BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???

Subject: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 09:52 PM

Seems we discussed these a little a few years back in a different context but...

...how many folks remember them and, if so, were you into them on any level???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: meself
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 09:56 PM

Slam book? Wat dat?

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 10:11 PM

Well, it was a 50's thing...

Someone would take a notebook and take each page and at the top write something like, "Prettiest Girl" or "Most likely to end up in jail" or "What about Joe?" and it would get passed around and people would write stuff related to the topic???

I mean, even "Favorite number?"....

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Beer
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 10:21 PM

Never heard of it but it does sound like it would have been fun.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 10:24 PM

Well, Beer... They were kinda fun but could be cruel, too...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Beer
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 10:38 PM

Yes, I get your point. Could be fun for a birthday party of invited friends though. I'm thinking of children.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 11:19 PM

Back when I was in school, they were called "character books". Mostly, perhaps only, passed around amongst the girls. They were cruel, and I remember that there were some fairly extreme situations, many tears, some fights, and the occasional suicide attempt that resulted when certain kids read what was written about them. After a while, they were banned in our school(and many others, I think).


I read somewhere out that these things have been around for a long time, among students and also in literary society. Don't know much more than that,maybe, someone here does...

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Don Firth
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 11:31 PM

This is something I seem to have missed. Maybe luckily so.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 05 Dec 12 - 06:32 AM

Not in the UK...

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Dec 12 - 11:09 AM

Yes, sadly.... they always had a page for each PERSON at my school. You were expected to write something short but clever about everyone you knew.

It was... ummm... educational, but only 'fun' if you were generally part of the IN crowd.

I was never disliked, but always got called "brainy" or somesuch.

This was about 7th & 8th grades, when self-image was being developed and serious collecting of boy and girl friends was beginning.

The older I get, the more I dislike what they were all about.

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 05 Dec 12 - 11:19 AM

I'd forgotten about them completely, but now that you mention it, yeah. We had them. (Can't remember whether it was at Lane Junior High [7 & 8th grade] or Milwaukee Lutheran High School [freshman through senior year].) Furtive. But definitely called slam books.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 08:58 AM

Actually SLAM BOOKS were meant to annonymously slam other people .

Each page had someone's name on it and you'd write something about them.

1950's kind of bullying.

Horrid.

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 09:30 AM

Hey Linn.....I'd bet it was the Junior High period you're thinking of as we're the same age from midwest. There were some variants but most ran the form of individual names plus some best and worst pages which were specifically designed to allow the nastiest bullshit.

I think that most were started by "In-Crowd" girls but there was the backlash movement by the less popular to give them a rebuttal. Guys rarely started them but they all were involved in the listings and postings. At first I remember thinking they were fun but quickly realized that for some it was nothing but a cruelty.

I wasw used to a crowd that felt easy cappin' on each other which we never considered cruel or bullying but just funny and friendly. At firsst then I assumed these were some sort of thing like that for those who were not so quick witted. Obviously I was wrong. These books WERE bullying and WERE cruel and picked on the weakest and least popular.

I recall a nmber of bitch slappin' fights and the like and also, I think in the 8th grade, a ban on the books with some spending detention time for having them.


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: GUEST,DDT
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 09:50 AM

Called texting now.

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 10:21 AM

If you liked slam books you would love the show The Burn on Comedy Central.

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Charmion
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 01:26 PM

Something we were spared, though autograph books and collecting signatures in your yearbook had similar overtones.

I am so glad I will never ever have to repeat Grade Seven.

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 06:26 PM

Sometimes I feel like certain people have confused Mudcat with a slam book. I tend to avoid those threads.

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Bobert
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 06:59 PM

Yeah, there are some slam book threads... I mean, if they involve one ill-behaved monkey then I join in... If not, I stay away...

The only reason that I started this thread was because a long, long time ago someone started a thread that was definitely all about heaping praise or shame on another Mudcatter and I mentioned that it seemed like a "slam book" and left the thread alone and then years later...

...I'm wondering if there were people wondering what the heck I was talkin' about so...

...thus, this thread...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: number 6
Date: 12 Feb 13 - 09:22 PM

"Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???"

no,

I don't remember that

in fact

never heard of it

but,

I do remember Miss Lucas slamming the book


biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Do Ya' Remember Slam Books???
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 13 Feb 13 - 06:47 PM

Right, 'Spaw. I was aware of them, but I didn't participate. Probably was one of the subjects. I wasn't a part of the "in" group -- had too many offbeat interests, plus I read a lot. And I was considered a "brain", so had that to deal with socially as well.

In high school, the division was "hoods" and "colleges". Hoods liked rhythm and blues and other "Black" music. Colleges like Beach Boys, wore a lot of madras. I wasn't in either group...or on the edges of both.

Linn