When Did America Last Have Class?

[Dillinger]

I say it was when men wore hats. Back then even hobos wore dinner jackets.

 

[RastaPope]

I don't think America, as a whole, ever had class. Yes, some people here and there did, but as a nation, we've always been like school in the summertime.


And I still wear hats. Have a fedora and a porkpie.

 

[TWB]

America last had class when front porches were built on new houses. Not the little front porch, but the big porch with room for chairs and conversation on a warm evening.

Probably about the time the hats were in.

 

[seXieleXie]

i'm with the pope. i don't think of our nation as classy, and i don't think of class in terms of porches or hats or coats.

 

[LukkyKnight]

1491

 

[RastaPope]

1491

Good answer. If we're speaking just of the land mass, and not immigrant European culture.

 

[madelaine angel]

the 1920's, oh yes, Great Gatsby all around for me...

 

[Guest]

When George Washington grew a field of pot on his farm for (pause) textiles, yeah, that's it, textiles.

 

[riff]

The 1960s.

Dilly, read The Conquest of Cool by Thomas Frank.

An excellent analysis of how the advertising media has redifined the United States of America.

Warning: it's taxingly scholastic. Not a fun book: just the facts, maam.

 

[OpposingBalance]

When George Washington grew a field of pot on his farm for (pause) textiles, yeah, that's it, textiles.

LOL

I too think it was about the time when people stopped wearing the hats

 

[Kalyn]

I think we still have class, for me it's all a matter of perspective. Hats made everyone look very dignified, it's true, but I like to think that class goes far beyond a fashion trend.

 

[YogiBare]

For a fleeting moment, just after 9/11.

 

[riff]

For a fleeting moment, just after 9/11.

That was somewhere between pain and pornography, I think.

 

[LukkyKnight]

I think we still have class, for me it's all a matter of perspective. Hats made everyone look very dignified, it's true, but I like to think that class goes far beyond a fashion trend.

http://www.employees.org/~gwatkins/images/goofyhat.jpg http://www4.hmc.edu:8001/chemistry/johnson/personalpages/NAT/pictures/March202002/sillyhat.jpg http://www-personal.umich.edu/~brunov/sillyhat.jpg http://thunderace.scee.sony.co.uk/files/images/sl-sillyhat.jpg
Yes, I can see now how the people in hats always look more dignified. It's not something I'd noticed before...
http://mcleanzone.com/lily/images/sillyhat.jpg http://www.lexicom.ab.ca/~kemp/files/xmas98/sillyhat.JPG

 

[Kalyn]

LOL Oh Good God!!! Come on now, the baby looks slightly dignified.

 

[kotori]

1491

Hey, Lukky, I'm guessing you read that cover story in the March Atlantic Monthly. It told about the latest anthropological research on life among the native peoples, and how they were quite a bit more sophisticated than we (European-Americans) have been giving them credit for. It's always hard to give credit to people you've committed genocide against, I guess.

 

[LukkyKnight]

You out me one more time, kotori, and I will use superglue to attach a very silly hat to that overly effective skull of yours.

 

[Weevil]

I think it was second period math, I saw them racing to gym just in time to pick on Uruguay and The Phillipines.

 

[ksmybuttons]

We all have class, all the time.

I think class is one of those words like potential and spirit. We all have it, the question is what type.

Begin whistling "America the Beautiful" now and continue through the rest of this post.

There is a certain optimism and an ability to dream that characterizes Americans.

People who choose to limit themselves or who choose anger and have a defeatist attitude may live here, but they do not define America. They do not have class.

I like to define class as how you treat people and how you pursue your dreams. It is about the process of continual learning and having the opportunity to learn about anything you want. It is about taking advantage of everything that is available and doing it with integrity, dignity and elegance. That is someone I think is classy.

 

[Dillinger]

I think Lit gives America class!

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[riff]

I really didn't come here on my own accord

just don't say I am

Damned for all time

I have no thought of my own reward...... just don't say I am damned for all time....

 

[seXieleXie]

i came because i had to

i'm the one who saw

jesus can't controll them like he could before

and further more i know that jesus thinks so too

jesus wouldn't mind that i was here with you

 

[GreenEyedGirl]

I really didn't come here on my own accord

just don't say I am

Damned for all time

I have no thought of my own reward...... just don't say I am damned for all time....

I don't need your blood money

But you might as well take it, we think that you should

(America defined)


Where are the Cd's man? Did you get the goods?

 

[LukkyKnight]

OK, I had to keep looking for something to settle this America was classy back in the good old hat days notion.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/media/elope-uncle-sam-sm.jpg

I thought this had the right sort of theme for the thread, but I didn't feel it to be the unequivocal definition, somehow. Too "je ne sais quoi" with all the obvious patriotic tie-in, so I kept looking...



http://www.villagehatshop.com/media/harry-potter-norbert-sm.jpg

Well, the whole dignity through hats thing eludes me, frankly. Take this next guy (please.) Obviously striving for a "look" he's just not got that certain something, and if the hat does anything it undermines him. How can you take that guy seriously?

http://www.villagehatshop.com/media/elope-king-crown-sm.jpg

For that matter, look at this pair:

http://www.villagehatshop.com/media/elope-older-than-dirt.gifhttp://www.villagehatshop.com/media/elope-tye-dye-top-hat.gif

So much for the ancient myth that women look better in hats, I thought to myself. Then this turned up:


http://www.villagehatshop.com/media/condom-cap-sm.gif

ooooops. had to edit to get "this next guy" back in the right place.