# A 1970s costume party ... Who should I go as? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848 "2006-11-02T14:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/1 "2006-11-02T14:36:27Z")
My employer is having its annual meeting, and the theme for Friday night’s costume party is the 1970s. Now, I’m sure there will be an abundance of hippies, and a few Nixons, maybe some Star Wars characters (because about 1/3 of my cow-orkers are computer types), and some Fonzies, some punk rockers and some Village People. I, however, want to stand out from the crowd. What or who should I go as? I think I’d prefer to dress as an individual as opposed to a “type” – i.e., a Nixon, not a hippie. But the person has to be well-known, and have some distinguishing characteristic so as to make it obvious who I am. This last bit is important, because I work with many young people who were very young in the 1970s or not even born yet. Some facts: I’m a 46-year-old male, 5’ 11” with a medium, athletic build (hey, that’s what my wife says!). I have a shaved head, and I don’t mind spending money for a wig (all the Halloween stuff is half off now!). I don’t mind dressing in drag. I wear eyeglasses, which I desperately need in order to see, so a character with glasses is preferred. I have prescription sunglasses that I could wear for the evening. Friday’s party is not tomorrow, but the 10th, so I have 8 days to assemble a costume. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/2 "2006-11-02T14:39:53Z")
Elton John, in his flamboyant era? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/3 "2006-11-02T14:40:50Z")
Fonzie. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/4 "2006-11-02T14:48:03Z")
Evel Knivel Bobby Riggs Henry Kissinger ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/5 "2006-11-02T14:48:26Z")
I second the Elton suggestion. Feather boa, huge glasses, outfits that would make Liberace blush…instant recognition factor. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/6 "2006-11-02T14:49:13Z")
[QUOTE=Ponder Stibbons] Fonzie. 😉 [/QUOTE] Per the OP: > [@OP](#): > > Now, I’m sure there will be an abundance of hippies, and a few Nixons, maybe some Star Wars characters (because about 1/3 of my cow-orkers are computer types), and some Fonzies, some punk rockers and some Village People. > > **I, however, want to stand out from the crowd.** Good suggestion though. Let’s see, if you had the balls, so to speak, you could go as a streaker. Flesh-colored briefs with a phony thingie attached, plus some Converse. You could go as the Unknown Comic. Leisure suit plus paper grocery sack over your head. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/7 "2006-11-02T14:50:39Z")
Oooh. Flamboyant Elton John. That’s kind of like being in drag! (So I like it!) But … keep 'em coming, please ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/8 "2006-11-02T14:51:30Z")
John Travolta, from _Saturday Night Fever._ Moshe Dayan, so you can take advantage of the shaved head. Or, Yul Brynner from _Westworld._ Luke Skywalker. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/9 "2006-11-02T14:57:38Z")
John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever stands out. Steve Martin with the Fake arrow through his head from SNL & Comedy Album Days. John Belushi as Samurai Character. Jim ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/10 "2006-11-02T14:57:55Z")
A rainbow-afro wig and a sign that says “John 3:16”. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/11 "2006-11-02T15:01:34Z")
Looking at the IMDB’s top movies from the 70’s and picking out the ones that had promise: The GodFather (wear a suit and stuff some cotton in your cheeks) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest (scrubs) Chinatown (tape on the bridge of your nose) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (any of a variety of costumes) Alien (dress like a trucker, with something bursting out of your chest) Clockwork Orange (white suit and bowler) Young Frankenstein (tuxedo, zipper neck) Deliverance (coveralls, banjo) Rocky (silk shorts, gloves, fake bruises) Fiddler on the Roofe (carry a violin and duct-tape some shingles to the bottom of your shoes) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/12 "2006-11-02T15:02:48Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Evel Knivel Bobby Riggs Henry Kissinger [/QUOTE] These are all excellent! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/13 "2006-11-02T15:06:51Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] These are all excellent! [/QUOTE] Thanks. I can’t take the credit, though. I copped 'em off a website. How 'bout John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/14 "2006-11-02T15:08:28Z")
Oh! Michael Jackson, white glove and all. Might take some extra work with the makeup, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/15 "2006-11-02T15:08:45Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Thanks. I can’t take the credit, though. I copped 'em off a website. How 'bout John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever? [/QUOTE] D’oh! Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/16 "2006-11-02T15:10:30Z")
If you’re feeling adventurous, the shark from Jaws would be a huge hit. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/17 "2006-11-02T15:11:57Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Oh! Michael Jackson, white glove and all. Might take some extra work with the makeup, though. [/QUOTE] That’s the '80s. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/18 "2006-11-02T15:14:30Z")
My Columbo outfit is a real crowd-pleaser. People think it’s very creative, and it’s instantly recognizable to anyone over the age of thirty. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/19 "2006-11-02T15:15:02Z")
How about as Ike and Tina Turner (with “Tina” having some requisite “bruises”). ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848/20 "2006-11-02T15:27:34Z")
Loggins and Messina [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-1970s-costume-party-who-should-i-go-as/378848.md?page=2)