Janine hasn’t looked under her bed since September 3, 1967 – the day she went to college.
Sandwiched between her sneakers and a hat box there’s a stack of Teen Screen magazines. Janine longs to get rid of them, but her Mother is still finds them charming.
This issue, from March 1962, satisfied an Janine’s Troy Donahue obsession. The headline, “Why Troy Donahue Left Hollywood!” was meant to shock readers into buying the magazine. Indeed, Donahue was at the height of his success. With a few more years left on his contract, there was no doubt he would continue to act. Instead, the article refers to his trip to Italy to film “Lovers Must Learn.”
Like Annette Funicello and Paul Anka, Janine was concerned about the shape of her nose. Another article in this issue focused on the topic of plastic surgery. If Annette and Paul could do it, why couldn’t teens across America? Annette says that “It has given me better poise and self-assurance.” A nose job, according to Teen Screen, will cost $400.
There are several pages of Pen Pals – people who are looking to correspond to others via telephone or mail. Some Pals include pictures, along with their home addresses. Janine never worked up the courage to send a letter to a Pen Pal, but she often wondered what it would be like.
And of course, there’s a big section on American Bandstand. The dancers were the true stars of the show. An article captures pictures and a “Where are they now?” update on a few of the regulars. Janine and Becca started watching American Bandstand in 1965.
Like the rest of her stuff, the magazines and all of the stories feel old to Janine. But she’ll continue looking at them, hunting for something she can’t quite define.
