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We started by searching Yahoo! for the obvious: "Sadie Hawkins." Just as we expected, the search turned up a number of web sites explaining the tradition. The lady in question is a character from the Lil' Abner comic strip created by Al Capp in 1934. During its 43-year run, Lil' Abner was one of the most popular comics in the U.S. When Al Capp introduced Sadie Hawkins Day to the strip on November 15, 1937, the event became a national sensation. The poor hillbilly Sadie was "the homeliest gal in the hills," and her father worried that she would never find a husband. To find his Sadie a mate, he started a special day -- Sadie Hawkins Day -- that featured
a foot race where unmarried women chased bachelors. If a woman caught one of the bachelors, the slowpoke single man would have to marry the lucky dame. Within two years of Sadie Hawkins Day premiering in the comic strip, Life magazine reported over 200 colleges holding Sadie Hawkins Day celebrations that mimicked the cartoon's foot race and ended with mock weddings. Colleges, fraternities, and sororities began sponsoring Sadie Hawkins dances where women invited the men. The Straight Dope points out a variety of reasons why the Sadie Hawkins events became popular. Compared with the Roaring '20s, the 1930s were a sexually repressive time. Hence, an event
that allowed women to express sexual desire in a relatively safe and light-hearted environment was appealing. Also, in the midst of the Great Depression, this event revolved around poor hillbilly characters, and college students could easily afford to dress up in the ragged costumes of the cartoon strip. Another attraction was the skimpiness of the women's hillbilly costumes, especially in comparison to the conservative clothing of the era.
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