Bachelor pad
Encyclopedia
A bachelor pad is a slang term for a house (pad) in which a bachelor
or bachelors (single men) live. It should not be confused for the formal term "bachelor apartment
", which is used in real estate to refer to an apartment with no bedrooms, in which the main room serves as a bedroom, living room and dining room (and sometimes kitchen).
In the United Kingdom
the term bachelor pad usually refers to a flat where a single young man lives alone. Most students in the UK are unable to afford this luxury, and are forced to live with other students, hence the heightened social status attributed to this particular sense of the phrase.
In the United States
it generally refers to small houses or apartment
s where unmarried men, often college
/university
student
s, live until they obtain larger or more luxurious houses or apartments, are married, or generally "move up" in standards of living and taste
.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the bachelor pad was considered one of the ultimate possessions for a young career-minded man. In this space, he was able to decorate his apartment with style to fit his tastes. For much of the early 20th century, the female presence in the home dominated while it was a man's responsibility to become the breadwinner. In the 1950s, men's attitudes about marriage changed with the representation and openness of sexuality featured on-screen. At this point, the thought of being single was welcomed, and most men felt comfortable to court a number of women freely. The bachelor pad then became a symbol of the 1950s cosmopolitan male, and a typical "pad" included: a bar, an array of artwork, furniture (usually designed by a well-known architect), minimal decór, and a hi-fi system for entertaining. It reflected his awareness of culture and the arts, while at the same time it acted as a lure for potential female visitors- which meant it was usually clean. Fictional examples can be seen in films such as Rock Hudson
's pad in Pillow Talk, Brian Bedford
s in The Pad and How to Use It
, James Bond
's residence in any of the early James Bond films, and finally, Hugh Heffner's Playboy Mansion
(often featured in articles on creating a bachelor pad).
Later bachelor pads are stereotyped as being messy, with old food and dirty dishes and clothing being strewn about the floor, sinks, and other areas in proximity to places where they are useful (examples being dirty clothes piled up near a washer and/or dryer, dirty dishes in a sink, or moldy food in a refrigerator) — often to the disgust of women related to or involved with the men living in "pads." Several men may share a pad and its expenses for financial reasons or friendship, which stereotypically worsens living conditions compared to the one person case, as depicted in The Odd Couple
and its derivatives. Pads may also be the sites of wild parties.
Unmarried men's living accommodations are often detailed in fiction in a way in which women's flats are not. Examples from the range of fiction include: the home of Withnail and his flatmate in the film Withnail and I
. A less dire pad was depicted in the 1966 film The Pad and How to Use It
. Finally, the famous shared rooms of Sherlock Holmes
and Dr. Watson were a combination dining room, interview room, laboratory and library.
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
or bachelors (single men) live. It should not be confused for the formal term "bachelor apartment
Studio apartment
A studio apartment, also known as a studio flat , efficiency apartment or bachelor/bachelorette style apartment, is a small apartment which combines living room, bedroom, and kitchen or kitchenette into a single room...
", which is used in real estate to refer to an apartment with no bedrooms, in which the main room serves as a bedroom, living room and dining room (and sometimes kitchen).
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the term bachelor pad usually refers to a flat where a single young man lives alone. Most students in the UK are unable to afford this luxury, and are forced to live with other students, hence the heightened social status attributed to this particular sense of the phrase.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it generally refers to small houses or apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s where unmarried men, often college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
/university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s, live until they obtain larger or more luxurious houses or apartments, are married, or generally "move up" in standards of living and taste
Taste (sociology)
Taste as an aesthetic, sociological, economic and anthropological concept refers to a cultural patterns of choice and preference. While taste is often understood as a biological concept, it can also be reasonably studied as a social or cultural phenomenon. Taste is about drawing distinctions...
