Citizen of the Month » Happy New Year from the Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena

Happy New Year from the Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena

Rose Queen and Royal Court, 1911

Rose Queen, 1923

Rose Queen, 1937

Rose Queen, 1942

Rose Queen, 1949

Rose Queen, 1951

Rose Queen, 1960

Rose Queen, 1967

Rose Queen, 1971

Rose Queen, 1972

Rose Queen, 1981

Rose Queen, 1993

Rose Queen, 1997

Rose Queen, 2003

Rose King, 2007

and my court –

Happy New Year!

(photos from Tournament of Roses archives, except mine)

Tags: New Years, parade, Rose Parade, Tournament of Roses

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You are so terribly hot and adorable. I am thrilled to have been your blog crush for a fleeting moment in time.

Rose King… hmm… I like that name.
Neil, there you’ve got it — the name of the main character for your first novel!
BTW, do you have thorns, being that you’re a rose king and all?

No sash?

Happy 2007 Neil… and Neil’s penis!

You need a tortoise-shell tiara to complete the ensemble.

Does this mean we have to call you “Your royal rosy highness”?

where’s your purse? or your bouquet? or your crown?
those pics are great, hard to pick an era that’s a favorite, but i think for the best laugh it’s going to be the pantsuits of the 70’s.

Are you absolutely certain the caption on that last photo shouldn’t read “Rose Queen 2007″?

Happy New Year.

Those Rose Queens from the 70’s are my favorite but definitely, 2007 is all about a Rose King, especially since we’ve got a woman running for president.

I’m with everyone else. The 70s definitely rocked.

Happy New Year!

That’s a great photo of you! Happy New Year!

Ah! those eyes!

All the best in 2007.

You seem a little glum after being crowned King.I want to see a crown. And why are the 70’s gals all in pants? No minis? I’m going to write a letter of complaint.

it’s about damn time they got a king, where’s your crown

About time we had a Rose King! Hige congrats Neil!

That would be Huge!

The yellow pantsuits are the winners!

Great archival pics, Neil. I agree with others that 1971 and 1972 rock (when are they bringing back the polyester pant suit?!!?), but WTF is going on in 1993 and 1997 - those dresses are vile. Interesting perspective too on the ethnic diversity of the Rose Queen Court through the years…

Of course, Neil, you are the one who broke the gender barrier, here. You do need a crown or something, but you are a hottie of a king.

Aww, you are so cute.

I see more brunettes than blondes so maybe you do indeed have a chance, my man.

Neil, it’s not that you aren’t enough for me, but where’s your Court?

neil,

Are they skimping on flowers, crowns and a court for the king, or is your penis the real king and he has it all going on down below?

i love how they all have matching purses in the 50s and 60s. now that’s class!

please tell me you have a matching purse. it’d make my day.

You’re just as pretty!

“I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any goy who isn’t me tonight.”

I would have demanded a tiara. But that’s just me.

Thank God you let the perm grow out for your second crowning . . .

It’s amazing… the pics from the 20s and 30s, they were so dressy, then the 50s and suddenly they look like executive secretaries. Then the 60s where they look like airline stewardesses with knock off Jackie Kennedy pillboxes. Then 70s with the slacks (yeah, I got the women’s lib angle on that one, too), coming full circle back to dressy formal wear:)

Love the retrospective!

hubba, hubba. Nice lips! Smooch!

Added a video at the end of the post showcasing my court!

Happy New Year!

You look so pretty. May you reign long and well.

(Why does the 1993 court look more 80’s than the 1981 court?)

Nice to see some diversity as the years have gone by…still not a Jewish girl to be found in the bunch (I guess it wouldn’t be politically correct to have a Jewish American Princess on the court).

these are fantastic. (and i can’t believe i took a break to watch that entire little movie…hee, hee…i am going to be singing that song the rest of the day).

happy new year to you neil!

I’m more for the red wool pill box hats. They’re lovely. Neil, master of the blogosphere, strikes again.

LOL @ the 1971 photo! it reminds me of the brady bunch singing as the silver platters!

p.s. did you LOVE seeing the stealth bomber? i get chills every time i see it on t.v. maybe next year i’ll go to the parade and see it live.

happy new year,
mck.

where’s your tiara? and the taffeta?

Rabbi, I gotta’ tell you. I can’t always tell the family to read your blog when they ask me, So whacha’ readin’ Lin, cuz of all the penis jokes which aren’t tznius, you know? But THIS POST IS FANTASTIC and I’m sending EVERYONE over to see it. (and of course I LOVE THE SONG!)

Congrats on another fantastic recognition award of all the good things you represent! I know you will serve your post with the utmost of integrity and fun!

Show me the crown Neil…oh and the wave…

How were your seats??..

Happy New year.

I could be wrong about this, but aren’t the dresses/outfits getting uglier as time goes by? Just an observation.

Having only recently arrived from a neighbouring planet (Canada) I’m not quite sure what to make of this ritual, however, I deduce that it has something to do with roses, and that the princesses in question are required to shop for their matching outfits at Target.

Wendy, we had the most expensive seats on the parade route because they were right above the “performance area”, where the cameras were positioned. Still, we were packed like sardines, to the point that we couldn’t even get our hands into our pockets to reach a camera.

And your thrown?! Is that the booth at the local diner? Neil, demand your tiara or at the very least a flattering pantsuit and glamor shot.

G-d I love those outfits from the 60’s and 70’s. I think I still have one of those outfits from the 1971 picture in the back of my closet somewhere. Although I doubt I could still fit in it any longer.

I knew you would put a pic of you in there with the honeys. I laughed my ass off even though I was expecting it. So cute Kramer, and glad you didn’t disappoint. Happy new years angel pie.x

Great post! What a riot. You’re the best, but where are the tiara and white gloves? I think the pocketbook posses are the scariest, especially the ‘67 ones, who look like flight attendants. And the “Charlie’s Angels” in yellow pantsuits–oh help! And, Gawd, I thought I saw my MOM in the 1949 pic!

“Tournament of Handbags.”

Consider yourself clipped, my hilarious friend.

I love how there’s less and less fabric in every photo!

Those fashions just get worse and worse, don’t they? The last one is at least “different”

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