Bingo!  Bingo!

The above conversation does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of either the Author or the Webmistress.

A Hard Hitting, Savory, Slightly Half-Baked Look
At An American Tradition


It is permeating our society, every day, in every town across
our nation.
From smoke-filled halls and casinos, to damp and dusty
church basements.
For many, the idea of it inspires giggles, evoking images
of over- accessorized, obsessed old ladies, or small town
soap operas played out upon a sea of tacky good luck charms.

or others it's just church-gimmick gambling.
Whatever your perception, like baseball, hot dogs,
and apple pie, bingo is part of American lore, and has
a fanatical subculture that keeps the legend alive.

Bingo took many paths before settling on our shores, first
achieving popularity in Europe.
The first known form was Lo Giuoco del Lotto, fashionable
in Italy around 1530.
Later, in 1778 France, bingo's next alias was Le Lotto, but here
it was not a game for the masses, instead, it was reserved
for aristocrats.
German culture eventually added educational versions.

Bingo arrived in The United States during the Great Depression,
when everyone wanted escapism, glamour, and hope, and
like Lana Turner, who was discovered sitting at a soda fountain,
the game hit the big time quite by accident.

In the mind of most Americans there exists a bingo player stereotype,
small town, blue-haired old ladies wearing cat's-eye glasses
and orthopedic shoes, and carrying embroidered bingo bags.
Who are these people, really? Just who strolls down this
colorful, not-so-seedy path?

Bingo isn't a matter of life and death,
It's much more important.
--Unknown

According to Brad Edmondson ...
In American Demographics(18-19) there are fifty million
bingo players in the United States.

Fifty-seven percent of those are women, and sixty-seven percent
under the age of forty-five, but perhaps the biggest puncture in
the bingo player stereotype is that only eleven percent are
age sixty-five or older.

This recent study was performed by a student for his term
papers, he has kindly allowed me to adapt it for
a Web Site.
Laurie

Follow the arrows to enjoy the interviews the Author had
with three entirely different people :-

    First came Patti

         Finally came James 

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Reproduction created by Laurie ... 2002