shot from the heart of the 70's

[the_siobhan]

For some reason yesterday while I was at work I had a flashback to a commercial I used to see when I was in my - probably my early teens. Not sure. I don't know why it just flopped out into my conscious mind like that. Maybe somebody mentioned elephants. Maybe the little guy who runs the filing system was cleaning out the closets again.

Anyway, the commercial was on television. A mother takes her son to the zoo. While looking at the elephant enclosure the precocious offspring points at the elephants' legs and says something like, "Look mommy! They have knees just like you do!"

A shot of mom's mortified face, then one of her legs. As her knee straightens, the fabric of her pantyhose sags away from her skin and folds into little beige wrinkles. The rest of the commercial sings the praises of the advertiser's brand of pantyhose, which will not go baggy around your knees after walking around all day and is therefore far superior to the brand obviously being worn by mom. Next shot the happy family are feeding peanuts to the elephant, who is apparently not offended by having his legs compared to pantyhose.

And all I could think of was, "WHO THE FUCK WEARS PANTYHOSE TO THE ZOO?"

Comments

Church ladies?

[eveofdstruction.livejournal.com]

I can actually remember my grandmother wearing pantyhose to the zoo and like places when I was little. My mom never did, but then my parents were kind of hippy Christians back then. The 70's were just weird.

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I wanted to find a video of it for you, but all I could find were references to it. It was apparently a commercial for L'eggs, though.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

HOLY CRAP, L'Eggs, that's it!

And they came in egg-shaped containers.

[lilactime.livejournal.com]

Well... ladies in the 70s, apparently. Pantyhose were still pretty new and exciting at that point, and many women were taught that if they wore a skirt, they HAD to wear hose, regardless of the outfit or destination.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I'm old enough to still have a tiny bit of that. I get over it real fast when the thermometer hits 30+ though.

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

Hells yeah. The day that it's warm enough to wear skirts without hose is a banner day. Gin and tonics are usually involved.

[beaq.livejournal.com]

Weird. I was just thinking about that commercial the other day. I couldn't remember the exact quote, though.

I was sad when the l'eggs went away.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I used to get the containers when my mother was done with them. I'd hide things in them. Spiders mostly.

[panic-girl.livejournal.com]

Me too!!
Um, not the spiders part. I have no idea what I put in there, but I do remember playing with them.
Which I'd forgotten till just now.

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

The same moms who wore dresses, high heels and pearls. And yeah, they did exist. I've got photos of my mom wearing nylons at Disneyland. In the summer.(head falls onto desk)

[liz-lowlife.livejournal.com]

Pantyhose are North American for tights, right?
I think I'd wear tights to the zoo if it was cold and I had run out of trousers, maybe... :o)

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

My family always called them "nylons". in Canada, "tights" are made out of wool or cotton and are a lot thicker - for when it gets really cold. Pantyhose or nylons are sheer and made out of, well, out of nylon. They are worn more for asthetics than for warmth.

[liz-lowlife.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see!
We call everything that resembles pantyhose be they thick or thin, tights here!