Saw this discussed on TV, thought it was a good conversation piece.

What did people do on their 21st birthday?

Or what do you plan to do?

Fell on a weekday. Had a quiet evening with my parents, ordered some ribs and enjoyed them at home.

On the weekend, enjoyed a drink at the local pub with my friends.

I don't remember what I did on my 21st.  It wasn't as much of a milestone when I was growing up so I don't think I did anything special.

I do remember my 18th - which was the milestone back then (because you could legally drink at that age).  I, however, was seriously ill and couldn't have anything to drink.  So, it was a quiet one.

And I remember my 40th, in particular as well,  because I had that one on Bora Bora.  There was a storm that night and the wind blew the roof off our over the water bungalow.  That was probably my most memorable birthday.  

No excuse, Mac! You're lucky I didn't know ya! You would've been hurting for a couple days!

Being sick, that sucks.

I had been drinking for years with various fake ID's, so it wasn't that huge. But on the day I turned 21 at midnight, I went to a bar I had been to many times. We had to get there early, because the Boston Celtics were on TV, playoffs vs Detroit, and back then you needed a big satellite to see them on TV. There were only two places with a dish.

Right before tipoff, for the first time in my life, I got kicked out of a bar for not being old enough. And only needed a few hours!

We went to another place, got in and saw the game. It turned out to be a famous game, the one where Bird stole the ball with a second to go, fed it to DJ, and they won. A couple hours later I turned 21.

Next day, the real celebration! We bought about a hundred dollars at the liquor store(for some reason, they didn't card me, which sucked!), then after we polished that we hit the bars.

After 21, birthdays are no big deal.

Your 21st is not a big deal in Sweden, so I can't remember what I did. I was pregnant though, I know that.  In Sweden your 18th is big because that's when you can drive and drink. Not together of course. 25th is a pretty big one since it's a 1/4 century. I think we moved in to our new house then. After that it's sort of every decade. 30, 40... I don't celebrate my birthday at all. Not because I don't want to get older, but because it brings bad memories.

When my son turned 21 he went and bought a gallon of Smirnoff then he gave it to us because he didn't drink. We don't drink hard liquor so we drained it down the toilet....yeah...

Quoted from leitskev After 21, birthdays are no big deal.

Definitely not true.  

40 is big.  50 is bigger and probably the most difficult milestone.  60 is bigger yet but much more fun than 50.

Most people I know wouldn't have a clue what they were doing on their 21st - but they would all know what they did for their 50th or what they are planning on doing.  

I went and saw "The A-Team" (disappointed), had a strawberry shake and went to sleep.

The night of my 21st birthday I spent at a restaurant with friends and family. They all made a big deal of me ordering a drink and it felt weird having everyone watch me order a drink, so I metaphorically said "fuck it" and ordered a coke.

I had already been drinking publicly with friends and I'm from Brazil where the drinking age is 18, so it didn't matter too much to me.

I was in Cannes a year later though and I had a night to end all nights there.

Now I'm just looking forward to my 25th this May so I can get a discount on my car insurance.

;D ;D ;D ;D

I went and saw Ratt at the Cleveland Agora with my buddies, got shitfaced, and did a bunch of solos.

Back in that day, we were legally allowed to drink 3.2 beer at 17 and anything at 18, so I had been partying in bars, drinking, and raising a some Hell for quite awhile.  My Junior year at college had just come to an end.

Thanks, Kev for starting this poll.  Now I'm even more depressed with my current life when I remember how much I used to fucking ROCK!!!!

Jeff, I thought you were going to say you stayed home to watch the Ed Sullivan show.!  8)

Man, no wonder everyone here is smarter than me: NERDS!! :K)

Just kidding. I guess I was a drinking nerd. No drinking anymore. Those days are over. Maybe if I ever sell a script! Then I'll throw an SS party, open bar.

An open bar party for a bunch of writers? Sounds like a sure way to blow your entire commission.

Not this group! Lightweights. Except for Jeff and Michael. I'm betting Stevie can hold his own, but that could be an Aussie stereotype!

Quoted from leitskev Not this group! Lightweights. Except for Jeff and Michael. I'm betting Stevie can hold his own, but that could be an Aussie stereotype!

You'd lose your shirt, cuz old hot pants Stevie don't drink.

If we get James and Led in, we're talking heavyweight action.

I can outdo all you guys if we stick to beers!!

Quoted from leitskev I'm betting Stevie can hold his own, but that could be an Aussie stereotype!

Not a stereotype - way of life.

My brother took me to a Titty bar where we got drunk.

I was put up on the stage for a dance around by a half dozen stripper my brother had paid.

An hour later, I was pepper sprayed  by one of the door men so badly, I lost partial site for two weeks.

On the way home, my brother was so drunk we ended up sliding into a ditch and abandoning his car only to get picked up by a man who also more fucked up than we were.

He was pulled over for drunk driving only to be arrested for a capitol felony murder charge of killing a state trooper.

My eyes blistered so bad, I couldn’t work and two weeks later the bastard who pepper sprayed me, was found murdered out back of the bar where he sprayed me at.

I was questioned and not charged.

I had a pretty uneventful 21...

