YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS I'VE GOT ANSWERS: DECADE DEBACLE.

QUESTION: If you could live in another decade, which one would it be?

ASKER: SarahSouth

I find this question to be most excellent, so major kudos to you, SarahSouth, for not only being the provider of basically all of my questions, but for coming up with good ones.

I am not going to opt for the traditional idea of "decade" here as in from a zero to a zero (1920-1930 or whatevs). I am going to have to go, hands down, with...drum roll please:

1957-1967

for several reasons, but I will name just a few:

THE CARS


My all time favorite car, which graces the top of my blog, is the 1957 Chevy Bel Air. I even had a dream the night before my 16th Birthday that I got one as a present. Alas, I was devasted when I woke up and there was not one parked in my driveway, but I got over it. Some day I will own one of those suckers and drive around, spinning that giant steering wheel, in some fabulous dress wearing red lipstick (obviously) and I will wave at everyone. Even if they don't look at me, I will wave at them, because I will be so freaking happy in that car. But, if I lived during that time it would be a lot easier to find one and others like it. The automobiles back then were b to the anging.

THE CLOTHES

I just love them. I don't really know what else to say, except that I just love the clothes.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF BROADWAY

My Fair Lady, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Auntie Mame, Bells Are Ringing, South Pacific, The Music Man, The Pajama Game*, Annie Get Your Gun, Oklahoma!, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls*, The Sound of Music, Bye Bye Birdie*, West Side Story, The King and I, Hello Dolly*...just to name a few. Need I say more?

And, I would like to mention that the starred productions above were also performed by some really stellar casts at Abbott Middle School. The Sister even danced on a table in Hello, Dolly! Scandalous, I know.


SUMMER CAMP


I would have thrived at summer camp, particularly during this time. I mean, I love being outside, I love lakes, I love carbs, I love s'mores, I love singing songs, I love campfires. Bring it.

THE MUSIC

I am a music whore, but nothing gets me more than Motown and the music that came out during this time frame. Let's just look at a few of them:

Thelonius! Or, as his wife called his music, "Melodious Thunk." Love that.
Coleman!

Stevie! Sam!

Carole! The greatest female songwriter of all time!

The sh*t was going deeeownnnnnn during this time period and I would KILL to have been there while it was all happening. I would go BANANAS, I tell you, I WOULD GO OUT OF MY MIND. I can't even begin to explain how much I love the music from this era. I have listened to this stuff since before I even really knew what it was and I am convinced I was alive during this time period in my past life (quick turn-around, I know, I don't like waiting). Everything was new and people were blowing minds across all genres of music. Ooooh, I get all excited just writing about it. I probably would have been one of those girls who passed out at a concert. I mean, I lost my voice when I saw Paul McCartney live in Budapest, Hungary because I screamed so loud.

Then again, I lost my voice at the New Kids On The Block Concert, but hey - that was off the chain, too. Need I remind you of that?







I can't even imagine what I'd be like at a live performance of this.



When I was 7 years old, I used to put my PlaySkool tape player under my pillow as I was supposed to be going to sleep and listen to this song on repeat.

And, the best part about picking this decade is that I would not die in 1967. No. You see, I would be in my late teens or early 20's so I would be able to be young and hip throughout the upcoming years. I would live through the Summer of Love, burn my bra, ra ra ra. It would be so smashing and turbo radical.

THE BOTTOM LINE: IT'S THE WONDER YEARS, PEOPLE


Oh, hi Kev! You so just snuck up on me and took me by surprise with your uber cute face that still makes me go squee! You heard me say "The Wonder Years," so you came running, which is so sweet of you. I still totes love you, you are my perma-steady and always will be, but I'm not talking about your show right now. Sorry, but I'll see you in 5th period gym with Coach Cutlip.

I digress.


I know I have a totally jaded perspective on this time period because I wasn't there, blah blah blahahhahahahahaa. I get it. But in my own perfect little world of this decade in which I would chose to live, things were simpler. Boys pinned their girlfriends, people knew how to dance without looking like they were about to make a baby on the floor, folks weren't afraid of Peanut Butter and Jelly because peanut allergies weren't crazy all over the place, you knew your butcher, and you could ride your bike down the street to your best friend's without being worried you were going to catch the Swine Flu.

And so my friends, that is my answer. One question down, three billion to go.