Things Not to Think of at Three in the Morning · 5:14pm Apr 10th, 2016
Well, I was in bed at 3:30 this morning, and the mind does weird things at that hour. Like reminding me of Brother John Rygden. Who is he? Well, some background first.
In the late 1960s, the FCC passed a law (now since repealed) where an AM station couldn't duplicate its FM broadcast and vice versa. Mainly this had to do with trying to expand the newly-opened FM bands for the public. Therefore, 1160AM couldn't duplicate its stuff on its sister station 101.5 FM or vice versa. Needless to say, with a nationwide law like this, stations scrambled for new content.
Into this fray stepped Los Angeles radio station 95.5 KLOS (back then known as 95 1/2 KLOS). One of the more famous radio stations in the US now, back then they were just like everyone else: the renamed sister station to 790 KABC-AM, and desperate to find content for their audience. Into this stepped a Lutheran pastor, John Rygden, who wanted to reach the "happening, now" content in the name of Jesus. Thus, he created a show for KLOS (that was soon syndicated nationwide to all ABC radio stations and affiliates) called Silhouette Segments. Using the groovy counterculture lingo of the day, Rygden was set on reaching out to both hippies and Jesus Freaks and helping them understand God.
How? Well, I present to you one of the broadcasts in question.
It goes without saying that this did not age well. In hindsight, it comes off as both creepy and hilarious, and what many would deem offensive. Yes, like so many other things, it's a product of its time, but I think we'd agree in saying there's no way this would fly in today's cultural climate. At all.
Naturally (meaning I have no idea why), I had to tell Flashframe about this. She probably hates me now. :
*chuckles*
I've seen some strange stuff from that era...
This is certainly one of the stranger things... but hey sometimes things just do not age well.
And it takes a lot to make me hate someone, you're safe...for now.
Sounds like me trying to flirt! Downright creepy!
Just remember (as I do) back then, all these symbols of sexuality were seen as the outward manifestation of a woman having liberated herself from the stifling confines of the conformist decades that preceded, and for people to notice each other's sexuality was part of the discourse of casting off the shackles of the past.
Yes, people actually talked about mini-skirts with boots (and chest-hair exposing shirts with leather pants for men) in those terms. Those were wild times, baby!
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