The Butterfly Effect

Back in the 1940s and 1950s being known as a "square" meant that you were uncool

A cartoon released around that time showed a jukebox play a square shaped record putting out 'uncool' music, which it promptly destroys with a tiny little hammer built into the record changer, and replaces it with a round 'cool' record.

In 1982 I watch this cartoon. I am about 5 years old at the time.

In 1982 I discover a Flexidisc in my kindergarten classroom. Flexidiscs were flexible records usually found in magazines and used as promotional or supplemental material. They were typically square shaped. The one I found was square shaped.

The moment I discovered the Flexidisc and took note of it's shape, I remember what that cartoon informed me in regards to the proper handling of a square shaped record. Therefore, I do the right thing and rip the Flexidisc to shreds.

The kindergarten teacher was very unhappy about what I did.

So someone making the association of the word 'square' to 'uncool' back in the 1940s/1950s lead to a Flexidisc getting destroyed in a kindergarten classroom decades later.

---

anonymous Other November 21, 2023 at 5:15 am 0 0