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I have the traces of a short story bouncing around in my head. I'd guess it dates from the late 60's, or maybe 70's.

A guy has been out of circulation for several years (military? prison?) and returns home to a city in a shambles.

The notable part I remember is a girl gang, who like to whistle the tune of "I Wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Wiener", then laugh in a sinister manner. The protagonist never learns exactly what it means, but it's clearly not nice.

Given my reading habits at the time, this was certainly sci-fi, and probably appeared in an anthology. It was presented as a dystopic/urban social decay situation. It also incorporated elements of social reversal, as there were no male gangs providing menace, only women. And the "Oscar Mayer" bit was certainly suggestive of sexual violence as well.

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    I confess the only thing that comes to mind is "..you don't fool around with no Oscar Mayer Wiener; you must be sure that your girl is pure, for the funky cold medina" - yes I know this is of absolutely no help, sorry!
    – Andrew
    Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 9:51
  • @Andrew, I figured you remembered some of the post-apocalyptic signs; the story has paragraphs and paragraphs of these gang-like signs with clever, if depressing, wordplay. Commented May 26 at 0:16

1 Answer 1

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A story that is told in the first person by an obvious disabled and discharged military man, is definitely dystopian; I found it repulsive and gruesome.

It's "Ecce Femina!" by Bruce McAllister.

I'd guess it dates from the late 60's, or maybe 70's.

1972

Its beginning describes a lot of post-apocalyptic handmade signs like Andrew remembers, like:

SEE ORGAN LA FEY ON SATURDAY!

A guy has been out of circulation for several years (military? prison?) and returns home to a city in a shambles.

The narrator is trying to walk to town with a badly injured leg. He ruminates that he would have re-enlisted indefinitely, if it were not for the injury. (And other post-apocalyptic circumstances.)

A rough, mean gang of women on variously described motorcycles (Harley models, Triumph, etc.) come by him.

He tries to get a job at "Jack's Station". Jack is also a rough gang type woman.

The notable part I remember is a girl gang, who like to whistle the tune of "I Wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Wiener", then laugh in a sinister manner. The protagonist never learns exactly what it means, but it's clearly not nice.

One woman has Oscar Meyer (the story spells it this way, perhaps deliberately different from the hot dog maker company) patches. There is a reference to them whistling the song:

As if on cue, all the riders whistled the Oscar Meyer whistle, raised their arms and brought them down karate-style toward their crotches. Then they were wheeling away, guffawing, someone still waving the man's rifle.

It also incorporated elements of social reversal, as there were no male gangs providing menace, only women.

There are no men groups, or gangs, and only the narrator and another man mentioned that I remember.

It's violent. There are descriptions of them beating up a man named Oscar.

This is probably your story, WhatRoughBeast. I hope you still have access to your account and find this answer.

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  • With the title, I was able to find a review of that issue of F&SF with more dtails, and that's it. Thanks very much for scratching that itch. Commented May 26 at 1:12
  • @WhatRoughBeast You're welcome! Commented May 26 at 3:50

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