.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the bachelor pad was considered one of the ultimate possessions for a young career-minded man. In this space, he was able to decorate his apartment with style to fit his tastes. For much of the early 20th century, the female presence in the home dominated while it was a man's responsibility to become the breadwinner. In the 1950s, men's attitudes about marriage changed with the representation and openness of sexuality featured on-screen. At this point, the thought of being single was welcomed, and most men felt comfortable to court a number of women freely. The bachelor pad then became a symbol of the 1950s cosmopolitan male, and a typical "pad" included: a bar, an array of artwork, furniture (usually designed by a well-known architect), minimal decór, and a hi-fi system for entertaining. It reflected his awareness of culture and the arts, while at the same time it acted as a lure for potential female visitors- which meant it was usually clean. Fictional examples can be seen in films such as Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
's pad in Pillow Talk, Brian Bedford
Brian Bedford
Brian Bedford is an English actor. He has appeared on the stage and in film, and is known for both acting in and directing Shakespeare.-Life and career:...
s in The Pad and How to Use It
The Pad and How to Use It
The Pad and How to Use It is a 1966 comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton. It was based on a one-act play by Peter Shaffer.A sensitive man named Bob Handman , who lives alone in his apartment, encounters what he believes to be his ideal woman, Doreen , at a classical music concert. They arrange...
, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
's residence in any of the early James Bond films, and finally, Hugh Heffner's Playboy Mansion
Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
(often featured in articles on creating a bachelor pad).
Later bachelor pads are stereotyped as being messy, with old food and dirty dishes and clothing being strewn about the floor, sinks, and other areas in proximity to places where they are useful (examples being dirty clothes piled up near a washer and/or dryer, dirty dishes in a sink, or moldy food in a refrigerator) — often to the disgust of women related to or involved with the men living in "pads." Several men may share a pad and its expenses for financial reasons or friendship, which stereotypically worsens living conditions compared to the one person case, as depicted in The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
and its derivatives. Pads may also be the sites of wild parties.
Unmarried men's living accommodations are often detailed in fiction in a way in which women's flats are not. Examples from the range of fiction include: the home of Withnail and his flatmate in the film Withnail and I
Withnail and I
Withnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
. A less dire pad was depicted in the 1966 film The Pad and How to Use It
The Pad and How to Use It
The Pad and How to Use It is a 1966 comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton. It was based on a one-act play by Peter Shaffer.A sensitive man named Bob Handman , who lives alone in his apartment, encounters what he believes to be his ideal woman, Doreen , at a classical music concert. They arrange...
. Finally, the famous shared rooms of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
and Dr. Watson were a combination dining room, interview room, laboratory and library.
See also
- Man caveMan caveA man cave, sometimes a mantuary or manspace, is a male sanctuary, such as a specially equipped garage, spare bedroom, media room, den, or basement...
- Studio apartmentStudio apartmentA studio apartment, also known as a studio flat , efficiency apartment or bachelor/bachelorette style apartment, is a small apartment which combines living room, bedroom, and kitchen or kitchenette into a single room...
- GhostbustersGhostbustersGhostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
- Joe's ApartmentJoe's ApartmentJoe's Apartment is a 1996 musical-serio-comedy film starring Jerry O'Connell and Megan Ward and the first film produced by MTV Films. It was based on a 1992 short film first made for MTV , but was also inspired by both the 1987 Japanese film Gokiburi-tachi No Tasogare and...
- Animal House
- Old SchoolOld School (film)Old School is a 2003 American comedy film released by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Todd Phillips, director of the documentary Frat House. The story was written by Court Crandall, and the film was written by Phillips and Scot Armstrong...
- Lad cultureLad cultureLad culture is a subculture commonly associated with Britpop music of the 1990s."The image of the 'lad' or 'new lad' arose in the early 1990s as a generally middle-class figure espousing attitudes conventionally attributed to the working classes"...
- The WilbrahamThe WilbrahamThe Wilbraham at 282-284 Fifth Avenue or 1 West 30th Street, in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, was built in 1888-90 as a bachelor apartment hotel. Its "bachelor flats" each consisted of a bedroom and parlor, with bathroom but no kitchen; the communal dining room was on the...
- Osgerby, Bill. :"The Bachelor Pad as Cultural Icon: Masculinity, Consumption, and Interior Design in American Mens Magazines 1930-1965." In Journal of Design History, Vol. 18, No. 1, Publishing the Modern Home: Magazines and the Domestic Interior 1870-1965 (2005), pp. 99–113.