I was twenty-two and sitting in Denny's, hands clasped over a steaming cup of "mug o' coffee." It was 3 a.m. Seated around a table were all of my friends, as we laughed and ate our Moons Over My Hammy, and Superbird sandwiches. The mood was jubilant, It was a Saturday night and we were in our element.
One of the girls, a doe-eyed, young 18 year old, was eating whipped cream, licking the spoon suggestiively as her black hair cascaded in ringlets down one side of her face. Some of the males sat, transfixed. The women rolled their eyes. I said, "Come on baby, we'll show you how it's done!" And the Whipped Cream Eating Contest was born. The rules were simple: be as sexy as possible while eating it, to the victor went the spoils. In the months following, I was to win the contest numerous times. I also taught the girls a really important skill party trick: how to tie a cherry stem in a knot....with your tongue. Just business as usual for us, the regulars at the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Yes, the crazy midnight movie starring Tim Curry was a staple for me, because face it, in Central California, there isn't a whole lot to do! We would go to clubs until midnight and then head to the Dream Theatre in Monterey, where we watched the Rocky, including pantomiming the Devo video- the one with the Giant Baby (giant baby, for the win!). Our "cast" was too cheap to actually have costumes, so we stood up in the front and acted out and yelled lines. This was how we spent our weekends. (Did I mention there was copious amounts of alcohol involved beforehand for those who needed it?)
"It's just a jump to the left...."
After the show, we would go to Denny's and then to the beach and finally to one of the castmember's homes to crash around 5 a.m. It was a crazy time in my life, and I was young, and stupid, and thought I was immortal. There is much I would rather forget. But those midnight flicks in a popcorn-scented luxury film palace are ingrained in my psyche like the gum stuck to my shoes from the theatre floor. I still have fond memories when I hear the opening bars...
"And a step to the ri-i-i-i-ight"
Years later, I saw the Rocky on Mtv. And I was left flat. I wondered why I ever spent so much of my life reciting lines from a cult movie when I could have been, I don't know... what the heck do people do on weekends after midnight? Sleep? Pass out from drinking? Neither alternative really seemed like much of a choice. Still, my daughter doesn't get it, to her it is an immoral movie with a bunch of weirdos dressed in lingerie, and who would watch that. It's not her cup of tea (and I need to be grateful for that!)
"put your hands on your hips... and bring your knees in tiiiiiight."
The Long Beach gang from twitter has been tweeting about going to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show in San Pedro. Apparently, the first weekend of the month is lingerie night. And while that gives me an excuse to pull out my black velvet corset, my days of keeping those kinds of hours are long gone. With age, comes responsibility, as I am so wont to tell my daughter, and as such, I must attend to my family, forgoing midnight movies (which means I wouldn't be home until after 3 a.m. and that's too long to leave my daughter in charge, especially since she won't sleep with us gone). So, they will have to play without us.
But it's the pelvic thrusts...that really drive you insa-a-a-a-ane...
Do I feel a tinge of regret? A bit, but I recognize that I have a different life now. That dance has been done. It is major shuffling in order to go out at night, and with my kids special needs' , it is just too hard to go out for extended periods, beyond a few hours at night. The other night I went out for karaoke and stayed overnight in Los Angeles with JNerd. We had a good time, but not sure when or if we will do it again. There were...complications. As for the Rocky, the Sword of Damocles is hanging over my head.
but, just one more time, for grins...
"Let's do the Time Warp agaiiiiiiiiiiiiin...
Or, maybe not. It was the end of an era. Pretty sure it is good to keep it that way.
T, who played a pretty good Magenta once upon a time
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=9f3df336-9cbc-4a6b-bcaf-1207726aa0b5)
10 sent chocolate:
I lived with a guy my senior year of college who had the RH soundtrack - on lp! - and we would listen to it constantly. I still enjoy it enough that I have most of it on my iPod. He'd seen the movie at midnight showings and I, who had never seen it at all, thought he was so exotic and 'big city' - he was from the bustling lifeline of Omaha, afterall! - because he knew just what to do while viewing it.
Several years later, when it finally came out on VHS, I rented it one evening, watching it alone in my living room. Two hours later, I was confused. And bored. Very, very bored. I called my exotic Nebraskan and asked him if I'd "missed" something about it. Aside from watching with an audience, he said no.
I've not watched it since, not even going to the one theater here that still shows it every Friday and Saturday night at midnight Because I'm just too darn tired by then!
OMG!! I could have written your post ;) I was a regular in Berkeley, CA. Out to Rocky in my lingerie (every night was lingerie night for me!), then off to Denny's or IHOP until the BART trains started running again on Sunday morning. Ah, good times, good times..
Later, I walked a mile or so in a severe thunderstorm from my apartment to the movie theater on the navy base where my husband was stationed to see it again. Midnight showing even. I faithful shouted my lines, got up and danced the time warp, and got yelled at by a marine "Shut up, I'm trying to watch the movie!" I told him he was in the wrong place, to much applause ;)
I saw a live Rocky Horror Show last year for my birthday, it was AWESOME!!
Recent blog post: I know, I know...
Confession: I have done the time warp within the last 2 years. This was possibly (almost certainly) a mistake. My equivalent back then was probably Y-M-C-A. Yes - you're right, there are stages, ages, eras whatever which come to an end and are best not repeated. Re-visited perhaps....
Recent blog post: EYES WIDE OPEN, MOUTH TIGHT SHUT
Ah yes, I remember my "Rocky" days. Now you got me all nostalgic. sigh
Yes, I did tie the cherry stems with my tongue & was quite good at it! ;) Good times! :D ;)
You are reading my mind. For THE most random reason, just today, I found myself explaining to my 8-year old what Rocky Horror Picture was about. Haven't thought about that time in my life for years. How'd ya do that?
Recent blog post: Living. In The Sun
When my son was in Kindergarten, I remember being the room mother and in the classroom setting up for the Halloween party. Time Warp came on and I couldn't resist doing the dance. The teacher walked in (picture stereotypical K teacher) and was flummoxed. After that, it was only a matter of time before I homeschooled. ;oD (a year later, but still...)
I did that once or twice, myself. The being yelled at and then calling the yeller a Virgin. To applause, as well. Much. fun.
We did the Time Warp at my brother in law's wedding. He rocked that joint.
Nostalgia is my middle name, baby. Send Nostalgia Chocolate. Wait, that sounds like what I want is old chocolate. Yuk.
Post a Comment