Racoon Eyes

My wife and I were at Cracker Barrel last night enjoying a nice meal when a family of three, sat down At a table directly behind me.

As I was enjoying my turnip greens and country fried steak and attempting to discuss issues of the day with my wife, I became distracted by the family's teen daughter. She was constantly tugging at her skin tight jeans in an effort to cover her belly button. There was something about her that was very familiar. Yes it was that look on her face.

Her dyed blond hair showed dark brown roots. But it was her eyes that really fascinated me. Perhaps fascinated is not the correct word. Appalled is more of what I was thinking. Her eyes were encircled by a ring of dark black eyeliner. It appeared that she had taken a medium point black Sharpie Marker and marked out an elipse for each eyelid.


Yes sir, I have seen that look too many times before. In fact in 1969 when I was going to high school I can recall there was at least one or two girls in my classes that wore that same look. And when I left high school and worked at my first job, there were several nurse aides and other ladies that made themselves up each day, with big black eyeliner circles. Even when I was self employed I had hired a couple of young ladies that demonstrated their fashion sense with large black eyeliner circles.



Have you have ever seen the movie, Blade Runner, that came out in 1982? This movie featured a character, played by Darryl Hannah, named Pris. Pris is a prime example of what my wife calls the "Racoon Eye" look. I'm a little more blunt. I call it The Skank Look. The teen girl behind me at Cracker Barrel had that Skank Look with the Racoon Eyes.


Which bring me to my latest theory. Is the Racoon Eye look handed down from Skank to Skank? Is there a cable or pay-per-view TV show that educates young ladies on the art of looking skankie? Perhaps there is a magazine devoted soley to the application of make-up for that I am easy and have no self esteem whatsoever, so please use me and discard me look.


I don't know how this look has manage to survive for over 40 years. In all probability it is a fashion statement that is much older than I am.

My own kids look at old pictures of me and their mother and see a couple of dorks. So why does a 13 or 14 year old girl want to look just like that same 13 or 14 year old girl that sat next to me back in 1969 in Mrs. Rigg's America history class? I have no idea!

I am going to have to think this over. In the mean time I'm going to start carrying around packets of pre-moistened towlettes and offering them to ladies that I encounter that have Racoon Eyes.