Saturday, May 11, 2013

Changes to the regalia: some background

(((HEAR)))

In episode 43-07-23 Changes to the Regalia, Vic reads a letter to Russell (and Uncle Fletcher - who is busy the whole time talking about makes of cars nobody's ever heard of.)  The joke here is that the regalia (aka lodge robe) is very much treated like a dress.  Vic inquires about the availability of two different seamstresses, Mis' Keller and Mis' Harris.

Not only that, but a little research will show that the proposed changes to the regalia match perfectly with the new styles in women's dresses for 1944 (the letter about the regalia is for the upcoming year.)  Women's dresses were notably shorter in 1944.  Why?  Because the government in World War II needed more material.  In the case of the regalia, three inches were to be chopped off of the robe.  This correlates with women's dresses of the same time period.

My guess is that writer Paul Rhymer had heard about the coming changes to women's dresses and instead of making Sade the fashion plate, directed his attention to Vic's regalia.  In a sly way, this humiliates Vic, making his robe seem feminine.

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