Rocky Horror what to expect?

[ADeMartino]

Sorry, just had to share this - the thread brought back so many fond memories.....

Halloween 1981. A Saturday night I will never, EVER forget.

As Halloween fell on a Saturday this particular year, my friends and I decided it would be FUGGIN-AY AWSUM to celebrate at the weekly RHPS showing on the Skywalk in Cincinnati. And wouldn’t it be just BITCHIN’ to go in costume?! Oh, yeah!

My girlfriend went as Columbia. My best friend donned his Riff Raff costume. And I……

I went as Dr. Frank N. Furter, the alien transvestite mad scientist (I just LOVE saying that, it sums up the silliness of the movie so well….)

Not just in drag – but in lingerie. Panties, nylons…. the whole bit, all of it. My girlfriend helped me the makeup and finding stuff ‘my’ size. And, she did a hell of a job on me, MIGHTY DAMN I was ssssexah…… lol.

We went on down to the show, midnight screening of course, and had a grand and glorious time.

When the show let out, however, I made a tragic discovery. I discovered that certain members of the Cincinnati Police Department don’t have much of a sense of humor. I was arrested for indecent exposure and carted downtown to the courthouse, where I spent the next several hours sharing accomodations with a bunch of drunks.

Yeah, not particularly comfortable.

I had to call the old man to throw my bail, because nobody in my little group had the funds. The best part was along around 6am, when I was finally ushered out the door to the waiting area to be released into my Dad’s custody.

The look on his face when he saw his oldest son dressed like a really bad Victoria’s Secret model….. PRICELESS.

“Um….. is there something you want to tell me?”

Take it easy, Dad. Halloween….. (indicates wardrobe) COSTUME.

He didn’t look particularly impressed. But then, it WAS 6am on a Sunday morning, and he’d been summoned at a hideous hour to bail out his oldest son, who was wearing women’s underclothes.

The case got dismissed – but that was too late to prevent my name from showing up in the arrest report in the newspaper Monday morning.

Things I learned from this experience:

1. Women are fuggin MASOCHISTS. How in the HELL do you ladies walk around in heels like that? I swear, my feet STILL hurt from that night.

2. Women enjoy treating men like Barbie dolls. At least, MY girlfriend did.

3. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the greatest bit of cinema EVER. And the worst bit of cinema EVER.

4. The people that take the mugshots at the courthouse are the same breed as the DMV photographers. I looked just AWFUL. My hair was a mess, my makeup was all messed up…..

5. The drunk tank is no place you ever want to be when you’re wearing lingerie.

6. The drunk tank is no place you ever want to be, PERIOD.

7. On that particular night, I discovered I owned the same kind of car as Brad Majors – His car was a 1967 Ford station wagon, probably a Country Squire. My ride at the time was a 1967 Country Sedan – same car, just not as ‘upscale’ a trim package as the Squire. By this point, I’d been to the show probably a half-dozen times, but this was the first time I realized I was driving a ‘Brad-mobile’.

8. When the armed forces conduct a background check for a potential enlistee, an arrest record for indecent exposure can really make the enlistment process….. interesting. Even if you aren’t actually convicted. Especially when they look over all the particulars of the arrest. And the mug shot. Fortunately, I was waivered in because my recruiter had never seen anyone ace an ASVAB before.

I wouldn't trade the experience for ANYTHING. Arrested or not, it was one HELL of a trip.

[wolfie]

8. When the armed forces conduct a background check for a potential enlistee, an arrest record for indecent exposure can really make the enlistment process….. interesting. Even if you aren’t actually convicted. Especially when they look over all the particulars of the arrest. And the mug shot. Fortunately, I was waivered in because my recruiter had never seen anyone ace an ASVAB before.

What is an ASVAB? As for indecent expsure, it could be verified from records that your arrest took place when and where a RHPS audience was leaving the theatre. RHPS audiences are known to dress up. Big difference between your case and a flasher - although (yep, I know hindsight is 20/20) if you'd brought a raincoat and put it on before leaving the theatre, you might not have been arrested, since you had put on something "decent" to cover up your costume before you went out in public.

[Jester]

I have yet to figure out how anyone, male or female, can ever honestly be arrested for indecent exposure if they are walking around in underwear, male or female.

All the "naughty bits" are covered. In many cases more than what you would find at a pool or at the beach. And yet people are warned and arrested by cops for this very thing all the time.

Again, again, and again, I ask.....WHY?

And by the way, I am familiar with Dr. Frank N. Furter's costume. It covers a lot more than a lot of outfits, especially many worn by women during Halloween and other costume-type events.

Just out of curiousity, did the cops who arrested you ever explain to you how you were "indecently exposing" yourself?

And what DID the judge say when he dismissed this ridiculous case? Just wondering.

