Edward Piercy

A Blending of Icons

Sunday, 8. November 2009, 20:36:51

What could be better than to take two of America’s cultural obsessions
-- fast food and the automobile -- and bring them together?

Thus, the drive-in restaurant.

There are still a few of them around. But for the most part they gave
way to the greater convenience of the drive-thru window. What was lost
of course was the social networking component of It all. Without the
drive-in young people who wanted to hang out with each other would have
to do it elsewhere.

The car hops that worked at the drive-ins were almost always female and
wore cute outfits. Thus perhaps there were really three elements to the
drive-in -- fast food, the automobile, and sex.

And speaking of sex there was also the drive-in theater. I wonder how
many young people got their first sexual experiences in a car at a
drive-in theater. The drive-in movie combined our love of the automobile
with our love of the movies. Otherwise it really made no sense. If it
rained, you were screwed. The sound quality out of the little speaker
which rested on the edge of your window was terrible. And usually it was
a good long walk to the concession stand.

The automobile never did get mixed up with two of our other cultural
icons, guns and the bible. I think I remember hearing something a long
time back about drive-in churches. But those didn't catch on. As for
combining cars and guns, well, I think everybody can see the public
safety issues that might be involved in that one.

How about guns and family values? Well, sure.

And what about guns and the bible? Surely not...

Did somebody say "guns and the bible"?

The Hands of the QueenI.Q. vs S.Q.

Comments

PainterWoman # 8. November 2009, 21:00

As a kid, my mom and dad would take us three kids to the drive-in movie. It was fun and we couldn't wait for intermission for the popcorn. I seem to remember my dad always getting mad at something or other....the speaker, the people next to us, having to wait in line too long, my baby brother crying.

As a teen, we had cruising Central Avenue and a meeting place called Bob's Big Boy. They had the best burgers and fries that I can remember. What a fun time that was.

edwardpiercy # 8. November 2009, 21:06

Thanks for your experiences, Pam. I was hoping that people would add their own to this.

You know my dad was as far from being an "outdoor" type person that you can imagine. He hated picnics and would only take us to parks out of a sense of obligation. But he did take us to the drive-in restaurants and the drive-in movie. Makes no sense, but I think he liked them.

Nothing like spilling your Coke all over the floorboard of the car or getting mustard on your pants for that complete drive-in experience!

gdare # 8. November 2009, 21:20

I am not sure about drive-in restaurants but drive-in theatres are typical American invention. We don`t have them; never did (except drive in McDonalds) Here in Serbia I know a lot of people who don`t have driver`s licence; also people who has it but don`t have a car (me, for instance). I guess in USA it is much difficult to be operational without car - distances are bigger and entire life is set that way.
I am not sure about guns, I guess not all states has liberal laws about possesion of weapons - which is, typically, American

PainterWoman # 8. November 2009, 21:22

For a while, the girls wore roller skates to take and serve the orders at Bob's. They were all really good on those skates. I don't think I ever saw any of them fall or drop a tray. Oh, remember the trays? You rolled down the window and they hooked into the slot where the window goes into? I do remember those falling off on occasion and the food going everywhere.

My dad never got us kids our own cokes. We got to sip from theirs. Plus, my mom always brought three small plastic bowls because my dad would get the biggest popcorn available and we'd get a share in the bowls.

edwardpiercy # 8. November 2009, 21:40

@ Darko.

You know I was mainly talking about American culture simply because I've never lived in another one and didn't feel qualified. But as I wrote this I did wonder about other countries. So thanks for letting me know.

Yes, cars are almost a human right here. There are certain cities where you can live without one -- NYC for example. But in most cities it's tough. I don't have a car. I do pretty well but the result is I never really get out of town.

The west here is huge. The car has replaced the horse and we still have our guns. I doubt that will ever change.

@ Pam.

My original draft of this mentioned the roller skates. That was odd too -- although I guess it was in a way functional.

There were also the poles with the menus on the driver's side at some. At others the menu was on a large sign on the side of the building.

ellinidata # 9. November 2009, 01:51

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

Thanks for your experiences, Pam. I was hoping that people would add their own to this.

in the small villages I grew up , we had no clue what "drive thru " did mean.
my dad never drove a car , to this day he rides a Harley,I never knew the American way of living...

my memories are not very common , again i wasn't raised in the USA

I had a frog collection and I was a fly catcher too...

yes,I wanted my frogs to be fat

when i was bad , really bad,
I had to sleep in the neighbor's barn with the cows

(my parents were NOT farmers , rather two professionals in the area we were living in ), cats and barn snakes too :

when I was mad at my sister Aristea,
she was and still is a very beautiful woman,\
but an extremely lazy person ,
I was making her caterpillar sandwiches

ACTUAL CATERPILLARS

I carefully collected them FROM THE PINE TREES... and inserted them in the bread

I was taking long baths in rivers with the neighbor boys, along with the mountain cats and some times river snakes too

or I will eat wheat raw
in the fields of the village farming area ...

i don't know how I would have coped with life today,
but I feel my upbringing did prepare me for this

I might be off-topic here but that was how I remember my childhood

ellinidata # 9. November 2009, 02:02

Originally posted by gdare:

I am not sure about drive-in restaurants but drive-in theatres are typical American invention. We don`t have them; never did (except drive in McDonalds) Here in Serbia I know a lot of people who don`t have driver`s licence; also people who has it but don`t have a car (me, for instance). I guess in USA it is much difficult to be operational without car - distances are bigger and entire life is set that way.

