I didn't stick around long enough to see if this was still the case) and dressed as one of about 6 Rainbow Brights - which basically meant dressing like a slut but with lots of different colours.
And nastier. Apparently one of the sluts walked up to where we were all sitting and announced 'Oh, this must be the corner for people who can't be f*cked to dress up'. Seriously. Had I actually heard her, I may have started a rumble. That is not taking into consideration the people who were calling the party girl a c*nt while she was up the front during the speeches, the people behind me talking through the slide show about how they hadn't seen one the photo people for years but that was ok because she got super fat, the people yelling out if there were any photos in the slide show that WEREN'T taken by the party girl herself, the people moaning that the party girl was a bitch for not including them in the slide show and the domestic in the bathroom I walked in on where one girl was threatening to leave because 'she didn't stay long at my 18th so why should I stay?!'.
I also woke up with a bit of a headache - I only had 5 drinks.
I wouldn't mind being 21 again, only because there is NO way I was like that at 21. Surely. And if I was by some twist of fate, I guess then that being 25 isn't SO bad... Has there always been such a big difference between 21 and 25? Have you changed a lot in that time?
7 comments:
There is nothing worse than family or family friend 18ths or 21st.
The birthday persons guests are almost always at the age where they just stick close to the people they know and haven't always learned it's not very nice to slag off at the other party guests.
You are such a saint for dressing up (properly)! Dressing up as pretty well anything these days DOES just mean dressing like a slut, so you'll know for next time :P
There is a HUGE difference between 21 and 25 as I keep trying to tell my 22 yr old sister.
There is a great amount of maturing, but mostly there is just a great amount of living that happens in that time that shapes the way we think and react.
And you're right about the slutty fashions. Stand in Civic on a given Saturday night and just look at what they're wearing nowadays.
I mean, I am not a prude or against a bit of skin, but damn....why didn't they wear that when I was 21? ;)
d'jen - after that, I am OFFICIALLY in the same frame of mind as you. I shall never attend another dress up party again, for fear of unleashing my thighs upon the masses.
mick - you confused me with your profile AND I didn't know you had a 22yo sister! There definately must be a lot going on - I guess, to look back at how I was at 21, I wasn't THAT dad, but there certainly was a lot that was different to how it is now... makes you realise how quickly time flies but how much time has passed (or not)!
I hear ya, and raise you 4 years on that.
I have to admit I'm still hyperventilating about reading that people born in 1986 are 21 now! Aren't they still in nappies? oh lordy.
Enny! I'd just like to say that getting a group of people together to dress up as Devo is one of the coolest things I have ever heard about in my entire life.
I would have recognised you. I was best man at a friend's wedding, and while his bride was talking to other friends, he and I enthralled the reception crowd with an interpretative dance of 'Whip It'. That footage will haunt me one day.
Also, in my teaching experience I think there is a huge generational change between those born in 1984 and 1986. Those born after 1986 can't remember a time without the Internet, and have had mobile phones since starting high school. That's a frightening thing when you think about it.
Lately, I have been noticing the same thing. I turn 25 this year and the young seem to be getting younger and sluttier and dumber. Cos I really don't think I'm getting any smarter...
m - ugh I know - those kids slutting it up around the interchange were born in 1995! AGH!!
ben - hullo! We didn't have a dance as much as we had an awkward shuffle, but anyone who had even heard of them would have had some idea! It's funny how commonplace the 'net and mobiles are now - I remember trying to dial into the phoneline to play talking games with my friend in year 10, and then when it was dorky to have a phone in year 11 - I had a pager first!
sp - Heh heh, come now - age and beauty come in hand in hand (ie, they're young and ugly) ;o)
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