Now, we can look at this shot of the ladies and wonder if the photographer had a shoe fetish or was merely one of those folks who always managed to inexplicably cut people’s heads out of the frame. Personally I prefer to believe they were merely a Francophile who couldn’t resist seeing the flag of France in the coats.
Click on any image to see it larger.
When thinking of shoes and feet one must ultimately think of what rises above the feet, the legs. And nowhere is the leg more comical than on a man with just a small gap of flesh showing above his dark socks. It’s not that it strikes me funny in the real world, it’s the world of television where that gap of flesh brings on giggles. I look back on the Mike Douglas show in the late ‘60s and 70s and recall the men sitting in the chairs with their legs crossed, most wise enough to wear socks that would cover the gap, but then you’d see one fellow, hoping to be entertaining and perhaps even cool, and then there’d be that gap, that hairy little gap. That pale, hairy, little gap. I’m guessing this fellow is either nonchalant about his gap or unaware. That little gap can somehow make any man look vulnerable. Their suit of armor cracked.
When thinking of shoes and feet one must ultimately think of what rises above the feet, the legs. And nowhere is the leg more comical than on a man with just a small gap of flesh showing above his dark socks. It’s not that it strikes me funny in the real world, it’s the world of television where that gap of flesh brings on giggles. I look back on the Mike Douglas show in the late ‘60s and 70s and recall the men sitting in the chairs with their legs crossed, most wise enough to wear socks that would cover the gap, but then you’d see one fellow, hoping to be entertaining and perhaps even cool, and then there’d be that gap, that hairy little gap. That pale, hairy, little gap. I’m guessing this fellow is either nonchalant about his gap or unaware. That little gap can somehow make any man look vulnerable. Their suit of armor cracked.
And thinking of feet and shoes I just have to hear a little of the great Fats Waller.
Posts
Neat. At least you haven't put your foot in it!
ReplyDeleteEven worse thsn the hairy gap- men with sock suspenders! Thanks for these pictures and the clip, very apposite!
ReplyDeleteWell I thought I could just tip toe around the subject without being noticed.
ReplyDeleteMaybe men should wear pantyhose under their trousers!
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Why should only women know the joys of pantyhose when it's 100 degrees?
ReplyDeleteI think the guy above is nonchalant about his leg showing. He looks pretty relaxed to me.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I don't like is white socks with any shoes other than white sneakers.
ReplyDeleteFun post and you are right, the socks can make or break a man's fine attire. Perhaps we should have a socks theme!
ReplyDeleteLoved the photos and the video! You know, I have noticed but not really paid attention to how funny that does look with the hairy legs showing. I wonder if today they would have a list of things to check for before you hit the stage, like long socks.
ReplyDeleteHappy S.S.,
Kathy M.
Fats Waller was too much.What an entertainer he was. What a funny song.
ReplyDeleteNancy
Well, the ladies show a good leg and nice shoes. About men, can't stand men wearing white shoes! Also can not stand the habit when they put their foot over their knee and sort of point their shoe soles into your face such a dirty habit and it is so popular.
ReplyDeleteYes, I like that idea...panty hose are marvelous! Thanks for sharing the video too! The first photo, they're putting their best foot forward! I really liked that!
ReplyDeleteI was always charmed by the idea of garters for men. What I find odd are the elderly gents who wear black nylon socks and black shoes with Bermuda shorts for a walk on the boardwalk. In July.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the first, the coats and the shoes, in a film the camera would hold and pan up to unfold a story.
ReplyDeletegreat pictures, I love the one with the guy and his socks. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the hairy gap, but it goes so well with the row of pens in his shirt pocket. I really like that picture--can almost feel the texture of the wall.
ReplyDeleteI was gonna comment on men with white socks. Liked the video. Hadn't heard of Fats Waller. In Bermuda we saw business men with shirts, ties, jackets, bermuda shorts and knee hi socks. Every one of them were dressed that way. It looked so normal there.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
QMM
Ha! I like what Linda brought up. I think you've officially graduated into senior-citizenship when you don the nylon socks with your black house shoes and skinny old man legs out in public.
ReplyDeleteNow how to explain my 30 year old husband who wears his black cotton socks with house shoes to walgreens... premature aging I guess. :)
Thanks for the shoes!
Yes I have a good few photographs in my collection where heads have been cut off, but surprisingly few where feet have been cut off. Perhaps when we start framing in a viewfinder (especially the kind on older cameras) we start by making sure the head is in shot then get the feet in shot but forget to re-check the head before we press the shutter.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe we end up with so many photos of head to toe shots with the people looking so small is because of the photographers anxiety that they must get the full person in the frame.Thus we end up with a tiny head we can barely identify, the we have a nice shot of the background. I'm always trying to tell people to move in closer. Shoot the person, their reactions, and don't worry so much about them looking like a statue.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the 3 ladies reminds me of a photo of my grandmother and 3 of her sisters, all decked out and ready to go.
ReplyDeleteRe:The Vulnerability -thing ...That's Why I always wear socks with my sandals.......!A suit of armor+sandals!!:)
ReplyDelete