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Thought of ‘The Outsiders’ even before you mentioned it. That said, my demographic is a bit beyond even what Zuzu identified as your Substack readership. And I’m always down for childhood nostalgia—mine, yours, anybody’s, even (or especially) that of someone who has reached the august age of 14.) Stay gold, Julie!

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That "40-year-olds" number is so random -- I'm a decade older than that. I think to 14-year-olds, 40 is the highest age they can imagine ever being.

I was just in the cell phone store (exciting life) and was trying to get into my account there and the security question was "where was your favorite place to visit as a child" and I HAD NO IDEA what my answer might have been (my guesses were wrong) and then I was asking everyone what their favorite place to visit as a child was. No one answered me. I'm just realizing now they might have thought I was trying to hack their identities.

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Team Julie, 100%

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Also could have used Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia faces instead of dogs...

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Yes, Zuzu brought that up yesterday! She said, "if it's a reference to anything, it's a Golden Girls reference, although I think it's only referring to golden retrievers."

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Team Julie. My kid had to read Outsiders in 8th grade this year, so it's not a simple Gen-X nostalgia thing. I had a picture in my head of what the socks would look like and honestly, what a disappointment! They should have been cute.

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RIGHT!? I would have bought them if they were cute. Ramona just read it (7th grade assignment) and loved it (and loves dogs) so it seemed like a good overlap of interests. But not that cute. I got her sloth socks instead.

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Oh, man! I think it's a reference to the Robert Frost poem that the Outsider characters reference! LOL! BWAHHAHAHA! But also...I think it's just because they are golden retrievers. And because people like actual gold a whole lot--so saying stay golden is also like, "stay luxurious." Like calling people a golden boy or golden girl.

Also Zuzu is right about me being in my 40s. But also, that was way harsh. Please tell her I am crying into my... (thinking of what she would imagine a 40 year old drinking)...Keurig-brewed coffee? Metamucil? (She may not even know that reference.) The tears are dripping down onto my life-alert pendant? All those things. Brutal. 😂

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So, just so I'm understanding you...you think the socks...from Target...ARE REFERENCING A ROBERT FROST POEM. Just making sure. That you think they are Target poetry socks. (Or were you doing a version of "well actually, it's Frankenstein's monster" but for stay gold and the Outsiders and the original poem?)

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Yep. However, with the caveat that I am not well-versed enough (hahahahahah!) to know what Robert Frost was referencing so I don't think that even does it justice. Probably, he was referencing...like, the bible or something? So the socks are probably referencing the bible, which is probably referencing...the Old Testament? I don't know where it ends, but I know it's a whole ecosystem. Here...hand me some index cards and some yarn, will you? I'm going to take this to the wall with some push pins... ;)

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Team Zuzu. Stay golden is a generic like, you’re awesome, stay that way saying.

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Team Julie! My husband and his buddies—who are all turning 60 this year—are in my mind the least likely people to be making Outsiders references, but do it all the time. Truth be told, they are more familiar with the movie, but regularly crack each other up with quotes. Another favorite: "We're doin' it for Johnny!" 😁

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