Mt. Rainier and Lenticular Clouds - Dec. 2008 copyright: JMM

June 21, 2007

1964, Volume 3

"I think my boyfriend is ever so dreamy". Actually it's not that this ad is amusing, but it's amazing to think that calling long distance was something new in 1964, and now we can hold conversations with each other, from all over the world in real time. Like the other day, Julie called me at work from Oregon, and while on the phone w/ her, I was IM'ing Val in London.


I have nothing against this ad or the outdated furniture, but it's the wallpaper that I want to point out. That's a whole lotta paisley. I would not want to be looking at this wall while under the influence of psychedelics. Apparently the people in this ad say that their house came alive after purchasing this piece of furniture. As one who has seen "The Shining" many times, I really do not want my house to EVER come alive.

You mean to tell me that all these years we've been pumping Ritalin into our kids, that attractive glasswear is the secret to obedient and compliant children? Well smack my ass and call me Judy!!!
Also, who slugged this little girl in the face and gave her the black eye? Is that supposed to be cute?

These early ads for "feminine products" are just a SCREAM. "Internal sanitary protection". Could it be more clinical?! Compare this to the "have a happy period" ads that run on TV during dinner and the evening news. "You never have to worry about odor. Or chafing. Or telltale bulges....You feel clean. With no belts, pins, pads to bother you." Criminy. Who knew menstruation used to be so difficult? How did women through the centuries survive? Ok, I guess that's easy for me to say because stick-on pads were available when my childhood was robbed at age 11. But that's another story.



Oh geez, "Kotex Miss Deb - made especially for her" pads for girls......"A soft pink covering on her Miss Deb napkin makes her feel feminine and dainty-just the way a young lady wants to feel at this time." OK, get real people. When I was in 6th grade and got my period, the absolute LAST thing I wanted to do was advertise that fact to every kid in my class, especially to the boys, by carrying a bright pink covered pad to the bathroom. It's not very discreet. You might as well put a flashing arrow over your head that says, "SHE HAS HER PERIOD!" And I gotta tell ya, I've never felt "dainty" in my entire life, much less "at this time."

14 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Sorry that was me!

    I'm amazed at how children are portrayed in these ads. Your kid acts up at the dinner table so give her a black eye?!

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  3. I was sort of hoping that maybe the black eye was meant to represent trouble she got in with another kid? But still, to see a little girl with a black eye, it was weird.

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  4. Imagine the shock today's ads would cause to some of our long gone relations. My Grandmother would have fainted if she saw some of the ads toady. Things like an Dole and his "ED" ad or condom ads on TV. Our sensibilities and taboos do change, sometimes I'm not so sure that's good.

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  5. oh, hi "judy"
    ...and wasn't i at first smugly intrigued and then mortified when my mom brought out that huge carton of kotex with the pamphlets and the belt.

    oh, and the dinty moore on white bread? just the mere thought of that combination makes me want to never eat again. AHHA!! maybe that's how i'll lose weight

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  6. Some very valid points here, Jojo!
    I often have a nightmarish reminiscence of when I had my period at age NINE --- running with my skinny friends (I looked like a hippo) and feeling like I'm on a saddled horse!!!!! LOL!

    THanks God for Progesterone! No period since 1995, baby!!! WHOA!

    I know that in the 50's movies and ads, kids with black eyes often represented being mischievous and tomboy. Let's hope that was the idea here.

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  7. Anonymous2:55 PM

    I still have some of my old school books, from when I was several centuries younger, which I used to cover with leftover wallpaper. One of them has the most HIDEOUS brown/orange ensemble on it. My mother denies anything like it ever graced her house, but at 9 years old, I doubt I lived on my own ;0)

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  8. All three of my children sport black eyes at the dinner table. That's how I keep 'em in line!

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  9. Anonymous10:14 AM

    julie....

    oh, the ads. I was too busy laughing at your humor and wit, JoJo.

    BRILLIANT!!

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  10. You are as witty as the ads are funny, JoJo.

    Some years ago I bought my mother a birthdate newspaper for her birthday. It was a copy of The Times for Monday 28th April 1919. So many of the news stories could have been from today that I wrote them out and asked my pupils to guess which were the old and which the new.

    Sadly, I can't share them with you, because one day, when my mother's marbles had started to roll away, she tore hunks of paper off and lined the cat litter tray with them. It had only cost me £20!

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  11. Actually, long-distance calling dates back to 1911. And the first customer-to-customer long distance call was placed in 1951.

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  12. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention -

    Some bloggers start acting more like angels when you black their eyes too.

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  13. Anyone have any idea what Mark's last comment means? Sounds like he just assaulted someone.

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  14. Figuratively speaking, Val...

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