When my youngest daughter was twelve or so the pianist sent her to Simpson Sears to pick up a prepaid package that had been ordered. The mail order clerk asked for some identification and the only thing she had in her wallet was the membership she had in the Archie Club. There was no hassle with this from the department since a member n good standing of the Archie Club is deemed to have some status and good taste in men.
Archie was cool but also beautifully naive; a happy characteristic that endeared him to hundreds of young girls. They never identified really with the macho, sly, slick type. Certainly the clerk would have recognized a fellow traveler. however young. Even though Archie struggled with the usual trials and temptations he seemed to overcome them with his continuing good nature. What's not to love?
Certainly today the Archie Club membership card will not net you much headway with the airport or the customs office but it tells us where your values lie.
Even more beautifully naive was Beaver. He was younger than Archie but his most endearing characteristic was his candor that gave comfort and reliability. You could rely on Beaver to say what he thought about himself. He was a normal. In my daughter's day the kids classified themselves as baddy-bads, goody-goods or normals. Mine always described themselves as normals, but I was not always sure about that from time to time.
The Principal once said to Beaver, " Why do you want to be a garbage collector Beaver when you grow up ?"
He replied, " Well you don't have to wash your hands so much, and people don't mind if you smell."
Beaver was not ready for Betty or Veronica at that time but I wager that eventually candor and transparency will also win the day over slick and sly.
Archie was cool but also beautifully naive; a happy characteristic that endeared him to hundreds of young girls. They never identified really with the macho, sly, slick type. Certainly the clerk would have recognized a fellow traveler. however young. Even though Archie struggled with the usual trials and temptations he seemed to overcome them with his continuing good nature. What's not to love?
Certainly today the Archie Club membership card will not net you much headway with the airport or the customs office but it tells us where your values lie.
Even more beautifully naive was Beaver. He was younger than Archie but his most endearing characteristic was his candor that gave comfort and reliability. You could rely on Beaver to say what he thought about himself. He was a normal. In my daughter's day the kids classified themselves as baddy-bads, goody-goods or normals. Mine always described themselves as normals, but I was not always sure about that from time to time.
The Principal once said to Beaver, " Why do you want to be a garbage collector Beaver when you grow up ?"
He replied, " Well you don't have to wash your hands so much, and people don't mind if you smell."
Beaver was not ready for Betty or Veronica at that time but I wager that eventually candor and transparency will also win the day over slick and sly.
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