Inflation nation

Almost every online article about the economy and jobs seems to include at least one comment from somebody who thinks the whole problem is that people waste too much money on gadgets and toys. Let’s take the example of a large-screen HDTV that costs $1200.

I was listening to a 1954 radio show today, and it had an ad for GE TV’s, “starting at only $169.95.” According to the inflation calculator at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that’s equivalent to $1400 today. My parents bought the family’s first color TV in 1967 for $450. That’s like spending $3000 today!

Now let’s look at houses. My parents bought their house in Massachusetts for $38,600 in 1968. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $245,000 today. The current Zillow estimate for the house is $527,000, and before the crash in ’08 it peaked at $615,000. I don’t think it’s money spent on toys that’s the biggest financial problem for most families.

Kristel takes over!

Comment writer Lina (who is not Lia!), sent this K3 video that’s a real knock-out. They’re singing live, and in English. Watch how Kristel Verbeke takes command of the stage. If this doesn’t convince you that Kristel is a major talent, nothing will. This is way too short, and I would love to see more of Kristel doing lead, with Karen and Josje providing backup as they do here.

The announcer, who I assume is Peter(?), seems to be taking his fashion cue from Matt Smith as Doctor Who.

Sixties Faces, now in their sixties

Pirate Radio has been sitting in a Netflix envelope for a couple of months, and I finally watched it Friday night. Historically the movie is a mess, fabricating events left and right, and mixing in songs from years beyond the end of the movie, but I’ll take it on faith that it captures something of the spirit of the time in Sixties England, when Pop music was played by illegal, offshore radio stations. BBC Radio 2, my favourite radio station today, came about thanks to pirate radio.

One scene in the movie was obviously staged to draw attention to a picture on a wall.

That’s Jean Shrimpton, the preeminent British model of the 60’s, before Twiggy.

Just as British and American music competed for attention, so did British and American fashion models.

Colleen Corby may not have been a household name like Twiggy was, but you can’t be an American over age 50 and not recognize Colleen’s distinctively lovely and iconic face. Cheryl Tiegs may have made the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue a phenomenon, making her a lust object for men, but Colleen had a different audience, modeling for women’s catalogs and magazines. I became aware of her thanks to having sisters. Colleen Corby was beyond being merely pretty, and she truly defined a class of attractiveness all her own.

Time passes, as it must, and this is Colleen Corby today.

Later, I’ll be talking more about 60’s fashion models, and in particular a promotional tour called Youthquake, and Prue Bury’s part in it.