True story!

Shawn.....><

Hard to beat that, Shawn. Sounds like a short or two Ive seen here.

You simply cannot make that kind of night up...

Shawn.....><

Quoted from Ledbetter My brother took me to a Titty bar where we got drunk. I was put up on the stage for a dance around by a half dozen stripper my brother had paid. An hour later, I was pepper sprayed  by one of the door men so badly, I lost partial site for two weeks. On the way home, my brother was so drunk we ended up sliding into a ditch and abandoning his car only to get picked up by a man who also more fucked up than we were. He was pulled over for drunk driving only to be arrested for a capitol felony murder charge of killing a state trooper. My eyes blistered so bad, I couldn’t work and two weeks later the bastard who pepper sprayed me, was found murdered out back of the bar where he sprayed me at. I was questioned and not charged. I had a pretty uneventful 21... True story! Shawn.....><

Hate to respond to a post with one word, but:

WOW.

:o

Mine wasn’t as eventful as Shawn’s (Not many will be) but I had a night out fancy dress style where I went as Tony Montana. Let’s just say I don’t remember much after midnight but in my experience that normally means it’s a good night.

Quoted from leitskev Not this group! Lightweights.

Lightweights! I would love to put that statement to the test, Kev. ;D

Some day, Steve, some day we'll get the chance! Would be fun.

Pretty sure my 21st will have been like my 18th, pissed out of my brain in a shit hole pub somewhere.  Can't say I remember the specifics of either.  I vaguely remember getting bottled on one birthday but which escapes me at the moment lol.

I had a huge party, got so drunk I forgot my own name, vomited all over my girlfriend's friend's car, scratched it with one of the buttons on my jeans and finally paid a £40 fee to get it cleaned. Brilliant birthday haha.

As first of my close-knit group of friends to turn twenty-one. I promptly rented a kick-ass hotel suite and invited my friends and some gals. Bought a few cases of beer and some bottles.

Were simply having some fun, until two of my friends got into one of their drunken wrestling matches. They were famous for it, so I let it go. But, someone got a little too serious and pissed the other off.

A broken lamp later and some yelling got us kicked out. I walked home from my own twenty-first birthday party because I was so pissed at my friends.

James

I'll be 21 in the fall, however, since moving to Montreal for school the drinking age was 18 so that birthday was my first time being legal. I had dabbled in the bar stuff with the whole fake id thing so luckily I embarrassed myself with my immaturity at bars before I was legal. My 19th was the one I went all out on though, not really sure why, I guess it was my champagne birthday.. but it lasted a week and got really weird, lost a lot there including my dignity. I find now though, I've gotten most of the club stuff out of my system, I don't find I go out with a friend anymore just to go out. Now, it's usually to go see a group of friends more casually without leaving a trail of my barf along my way home... maybe this is growing up? For my 21st though, I'm planning on Disney!

I had a pretty tame 21st. I went out to a Mexican restaurant, had one or two margaritas and that was about it. I had a teetotaler girlfriend at the time and really didn't start drinking until about midway through college. On my 22nd birthday, I woke up in a bed full of my own puke. Needless to say, I made up for the last one.

It's great when you wake up surrounded by puke and you wonder if it's yours.

Quoted from alffy It's great when you wake up surrounded by puke and you wonder if it's yours.

um...

I feel I should explain more here lol. I'm mainly talking of weeks/weekends away with the lads when sharing rooms means you never sure who did the puking.
I don't puke and blame the wife when I'm at home.
I'm much better now and usually make it to the big white telephone.

Puking and blaming the wife...that would be funny.

I never really puked from drinking. I hate puking. Maybe I would have had less hangovers if I puked.

I have to admit, I don't miss the hangovers.

My birthday is new years day, so every birthday has some kind of party the night before. I have had some long nights!!

21st was less eventful than others, but it did include gate crashing a doctors and nurses party. I vaguely remember being thrown in the air at midnight, alas there were more doctors than nurses!

Woke up in a strange house the next day. Thankfully I hadn't chundered in their place - well, that I remember.

Those were the days.

I would have been disappointed with any less of a story, Bill! I had a feeling we could count on you.

Mine was pretty relaxing, actually.  Just had a couple shots of 151, which was my everyday norm back then, and then went to see 'Hollow Man' with my sister and my wife at the time.

I liked the effects in 'Hollow Man', (again, for the time), but little else.  I liked the way Elisabeth Shue looked, but she was horrible in that movie.

Now, the morning after is what I really think about when I think of my 21st birthday.  (Funny that this topic should come up on a screenwriting website.)

The morning after my 21st birthing day is when I got my first rejection letter from a production company.  They said it showed promise but the ending was too graphic.  (Seems to be a theme, I guess.)

The script I sent them was called 'Closer'.  It was a serial killer story.  I came across it again probably about four or five years ago.  It was the most cliche'd, unoriginal story I've ever read in my life.  Watching some movies as of lately, though, it'd probably sell now.  Wish I still had it.

- Mark

Somebody gave me Tequila and hot sauce in a shot (I didn't know there was any hot sauce) and I ended up throwing up all over myself in the bar/restaurant.

Classy.