The battlecall of a new women's group called The Blue Thong Society is reverberating around the Inland Empire with the kickoff of two new chapters in Wrightwood and Corona. The genesis of the group came about when several friends, while sitting around and sipping cosmos, discussed the upcoming "frightening fifties," said co-founder Jackie Tushinsky, 51. "When I turned 50 about a year ago, I realized I'm not a red hatter," Tushinsky said "We love the Red Hat Society - they're a great group of women - but I've lived at the beach my whole life.
We're more flip-flop thongy type gals." The Red Hat Society was established in the late 1990s by five women who were looking for ways to "greet middle age with verve, humor and elan," according to the head of the society Sue Ellen Cooper, who is also known as "Exalted Queen Mother." Now, more than 40,000 chapters exist worldwide.
Members wear red hats and purple dresses in public as a sign of fun and silliness, and to show solidarity with each other - all with the goal of aging with aplomb. Tushinsky has a different take on her approaching years. "We think you should stay great looking as long as you
Forget about this embracing (growing old) crap," she said. "I've already had some (plastic surgery) work and I'll keep getting work as long as I can." Both groups emphasize the importance of sisterhood between women, but there are differences, even on their Web sites.
The Red Hat Society has proudly dubbed itself a "dis-organization," that disavows rules and by-laws. The Blue Thong Society encourages rebelling against the norm and emphasizes the importance of "staying hip, beautiful and chic forever." That mantra has appealed to numerous women, and about 100 chapters in the last year have popped up throughout the country, Tushinsky said.
For Debi McLain of Wrightwood, who started a new chapter there in February, less is more. "Thongs vs. red hats," she said.
"I just couldn't see myself running around in purple dresses and red hats." McLain said the Blue Thong logo - an ambiguous icon that looks both like underwear and a flip flop - is a natural selector of group members. "If someone looks at the logo and thinks of it as a (panty)thong, they're probably right for the society," she explained.
"If they have to have it be a flip flop, they're probably not right for us." Wearing a thong is not a requirement of the society but the Blue Thong ladies do ask: "Please, no visible panty lines." A member must be at least 21 years old, "so you can drink, of course," Tushinsky says.
The drink of choice - blue thongatinis - were flowing freely Friday night at the kickoff party for California's newest chapter in Corona. Trimly dressed women filtered into the kitchen of 45-year-old Jennifer Livingston, the founder of Corona's chapter. Livingston said the city's mayor tipped her off to the organization, and it appealed to her immediately.
"I just wasn't ready to be in the Red Hat Society," she said. "Maybe when I'm 60 or 70. We want to get together, have fun and support a good cause.
" Each chapter must support a charity in their community and the Corona chapter is sponsoring The Foundation for Community and Family Health. Members from around the area, from as far as Angelus Oaks and West Covina, attended Friday's kickoff meeting. At the evening's start, there were 17 women attending and more were trickling in.
Riverside resident Laurie Irwin sipped from the bright blue liquid in her martini glass and exclaimed, "Hoochie-mama! That's got a kick!" She joined for companionship, she said.
"I don't think you have enough social gatherings for women," she said Friday evening. But Cooper feels the message has been lost on the newcomers. Speaking from the "Hat" quarters in Fullerton, said she has been somewhat disappointed that the founders of this new group chose to form their own society instead of giving the Red Hat Society a chance.
"I wish they had checked into us a little bit. We're all about sisterhood," she said. "I don't know why they're doing this apart from us.
" She worries that it inevitably will turn into a rivalry. "That will probably end up happening. I think they kind of took their ideas from us," she said.
"I'm confused why they didn't join us. We're all about sisterhood and friendship." What do YOU see?
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