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m not a streaker I'm a consumer 1
asie show reflects sociological tendencies
Sociology is one of those disciplines in which its
real excitement is overlooked Sn the popular press.
It's boring, say its foes. It's irrelevant, say sociology's
disparagers, fven , anthropologists think sociology, is
d"-;-:;:, -v.',;., : ..-,f .. ;
tBut 'sociology can be brought to life in a place
more interesting than a classroom. In a ballroom, for
instance, when Count Basie's band is playing,
sociology -or at least a branch of it known as concert
sociology-can be fun.
Sociologists like to figure out roles and social
poses subject to generalization. If someone-wears a
lampshade to a party, sociologists yawn. But if every
party has a lampshade wearer, or ev;ry party of a
given type has a lampshade wearer,, that's
sociologically interesting, so long as it's not always
the same person. Rock concerts in Lincoln attract
certain types of people. Does that mean all concerts
in Lincoln have the same types? I don't know, but a
concert at the Pla Mor Ballroom did.
Everyone's seen roadies at rock concerts. They're
the students and young musicians who travel with
rock groups. During the show they run in and out of
the stage door, talk to girls, -and go around saying
"I'm with the band."
Count Basie has a roadie, too. He's from Brooklyn,
drinks beer out of a pitcher and wants to go back to
school. But he's been on the road for four years and
likes its. He should, for his job is simply to run in and
out cf the stage door, talk to girls, and go around
saying. ''I'm withjt!?e band."
keith londoren
Remember how, when Ted Nugent played, there
were ail those people standing around in front of the
band? They get there before the music starts, take tip
places in everyone's way, then rod and smile
authoritatively. They are important people, for they
are critics and decide whether a show is dynamite, far
out, or merely groovy.
There were critics at the P!a Mor Saturday, too,
but they're older, better dressed and use more
make-up. One critic's opinion: "This Isn't dance
music, it's concert music." That, I suppose, is why
sthe was standing in the middle of the dance floor,
rather than sitting at a table.
The phenomenon called thi "goupie" has been
analyzed in every publication concerned with popular
sociology, from Rolling Stone to Readers Digest
Count Baiie, as we'd expect, has groupies. They clap
at inappropriate times, cheer, and stand close to the
musicians. Very close. Some of them are on pensions
and have been Count Basie groupies for 30 years.
All things considered, a big band show in Lincoln
is a lot like a rock show in Lincoln. Besides roadies,
groupies and critics, there are brooding, silent loners,
cliques, and more than a few lampshade wearers.
True, they appear to be of a different generation, but
that merely heightens the interest of the concert
sociologist.
And since we're on the subject, maybe I should
scrawl an evaluation of the Basie show. For that I
asked a retired farmer, a critic who remembers the
Count from the old days. He said, with the laconic
rhetoric of all good critics, that the show was
"groovy."
Money
makes
marriage
go-round
It was Family Circle magazine that almost destroyed Lis
end Woofie Tweeter's family circle. The trouble began
when Lis read in the April issue that the monetary value of
a housewife's labors was now $13,393 a year.
"It isn't fair," said Lis frowning. "I'm doing $13,393
worth of work for you and you're not paying me a cent. I
thought we agreed to be free and equal partners in our
marriage."
"You know I'm all for women's lib," said Woofie,
Jockirr; up frsrn hi; Hi-F! D.sst, "but ! csrj't sfford "?
Lis. I make only $13,000 & year."
- "Seeing you're my husband," said Us generously, I'll
charge you only $1 2,000."
Qithur
hoppe
1
"But I'd have just $6,000 left," said Woofie. "I couldn't
pay half our expenses with that."
Lis chewed thoughtfully on a fingernail. "I know!" she
cried. "I'll hire you 8 my assistant. For example, Hi pay
you to babysit Joshua when I go to my macrame class. That
way, you can earn enough to pay your half of our expenses.
"Don't you see, Woofie?" she said happily. "We'll have
the very first free and equal partnership based on a fair and
logical financial arrangement,"
As Woofie could think of no nonmale chauvinist pig
objections, he gave Lis $1,000 on the first of the monthT
keeping SoGO for himself. Lis labeled a large jar, Woofie s
Bills for Services."
The day of reckoning came on the 30th when Lis
opened th; jar. "Let's see," she said, going through
Woofie's b'"s, "garbage removal service, $20; dishwashing
at $2 an hour, $47; babysitting at $2 an hour... I never pay
more than $1 .50 for babysitting."
"Don't you support extending the minimum wage law to
domestics?" Woof ie asked.
"I forgot," Lis said. "Wait a minute, what's this? House
Call, $25."
"You remember. You asked tm to lak Joshua's
temperature end tell you whether fcy ms sick. That's the
standard fee for a house call."
After several hours cf haggling, they finally agreed that
Woofie had earned $256.25 for the month.
Disaster struck the next week when Woofie made $525
on a flyer he had taken earlier in the market. He came
home, sat down and when Lis asked for help with the
dishes, he merely shook his head.
"I don't have to," he said. "I've already earned my share
for the month. Fair is fair."
"Damn!" said Lis, banging a few pots and pans. "I wish
you'd hurry up and double your salary so we could afford a
maid."-
"Oh, no," said Woofie cheerily. "If I made $38 000 and
paid you $12,000, I'd til! have $24,000. So you'd have to
do all the housework and get a job paying you $12,000
more to meet your equal share of our expenses. You better
hope we never get rich. You couldn't afford me."
That night in bed they agreed to scrap their fair and
logical financial system. Lis figured it was either that, or
their fre and equal marriage.
-Mynuni .nrpntcia ruDWsinfl Co, lrJ7A)
wedwtey, april 3, 1974
