Expo ’74: Long hair, don’t care
Those too young to have been around for Expo ’74 often have questions about the popular culture of that time — especially regarding the lifestyles of young adults.
So today The Slice presents an easy-to-use Q-and-A template to help readers of a certain age handle common queries about life 40 years ago.
Q: What was with the hair back then?
A: Well, we thought it looked good.
Q: Seriously? You thought those ludicrously long locks were attractive?
A: Well, yes. Perhaps, in hindsight, not every style was a winner. But we felt those looks expressed our various modes of alienation and showed where we stood vis-a-vis the establishment.
Q: Ahahahahahaha. Right. The thing that kills me is that both boys and girls managed to look ridiculous at the same time. Didn’t someone older ever take you aside and offer a few words to the wise?
A: We would not have listened. We were intent on doing our own thing.
Q: Even if it made you look like total maroons?
A: Um, yes.
Q: You realize, of course, that the nonconformists of that era — the ones who got buzz-cut “I favor a police state” hairstyles — looked 10 times better than you long-haired leaping gnomes?
A: That’s a matter of opinion.
Q: Wasn’t that supposed to be an era of free love? Well, what I want to know is this. How were young men and women of that era able to maintain a state of amorous arousal? How come they didn’t look at one another and then dissolve into paroxysms of laughter?
A: Because of the hair?
Q: Yes! With everyone looking so silly, how could anyone, you know, function?
A: I’m not sure how to answer that.
Q: Well, let me ask you something else. Did you need to have outlandishly long hair before you could drone on and on about stereo systems?
A: Yes, I believe it was a requirement.
Q: OK, one last thing. Getting back to that horrible 1970s hair. Could it be that nobody noticed how insane those styles looked because everyone was stoned?
A: Dave’s not here, man.
Today’s Slice question: Do you have any solstice rituals?