 "Why
a Bachelor Pad?"
The classic American bachelor,
the swinging hipster, the wolf on the prowl is part of our American folklore.
It doesn't have the same romance as the cowboys of the old west or the
heroic Civil War soldier, but is just as important to the American psyche.
The bachelor will never be studied in academic
circles for the same reason that pulp novels and comic books never will.
They are all part of the so-called throw-away mass media culture. The books,
magazines, and music were supposed to be consumed and then forgotten. A
quick diversion from the stress of the work-a-day world.
But why does the American Bachelor remain
in our collective consciousness? As with any good element of folklore,
it helps us define who we are, who we want to be, and how we see ourselves.
I'm not saying that every man goes around trying to become the classic
bachelor, but who among us hasn't looked in the mirror one morning and
flashed that cocktail lounge smile. Some define their personal and private
selves as the star quarterback, the hollywood heartthrob, the daring adventurer,
but then go off in the morning to their nine to five job.
A small percentage actually get to live the
life, the rest of us wish we could. But as with most folklore heroes, the
old saying "the grass is greener..." holds very true. We only need them
to hold our interest for a little while now and again. When we want them,
they're there. As long as there's a battle between the sexes, a desire
to have to be "cool," and a need to enjoy the basic hedonistic pleasures
in life, there will always be the swinging bachelor!
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