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#Irony: Today, sock hops are considered a throwback to a more innocent time, with fresh-faced youngsters in sweaters and poodle skirts or blue jeans and letterman sweaters. They're considered "good, wholesome, family fun". Lots of family-friendly organizations ilke church social groups, host sock hops so that everyone can get all dressed up in cheesy costumes and dance to our now-grandparents' music.But sock hops at the time were wildly controversial. It's true that they were intended for teens, but the music that was played was considered by the adults to be sexualized and taboo. All that wild abandon in dancing and sexual innuendo in the lyrics were sure to lead to wanton sexual behaviour! And music being played by black musicians?! For our innocent young teenagers to hear?! The horror! (ah, American racism in the "golden age" of our history)
The reality is that they were more like the dance scene in Grease (which is not a sock hop, because sock hops were informal dances, not proms or otherwise formal events), with double entendres, and kids getting up to "trouble" while chaperones did their best to keep kids in line.
But today, we revisit them as a quaint, retro party suitable for all ages and communities.
No, seriously, watch that entire scene of the school dance with the spiking the punch and mooning the TVs and the giant sexual free-for-all hand jive number - this is what a sock hop was actually like, except not a formal dance.
Also, fun fact: they were called sock hops because the kids were literally required to take their shoes off before entering the gym so that the soles of their shoes didn't scuff the floor. And, apparently, the teachers were the worst offenders of scuffing the floor so they also went in their stocking feet.
#DanceHistory #DanceGeek