[RayvenQ]

And what DID the judge say when he dismissed this ridiculous case? Just wondering.

"It's justa jump to the left"

One can only dream of that actually being said by a Judge.

[ADeMartino]

What is an ASVAB? As for indecent expsure, it could be verified from records that your arrest took place when and where a RHPS audience was leaving the theatre. RHPS audiences are known to dress up. Big difference between your case and a flasher - although (yep, I know hindsight is 20/20) if you'd brought a raincoat and put it on before leaving the theatre, you might not have been arrested, since you had put on something "decent" to cover up your costume before you went out in public.

ASVAB: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. It's a test used to identify your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to what particular job you'll do in the military. You might be predisposed to electronics, for example, or construction work, or mechanical repair... etc, etc. and the ASVAB is a tool to help the recruiters figure out where you'll 'fit' best and what training you might require.

As for the particulars of the charge - that meant little at the time. Remember, the military in general is very conservative. The senior personnel (with 15-20 years seniority) had probably never been to the RHPS because the movie wasn't even around when they enlisted - and shenanigans like the ones at the RHPS were often regarded with raised eyebrows. It's important to remember, too, that at the time, the military had a zero-tolerance policy with regard to gay or anything even remotely 'different.' There was no 'don't ask, don't tell' policy then. If there was even a suspicion that a person was gay - that individual would be mustered out with a quickness. And you gotta admit, a 6'-3" male in women's underwear looks pretty 'unconventional'.

It is probably a little different today because the movie's been around for almost 40 years - the NCOs today with 15-20 years on the job are a little more familiar with the phenomenon, even if they didn't participate themselves.

And yeah, you're right - hindsight is 20/20. But hey, I was a teenager, and it WAS Halloween. It never once occurred to me there might be a 'down' side to this stunt.

[Sapphire Silk]

What is an ASVAB? As for indecent expsure, it could be verified from records that your arrest took place when and where a RHPS audience was leaving the theatre. RHPS audiences are known to dress up. Big difference between your case and a flasher - although (yep, I know hindsight is 20/20) if you'd brought a raincoat and put it on before leaving the theatre, you might not have been arrested, since you had put on something "decent" to cover up your costume before you went out in public.

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. It's the SAT for the military; helps them figure out what kind of military jobs you are best suited for. You have to have really high ASVAB scores to qualify for the best (most desirable) jobs.

You can still get in if you blow the ASVAB: the military needs ditch diggers as much as the civilian world does. But you won't get the plum jobs.

When Evil Empyss went into the Air Force, she scored very high on the ASVAB. That let her get the job she wanted (machinist--you have to learn a lot about the properties of metals for this job). A lot of the girls in her flight at Basic were trying to get into one of the medical jobs, with the fantasy they'd marry a doctor and not have to work for a living when they got out (she was explaining to me how stupid they were not to sign up for the GI Bill, and have $100/mo taken out of your pay for one year).

She said the wails when the advanced training postings were made and most of these girls got assigned to the Security Forces were epic. You see, when you join the military and state your preferred job, there's no guarantee you will get it. Training assignments are made based on the needs of the military at the time.

As for the indecent exposure bit: the military are prudes. They have regulations that govern sexual conduct; you can go to jail for adultery. Until recently, you couldn't get into the military if you were GLBT. That's why the arrest for indecent exposure got so interesting: they probably thought he was a closet gay or transsexual of some kind. They wouldn't have gotten RHPS: these guys have no sense of humor.

He probably should have gotten his record expunged when the case was dismissed to avoid this problem. But most people don't know you can do that.

[Redbeard]

Why a buddy of mine, we'll call him Lurch, got himself weekend leave, decided to head to the nearest RHPS to blow off some steam.
Now Lurch earned his nickname by being a 6 foot 7 inch behemoth, so you'll have to trust me that him in his combat boots, a long skirt and corset are something to behold, especially when he dolls on the makeup. I'll give him this, he never goes half assed.
So he's at the gas station filling up his tank when he hears a confused voice go "Private Lurch, is...that you?"
Whereupon he looks back and sees...his base commander with an odd expression on his face.
"Sir! Yes sir, it's me."
"Private Lurch....you know what, I don't want to know. Carry on."
"Thank you sir, good evening."

Of course, this is the same man that when he transitioned to reserves due to injuries, once called in dead to one of his weekends.

[ADeMartino]

I have yet to figure out how anyone, male or female, can ever honestly be arrested for indecent exposure if they are walking around in underwear, male or female.

All the "naughty bits" are covered. In many cases more than what you would find at a pool or at the beach. And yet people are warned and arrested by cops for this very thing all the time.

Again, again, and again, I ask.....WHY?

