monday, march 24,1080
daily nebraskan
page 7
parties
partDs,partiig8,
Find a sock? Party. Do your laundry? Party.
By Peg Sheldrick
Planning parties is such sweet sorrow
now that Skylab has fallen and togas are
passe. The potential host or hostess faces
the chilling question, "What can I do that's
different? It's a horrifying dilemma that
no young person should have to go
through.
To help you through this puzzling party
identity crisis, some suggestions follow,
merely to pique your creativity and suggest
something fresh to replace the usual dreary
bacchanal.
For starters, why not give your celebra
tion a local flavor? How about:
-an ASUN Election Nostalgia Party.
This one could go on for weeks. Games to
play include Results, Results, Who's Got
the Results? as well as Ethical Hide and
Seek. As for refreshments, perhaps some
loaves and fishes for the Munson party.
-an Osborne Got Another Raise Party.
Serve lots of food and invite as many of
your teachers as possible. Ttey can probab
ly use a good meal.
-a Life in the Big Eight Party. Games
could include Parking Place Scavenger
Hunt, Guess the Mystery Dorm Food, and
the perennial Regent-Student Sneer Down.
You can also base your party on a sit
uation of wider scope. For example:
-a Reeferware Party. Inspired, of
course, by the Tupperware Party, which
permits homemakers to shop for needed
utensils in the privacy and convenience of
their own living rooms, the Reeferware
Party would fulfill a similar function for
'those affected by the new paraphernalia
bill. Brownies, of course, are a must for
refreshments.
-a Farewell Wake for Disco. Possibly
your absolute last chance to get away with
wearing a three-piece white suit, this salute
to a fading trend could feature a Bee Gees
Simper-Alike Contest and a prize for any
one who can successfully tell one Donna
Summer tune from another.
-a Bert Parks Relief Fund Party.
"Cause" parties are always fun. since they
seem to give some moral rationale for mis
spent hours of youthful decadence. And
Costume-clad parly-goers
create different identities
By Bill Graf
Two members of a witch's coven loom
in the shadow of a full moon. A passer-by
becomes disturbed by the scene and al
though his life is in no danger, he makes
haste to put as much distance between
himself and the evil -looking figures.
The witches break into uncontrollable
laughter. Not because they make a practice
of striking fear into strangers' hearts. But
rather it's because their costumes for the
evening's costume party have proven fright
fully convincing.
Each witch stamps out his cigarette
butt, one gives his cape a whirl and they
enter the house to join the others who have
assumed a special identity for the night.
"Costume parties can be a freeing ex
perience and a lot of fun," said Richard
Dienstbier, chairman of the UNL psych
ology department.
Dienstbier explained that there hasn't
been any formal research done on why
people go to costume parties. But he said
"A costume frees the person from acting
in a way that everyone expects."
He said that especially when someone
chooses a costume that is totally contrary
to their personality they may abandon
their every -day role and step into another
reality for the duration of the party.
Linda Stuart of Theatrical Costumiers
of Omaha said "escapism" is part of the
fun of costume parties.
Depending on the customer and the cos
tume, she said, "They can lose their identi
fication and become that person."
"There's a little of that in all, the people
that come in to get a costume," she added.
Also depending on the costume is the
price of the identity transformation.
Costumes at Fringe and Tassel in
Lincoln, range from $10 to $20 for the
evening or weekend. Terri Moran said.
However she said the bulk of their
costumes are around $15.
Bob Carroll of Deluxe, Costume World
said their rates varied from $12 to $30.
Carroll said the most commonly asked
for costumes are of animals, clowns and
saloon girls. But this year, he said,
"nothing is as big as Miss Piggy."
Darth Vader isn't as popular as he was a
few years ago, but according to Carroll, the
character refuses to die as a favorite in cos
tume shops.
Stuart said the favorites at their shop
are also animals and saloon girls. But
occasionally they get some strange
requests.
"A couple wanted to go to a party as a
Q-Tip and an ear Another person wanted
to go as a crow's nose. And we've had
requests for the Fruit of the Loom
characters."
Stuart explained that they tried to make
the Fruit of the Loom costume. "But we
didn't get the grapes finished," she said.
All of the costume shop employees
interviewed said that Halloween is their big
day. But they also do costumes for
parades, plays, advertisements and theme
parties which help make the costume
business profitable year around.
Moran said they have supplied a pimp
and hooker party, a roaring twenties party,
toga parties, a Valentine's day massacre
party, a MASH party and a funeral
party.
is
Call the friendly folks at Ken's Liquor
. . I -A L. .
DBtore you pian your nexi pariy.
Cessna Pfirfy (Jester
O beer, C:r O slkej equaest fcdi&j caps & Ice
O cheapens feunfcsi rests! O party taZer rents! O wsna beer tent
ECen's yqucr
1240 N. 48th 466-3336
who more than old Bert deserves our con
cern? Monies generated will go toward get
ting the grand old man of the Miss Amer
ica Pageant an agent and a hair transplant.
Parties with a musical orientation are
always a good time. Why not try:
-a Punk Party. Only uninvited guests
will be allowed in. Razor blade necklaces
and tire chains should be offered as the
door prize, Long Distance Spitting and Pin
the Tail on the Helpless Animal Contests
would be apropos. For refreshments,
what else but cardboard pictures of food,
nail polish, and raisinettes?
-a Come as Your Favorite TV Hit
Record Offer Personality Party. Only one
Slim Whitman will be admitted.
-a Linda Ronstadt Music Party, featur
ing costumes from every decade since rock
began, from all styles of music. Mock
Turtle soup and imitation anything would
serve for refreshments.
Occult theme parties can be amusing and
often spirited. You might want to try:
-a Seance Party. Try to raise something
difficult to contact and potentially non
existent, such as Chuck Barris's conscience,
or Rona Barrett's intellect.
-an Amityville Horror Surprise Party.
You and a group of friends gather at the
house of an unsuspecting acquaintance and
re-enact the events of that popular thriller.
A million laughs for everyone-except, per
haps, the unwitting victim.
-an Exorcist III Party. Invitees would
take turns spitting up pea soup and trying
to twist their heads completely around.
One of the hardest things to plan about
a party is when to have it. Any occasion
will do, but if you feel the need fox a speci
fic event, the following are just a few of
the holidays you can use as an excuse for a
celebration:
Edward Everett Horton's Birthday
(March 18th)
The Anniversary of the Last Time You
Did Laundry
National Club-a-Vegetarian-with-a-Leg-of-Lamb
Week
The Arrival (One Year Late) of a New
Movie in Lincoln
A Live Episode of Saturday Night Live
Finding a Lost Sock
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Daily Nebraskan Photo
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