Silmaril
08-26-2012, 12:31 AM
Through all my lurking years here (which ended just last month), I've had a story and a question I've wanted to share. So here it goes now as my first-ever thread...
I'll start with the question: Do any of you have fond memories of being inspired or motivated or shaped in your past by the lovely women of television? (…no movies; that's a whole other topic!)
Here's the story that raises the question:
When I was little--6 or maybe 7 years old--I used to play with my two younger sisters. One of the things we used to do for fun was pretend we were characters from TV shows we watched: Get Smart, Land of the Giants, Star Trek, and Batman were favorites.
I still distinctly remember playing Lost in Space for the first time. We were deciding who would play what character. I was the oldest, so I had more sway over the rules, and I had chosen to be Judy Robinson, the older daughter on the show. Judy and her sister, Penny, wore these beautiful 60's-inspired minidresses, matching tights, and gogo boots as their "uniform" on the show.
I remember that even at that young age, I was fascinated by their outfits and Judy's beautiful hair. To take on the role of Judy, I put on a nylon nightie of my mom's, which was the closest approximation I had at hand. I knew Mom also had a pair of tall winter boots that would do just fine to complete the outfit, so I headed out through the kitchen to get the boots …and that's when my mother's attention was drawn.
She asked what we were up to. When we explained, she very gently instructed that I should be playing one of the men from the show. "Why don't you be Professor Robinson, or the major, and one of the girls can be Judy." This suited my sisters fine because one of them had been stuck with playing the mom, and that wasn't her first choice. So they became Judy and Penny, and I obediently became Major West …whose outfit wasn't anywhere near as interesting.
And so it went. I never pushed that envelope again, so from that point on, I was Captain Kirk instead of Yeoman Rand; I was Batman instead of Batgirl (although no one had a problem with my youngest sister being Robin ...except my youngest sister, and who could blame her?); I was Steve Burton instead of Valerie Scott; I.Q. instead of Joy; Major Nelson instead of Jeannie. Those of you of the right age or with sufficient trivia knowledge will know those references.
I've thought a lot over the years about the influence that those shows may have had on me, and/or about how those female roles resonated with me (depending on whether you favor nature over nurture or vice versa): all the short hemlines, form-fitting clothes, and snazzy boots. My favorite outfits now still revolve around those looks.
On YouTube the other day, I ran into some clips of Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl on the old Adam West Batman show, and I had to laugh. As evil looms in Gotham City, Barbara heads into the bedroom of her apartment, playfully instructing her parrot Charlie that he is to tell no one what he is about to see. She presses a button under her vanity, and the wall swings around. There, hidden on the other side, is another vanity table, but this one has a wig form with a red wig on it, a pair of purple booties, and a purple latex costume hanging alongside.
I hadn't seen the scene for decades, but it flooded back from my memory immediately. I remember thinking how cool it was that she had this secret place to change into her other identity. I laughed quietly to myself, thinking about the irony: myself at age 6 wanting to be this character who is playing out a ritual that would eventually become a staple in my own life: accessing the hidden place where the costume of my alter ego remains hidden away, complete with wig and boots, so that in times of need, I can transform.
Now I can be whatever female character I want to be, and I only play the leading man when I have to. ;-)
So, again, I'm curious: Do any of you have fond memories of being inspired or motivated or shaped by the lovely women of television?
I'll start with the question: Do any of you have fond memories of being inspired or motivated or shaped in your past by the lovely women of television? (…no movies; that's a whole other topic!)
Here's the story that raises the question:
When I was little--6 or maybe 7 years old--I used to play with my two younger sisters. One of the things we used to do for fun was pretend we were characters from TV shows we watched: Get Smart, Land of the Giants, Star Trek, and Batman were favorites.
I still distinctly remember playing Lost in Space for the first time. We were deciding who would play what character. I was the oldest, so I had more sway over the rules, and I had chosen to be Judy Robinson, the older daughter on the show. Judy and her sister, Penny, wore these beautiful 60's-inspired minidresses, matching tights, and gogo boots as their "uniform" on the show.
I remember that even at that young age, I was fascinated by their outfits and Judy's beautiful hair. To take on the role of Judy, I put on a nylon nightie of my mom's, which was the closest approximation I had at hand. I knew Mom also had a pair of tall winter boots that would do just fine to complete the outfit, so I headed out through the kitchen to get the boots …and that's when my mother's attention was drawn.
She asked what we were up to. When we explained, she very gently instructed that I should be playing one of the men from the show. "Why don't you be Professor Robinson, or the major, and one of the girls can be Judy." This suited my sisters fine because one of them had been stuck with playing the mom, and that wasn't her first choice. So they became Judy and Penny, and I obediently became Major West …whose outfit wasn't anywhere near as interesting.
And so it went. I never pushed that envelope again, so from that point on, I was Captain Kirk instead of Yeoman Rand; I was Batman instead of Batgirl (although no one had a problem with my youngest sister being Robin ...except my youngest sister, and who could blame her?); I was Steve Burton instead of Valerie Scott; I.Q. instead of Joy; Major Nelson instead of Jeannie. Those of you of the right age or with sufficient trivia knowledge will know those references.
I've thought a lot over the years about the influence that those shows may have had on me, and/or about how those female roles resonated with me (depending on whether you favor nature over nurture or vice versa): all the short hemlines, form-fitting clothes, and snazzy boots. My favorite outfits now still revolve around those looks.
On YouTube the other day, I ran into some clips of Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl on the old Adam West Batman show, and I had to laugh. As evil looms in Gotham City, Barbara heads into the bedroom of her apartment, playfully instructing her parrot Charlie that he is to tell no one what he is about to see. She presses a button under her vanity, and the wall swings around. There, hidden on the other side, is another vanity table, but this one has a wig form with a red wig on it, a pair of purple booties, and a purple latex costume hanging alongside.
I hadn't seen the scene for decades, but it flooded back from my memory immediately. I remember thinking how cool it was that she had this secret place to change into her other identity. I laughed quietly to myself, thinking about the irony: myself at age 6 wanting to be this character who is playing out a ritual that would eventually become a staple in my own life: accessing the hidden place where the costume of my alter ego remains hidden away, complete with wig and boots, so that in times of need, I can transform.
Now I can be whatever female character I want to be, and I only play the leading man when I have to. ;-)
So, again, I'm curious: Do any of you have fond memories of being inspired or motivated or shaped by the lovely women of television?