As we all know, advertising is everywhere, especially around this time of year with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. You see ads on the internet, the road, on TV, in movie theaters, and in magazines and newspapers. Of course, people need to make a living while companies need to sell their products. And consumers need to buy stuff to carry on with their lives. Nonetheless, while people back then didn’t have nearly as much saturation in their media, that’s mostly because certain outlets weren’t around at the time. Yet, a lot of them do contain things that wouldn’t bode well today or at least allow a modern audience to take them seriously. Some of them may offend. Some may creep you out. While some may seem kind of freaky. So for your reading pleasure, I give you another treasury of old timey vintage ads.
- Ladies, don’t grow old. Try Dorothy Gray.
I think a better idea would be to accept aging as a natural process. And if your husband sees a problem with that, it’s his problem.
2. This premiere vibrator gives both pounding and rotary strokes.
This is actually more of a massager specifically for women. Yet, the fact this is referred to as a vibrator just inspires a more dirty scenario with the words, “Maybe she’ll get to use it-when you’re not home.”
3. Lose weight with some Fat Off obesity cream.
You can even apply it on your body while you bathe. Seriously, I don’t think it does a thing.
4. Make your hospital light, bright, and cheery with Truscon Detention Windows.
For God’s sake, that slogan is totally wrong. Hospitals are places of sickness, injury, and death. Unless it’s the maternity ward and even then you might find some degree of tragedy.
5. Why pay to see a shrink? Can’t he just get his act together?
This is an ad trying to combat the stigma on mental illness and encourage people to seek help. Yet, seeing that quote, I think it backfired horribly.
6. Doctors, don’t forget to check out these leucotomy instruments.
Actually a leucotomy means the cutting of nerve fibers within the brain, as in a prefrontal lobotomy. Let’s just say, it’s an infamous surgical procedure that you don’t want to get. Seriously, there’s a reason why brain surgeons don’t do lobotomies anymore.
7. Would your kid know what to do if you weren’t around?
Well, I’m sure this boy has it all under control. Yet, this girl doesn’t seem too confident with him bandaging her leg.
8. Ad Burns Martin, we fit fat guys.
Not sure if you’d want to advertise that. But I guess there’s a reason why we have big and tall stores.
9. With Clark’s Thinning Bath Salts, you can bathe the fat away.
No, I don’t think weight loss works that way. So this is another weight loss product that does shit.
10. Get your food chopped in no time with this new perfection chopper.
Okay, this image kind of creeps me out. Seriously, the chef face on that thing seems like the stuff of nightmares. For God’s sake, why did anyone think this was a good idea?
11. Got a cold? Well, it’s your own fault because you didn’t use Listerine twice a day.
For God’s sake, you can’t prevent colds with mouthwash. Also, that doctor has a terrible bedside manner.
12. Remember, ladies, B.O. can really ruin your social life.
Really? B.O. She has B.O. For God’s sake, just get a shower and put on some deodorant. Simple.
13. Don’t want a bald husband? Get him Wildroot Hair Tonic.
I don’t think your husband’s baldness is within anyone’s control. It’s genetic. Perhaps you just accept that he might go bald in the future.
14. Nothing says fun at the beach like a Lucky Strike cigarette.
In other news, enjoy the beach while it lasts. Because there’s a strong chance you’ll end up having respiratory problems and die of lung cancer.
15. Get healthy with electropathic belts.
And you thought Gwyneth Paltrow’s jade eggs were ridiculous. This is a wellness product that may electrocute your genitalia, especially if you’re a man.
16. Pratt’s Healing Ointment is great for man and beast.
Okay, this isn’t right. Seriously, the old guy seems a bit too pleased beside the horse in bed.
17. Ladies, don’t forget to wear Madame Rowley’s Toilet Mask 3 times a week.
I’m not sure how effective it is with retaining beauty. But I believe it definitely makes a great Halloween costume.
