Return of The Mack

Back in the 1970s, when I was a young man, the area around State Street and Randolph Streets had many large movie theaters. These theaters had seen their days and were starting to get a bit dilapidated. Revenues were down and most had switched over to what was called, "Blaxploitaion" movies. Some of these movies were not too bad, like Shaft and Super Fly, and had some great soundtracks. I never was able to see those movies until Turner Classic Movies started showing them. I was too scared to ever go into those downtown movie theaters. I'd be the one white kid in a sea of scary black people. The truth is that I would have been just fine, because I have learned that white people are much scarier than black people. So anyway, I didn't get to see any of those movies in the 1970s. 

Yesterday I watched a Blaxploitation movie called "The Mack". It was made in 1973 and had all the production values, the soundtrack, and the acting of a period porn movie but without the sex. The part that I liked best was the 'Players Ball' segment, where the pimp of the year award was given out. It was filmed in Oakland, California and had real pimps, real prostitutes, and came across as authentic pimp home movies. The Players Ball had everything, big floppy hats, fur coats, spangled whore dresses, and best of all, the pimp-mobiles.

I still remember seeing pimp-mobiles gliding down the Dan Ryan Expressway back in the 1970s. Gigantic Cadillacs all 'pimped' out with fake gold where chrome should be, big round headlights, Rolls Royce grills, and the big puffy, landau roofs. I wanted one. Seriously, back then I wanted one of those pimp-mobiles. Not because they were the height of style, but because they looked so cool cruising down the city streets and because I knew they would not be around long. They were of a specific time and place. Just think how cool I would have looked. A skinny, long haired white boy driving down the Dan Ryan with my floppy hat and fake fur coat. I probably would have been shot.