And by the way, I am familiar with Dr. Frank N. Furter's costume. It covers a lot more than a lot of outfits, especially many worn by women during Halloween and other costume-type events.

Just out of curiousity, did the cops who arrested you ever explain to you how you were "indecently exposing" yourself?

And what DID the judge say when he dismissed this ridiculous case? Just wondering.

I've been wondering the same things for many years now. A woman can wear a thong on the beach with children present, and all is well, but if she's in a Playtex bra and granny panties at the mall it's tantamount to a sex crime. Guh?

No, the cops didn't waste much time with explanation. I suspect they were a tad homophobic. And although I'm not gay, you probably couldn't have convinced them of that fact considering how I was dressed. All in all, I ain't mad at them.
They weren't nasty about it or anything. As for the 'why' - well, a man wearing women's underwear in a public place could be one of those 'grey areas' where it's subject to interpretation. And Cincinnati always has had their head up their ass with regard to certain things. I'd expand on that thought, but frankly, it's better suited to fratching. There's a quote from Mark Twain, and although I don't remember it verbatim, he said something along the lines of 'If I'm ever told I'm about to die, I'll move to Cincinnati, because everything there happens twenty years later'.

As for the case being dismissed, I wasn't actually present when that happened. I got a letter in the mail stating that the case had been dismissed. My guess here is the prosecutor got a look at the case and realized there wasn't much point in pursuing it. Speculation only....

[ADeMartino]

"It's justa jump to the left"

One can only dream of that actually being said by a Judge.

I can guarantee that if I started pelvic-thrusting in court, I'd STILL be in jail.

Especially in THAT getup.

[ADeMartino]

He probably should have gotten his record expunged when the case was dismissed to avoid this problem. But most people don't know you can do that.

Nothing to expunge - the case was dismissed. However, when they were doing the background investigation, the ARREST was legitimate fodder for the report. They questioned me at length about it, too - to the point where I was about to say "You know what? Forget it."

Oh, and definite agreement on the assignment posting fails. We were winding down boot camp and getting our postings, and while we were waiting, I heard a voice behind me saying....."Gee, I hope they don't put me on a ship....." I turned and asked him, "You do realize that the Navy is the branch of the military that deals primarily with the boats, right?'

[EricKei]

ADM -- I think what Panasea meant was something I'd heard about, myself. In most (maybe not all?) states, it is possible to get arrests where you were NOT convicted/pleaded Guilty or Nolo (as was the case here) expunged. If it's something that would still make a difference at this point, it could be worth asking an attorney about.

[Racket_Man]

I have yet to figure out how anyone, male or female, can ever honestly be arrested for indecent exposure if they are walking around in underwear, male or female.

All the "naughty bits" are covered. In many cases more than what you would find at a pool or at the beach. And yet people are warned and arrested by cops for this very thing all the time.

Again, again, and again, I ask.....WHY?

And by the way, I am familiar with Dr. Frank N. Furter's costume. It covers a lot more than a lot of outfits, especially many worn by women during Halloween and other costume-type events.

.

The theater where my daughter and I used to go to RHPS was smack in the middle of one of the bar districts in <major Mid-western city>. during the Halloween time, women and men could be seen follicing around between bars in not much of anything. If someone dressed up as Frankie, they would have been considered dressed up and covered up compared some some persons wandering around the area. I guess a little (no make that A LOT) of booze helped.

Bra and panties, Speedoos and other similar skimpy wear were worn by at least half of the people wandering around.


NOTE also this is in the upper mid-west and arouind Halloween time it can get downright cold

[Jester]

And Cincinnati always has had their head up their ass with regard to certain things. I'd expand on that thought, but frankly, it's better suited to fratching. There's a quote from Mark Twain, and although I don't remember it verbatim, he said something along the lines of 'If I'm ever told I'm about to die, I'll move to Cincinnati, because everything there happens twenty years later'.

Found the actual quote, with a caveat attached:

"When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behind the times."
- This quote has been attributed to Mark Twain, but until the attribution can be verified, the quote should not be regarded as authentic.

NOTE also this is in the upper mid-west and arouind Halloween time it can get downright cold

Right. Which would make walking around in bra and panties ill-advised, not indecent.

[ADeMartino]

ADM -- I think what Panasea meant was something I'd heard about, myself. In most (maybe not all?) states, it is possible to get arrests where you were NOT convicted/pleaded Guilty or Nolo (as was the case here) expunged. If it's something that would still make a difference at this point, it could be worth asking an attorney about.

Oh, I know. It's just that the only people who will ever see the arrest record are law enforcement and such - employers won't get to see it, and since there was no conviction, there's no record to worry about. Besides, the only problem it ever caused was during the enlistment process nearly 30 years ago. Water under the bridge now.