Rocky Horror Shock

My good wife, my young teenage son and I went out to a boutique theatre last night. The Astor Theatre had a new year's eve special showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was absolutely disgraceful. How can our society have descended to such levels? I was frightened and appalled by the attitude of today's youth and their almost complete disrespect for the standards of our community. What are their parents teaching them?

Brace yourself while I relate the extent of the decline of civilization. In the foyer of the theatre my eyes were assaulted by a crowd that was hardly distinguishable from any crowd, anywhere. I noted a few Janets, a couple of half-hearted Brads, and one girl who was brave enough to expose a little leg by wearing shorts. The rest were decidedly suburban.  Where were the corsets, the fishnets, the leather, the tattoos, the Science Fiction Double Feature lips, the Transsexual Transylvanian hairstyles? This theatre is in St. Kilda - a suburb known for its Luna Park, its Fitzroy Street Sleaze, its happy chaps in chaps and its general who-gives-a-flying-patootie, laissez-faire approach to street-wear. When did this melt into mundanity start?

As an older presence in the audience, I'd dressed as a conservative Riff Raff in black suit, white spats, white shirt (no blood stains), dark eye-makeup and a touch of blueness to the lips. I thought I'd managed a reasonable middle-ground - not extravagant enough to aggravate the teenage insecurities of SonOfVirge, yet enough in-character to feel at home with the raunchy Rocky crowd. When we left the foyer and and entered the theatre I was starting to wonder if apathy had sucked dry the soul of Melbourne.

I looked around the theatre. There was more paunch than raunch. Oh well, at least the movie would be good. It had been years since I'd last seen it.

Minutes before the movie started a group entered. Yes! There were Columbias! There were Magentas! There was even one sheepish-looking Frank! The relief was such that WifeOfVirge started a round of applause - a sentiment that was taken up with enthusiasm by the already-seated flock. There were still a few trembling breaths of life in the old town.

Maybe it's just a sign of my age. Maybe the RHPS scene is so middle-aged and passé that only the old and sad bother going, and then not for excitement but merely to reminisce. All the real action is probably taking place at various night/dance/fetish clubs. Somehow that explanation feels better than my fears of a Brad & Janet Melbourne.