I think you've missed the point about the propeller head symbolism on http://webdevelopersjournal.com/hubs/prophub.html(as does Loren MacGregor on http://webdevelopersjournal.com/hubs/prophead_explanation.html).
Propeller hats were worn by _all_ young kids, along with Hopalong Cassidy sweat shirts and pajamas with feet. I wore these things when I was 5 years old. The "propeller heads," however, were those kids who went on wearing "childish" clothing well into their adolescent years. Why? Because they were the "smart" but immature kids who focused on academic studies, as compared with the "popular" kids who graduated to carrying wallets with never-used condoms tucked in them. I'm sure there are analogues today, though with retro being in, it's probably harder to tell by what kids wear. Nonetheless, I'm sure these are still the kids who can't help spilling their chocolate milk in the cafeteria. I still have that problem.
I'll bet Loren is correct about the satire arising from comics, though I'd guess it was a character in Archie comics (Dilton Doyle?) in the 1940's rather than Ray Nelson who authored the idea.
Perhaps you'll take the time to research this fully. It would be nice to have the record of our cultural history set straight.
Robert J. Vitello
Averill Park, New York
http://members.aol.com/vitello
Back to Loren MacGregor's view.
