Wet T-shirt Contests




 


Back in 1975, from Fat City to the French Quarter, bar owners were packing in thirsty oglers with New Orleans’ latest craze -wet T-shirt contests.


John McGuire, the owner of Pierre’s restaurant/bar in Fat City, was the brainchild behind the short lived fad. “All you need is a pitcher of water, a bunch of white cotton T-shirts and a covey of bra-less girls eager to match their natural endowments with other girls,” wrote AP journalist Ken Davis on November 19, 1975.


For a high school kid, there was no better place to grow up than in New Orleans, especially back in 1975. Everyone had a fake ID and most bars in town didn’t really check them anyway.


They came into the nightclub...

After school, one Friday afternoon...

Five beautiful young foxey ladies...

Each one looking for a man to swoon...


This posse knew what they wanted...

And they each knew what they had...

All ready to release their school spirit...

On some unsuspecting young cad...


They wanted someone to buy sweet drinks... 

They were looking to have some big fun...

And even thought the sun hadn’t yet set...

Their Friday night party had already begun...


As soon as they walked in the door...

All the heads began to turn their way...

And one by one, the men started buying drinks... 

They knew the girls were looking to play...


After a few rounds of Mexican Tequilas...

The girls decided to remove their bras...

They climbed onto the bar and began dancing... 

The men offered a rapturous applause...


As pitchers of beer continued flowing...

And the girls danced to the men’s delight...

When one of the dancers spilled a beer down her front...

Offering everyone an incredible sight...


It was at that moment a new fad had begun...

As they danced in their plaid uniform skirts...

Soon, all the dancers were pouring pitchers...

All over and down their white t-shirts...


Before too long it became a national phenomenon...

Wet t-shirt contests were all the rage...

And for this young man with my fake ID...

I was about to experience my coming of age…


© 2022 Jeffrey Pipes Guice

My Wonder Years: A Book

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