I so can relate to your comment...

PainterWoman # 9. November 2009, 02:07

Originally posted by ellinidata:

ACTUAL CATERPILLARS
I carefully collected them FROM THE PINE TREES... and inserted them in the bread

Angeliki! You naughty girl! As a mom I think I would have burst out laughing if one of my kids had done that. But knowing my sister, if I'd done that to her, I wouldn't be here. She had/has a terrible temper like our dad.

Plus it also reminds me of when I tried to get the young ones to eat more greens. I'd stick peas in the macaroni shells when I'd make macaroni and cheese.

edwardpiercy # 9. November 2009, 02:11

Thanks for your comments and photos!

Frogs? Fat frogs? Oh, I gotta here more about that one.

You know I don't talk about this much but I was actually raised by bees.

PainterWoman # 9. November 2009, 02:14

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

I was actually raised by bees

Ed, you just mentioned what my next post is going to be on. Actually, it's going to be a couple of mono prints I did of bees.

ellinidata # 9. November 2009, 02:16

Originally posted by PainterWoman:

Angeliki! You naughty girl! As a mom I think I would have burst out laughing if one of my kids had done that. But knowing my sister, if I'd done that to her, I wouldn't be here.

my mom had her hands full with me. One of the reasons,
she will be on an assignment and I had to travel with her...
As for my sisters,
( I am the middle child,)
they black mail me to this day

my kids love the stories they tell them bout me!

ellinidata # 9. November 2009, 02:19

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

Thanks for your comments and photos!

"A Blending of Icons" the title called for it

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

You know I don't talk about this much but I was actually raised by bees.

Gosh we have something in common here! after my dad retired from the Greek Government, he became a bee keeper

360 beehives in his final will are in my name...

that's my "flying dowry" as he calls them!

I think the "bee queen"
did a great job with you Eddie!

edwardpiercy # 9. November 2009, 02:28

@ Pam.

No way!

Can't wait!

@ Angeliki.

I'm going to watch that Invasion of the Bee Girls later tonight. They have it on the freebie movie channel.

Hey check out this movie I just found. That's got to suck so bad (no pun intended) that I'm going to have to try to get it.

I'm just beginning to crack all the good stuff on that site.

ellinidata # 9. November 2009, 02:39

wow!

you PWN Eddie! thanks for the link! (1971? ) hahaha now that is kinda of an old movie , no?

honest classic movies Rule!!!!!!!!!!!

Stardancer # 9. November 2009, 03:27

I grew up in drive-ins--restaurants and movies. Cheap entertainment in the '60's and '70's. I saw the movie "Airport" (the original one

) in a drive-in with my family when I was a kid. After the movie, we'd go to the A&W drive-in for hamburgers and rootbeer floats.

There is still a drive-in here with that menu pole you mentioned, the Sonic Drive-in. Best cheeseburgers in town, in my opinion. There are Sonics all over the South, and you can still occasionally find an operational drive-in movie theater. I had two dates as a teenager at the drive-in. One of them was to see "Badlands" with Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen. Don't remember the other.

And I really watched the movies, too.

Great post, Edward. I haven't thought about those drive-in movies and the A&W's in years.

Nice memories.

edwardpiercy # 9. November 2009, 03:49

"And I really watched the movies, too."

Of course!

I had to sit in the back seat squished up against this girl named Terry and her incredible thighs -- two times. I don't really remember what movies we saw.

PS glad you liked the post. And thank you too for your stories.

edwardpiercy # 9. November 2009, 04:06

Here ya go, Star. This is one I put back for the post but decided to go with the retro one.

Strawberry cheesecake, huh?

No, I'm not going to say it...

Stardancer # 9. November 2009, 04:19

Our Sonic is just two parking lanes, not nearly as big as this one. It could stand to be expanded, though. With two universities, it's almost impossible to find a spot during lunch. Thank goodness it's within walking distance of the colleges. They do more walk-up business than they do drive-in, I think.

ricewood # 9. November 2009, 13:40

Over here, we have only experienced one of the combinations - the car-and-restaurant. Which I do not like.

Oh, and recently somebody was shot in a nearby McDonald's. Would that qualify for the shoot-and-eat combination?

edwardpiercy # 9. November 2009, 15:38

@ Allan.

Guns and fast food. Interesting blend.

"I'll take a Big Mac, a large order of fries, and a sucking chest wound, please."