18. Vaseline is so pure you can eat it.
Not sure if I want to use that as a slogan for a product you’re not supposed to eat. Also, Vaseline is made from oil.
19. Improve your well-being with a Health Jolting Chair.
I’m sure it’s not like the ones used on death row inmates. But still, an electric chair to improve health? Are you fucking nuts?
20. Pet cigarettes are always the best.
You mean they had cigarettes for pets? You got to be kidding me. Apparently, giving people lung cancer wasn’t enough for tobacco companies.
21. Prevent dandruff and baldness with Newbro’s Herpicide.
Reading this ad gets dandruff and baldness completely wrong. For one, dandruff doesn’t cause baldness since it’s a genetic condition. Second, dandruff is mostly dead skin flakes on the scalp, not germs.
22. Check out this phone booth of the future.
Little did they foresee the invention of cellphones that would make phone booths obsolete. Seriously, we don’t use them anymore.
23. Keep your teenage boy’s sex drive in check with the sexual temperance spoon.
No, I don’t think that’s going to tame unwelcome erections in teenage boys. You’re better off making them watch the news.
24. “This is a computer?”
Still seems more like a large typewriter to me. On the bright side, it’s not as sexist as it’s portrayed as.
25. Keep your woman from straying with this genuine, lace-trimmed chastity belt.
Okay, this is more or less meant as a sex toy for those with a kinky taste. But the “keep her under lock and key” part would inflame any feminist.
26. Watch Sabrina demonstrate her Belle and Howell Color-Slide Projector.
I’m sure she’s in the ad for her technical know-how. Not for her torpedo shaped titties. Oh, wait, it’s totally because of her titties.
27. Union Carbide helps science build the new India.
Wasn’t Union Carbide responsible for a chemical disaster in Bhopal which is said to be the world’s worst industrial disaster back in the 1980s? Yeah, I don’t think they made a positive contribution in that country. More like as many as 16,000 deaths and environmental devastation.
28. Enhance your beauty with a pair of new eyelashes.
Actually those eyelashes look incredibly fake. While it makes these women appear quite ridiculous.
29. Pabst beer is always a blue ribbon drink.
Yet, I have no idea why these people have blue ribbon limbs. That’s just plain freaky.
30. Correct facial flaws with this beauty micrometer.
So basically it’s putting a woman in a head cage with spikes on it. Seems more like a torture device.
31. “A girl size hand needs a girl-size pen.”
Reminds me of Ellen DeGeneres joking about Bic’s pens for women and how sexist such concept is. Apparently, Bic wasn’t the first company to do so.
32. Keep your figure with Harness’ Electric Corsets.
So not only you can crush your internal organs but also electrocute them, too. Seriously, why did this exist?
33. “Does Mohawk Airlines have the best dress girls in the world?”
Who the hell cares how an airlines’ stewardesses are dressed? A better question is are they proficient at their job? Or whether they’re afraid of flying.
34. No girl should ever be pear shaped.
This is for shape underwear and bras. But yes, the body shaming is apparent.
35. Casket Cigarettes are the height of perfection.
Ironically the name is rather appropriate. Because smoking these will eventually put you in a casket before your time.
36. This stove and oven set is a real wifesaver.
Okay, that’s really sexist. Would expect this from the 1950s. Not the 1970s.
37. Like women, the best cigarettes are thin and rich.
Sure it’s incredibly sexist with the thin and rich message. Nonetheless, cigarettes aren’t like women. Since the best women won’t give you lifelong health problems and an early death.
38. Ferris Brothers has corsets for all mothers and daughters.
Really? Corsets inflict enough internal organ damage on women. But making your little girl wear one, that’s just even worse.
39. F.E. Young Dilators will relieve your piles and constipation woes.
Butt plugs? I don’t think people use them nowadays for constipation. And let’s call them what they are, butt plugs.
40. In the future, you can see whoever you talk on the phone.
I think we already have something like this on your cell phone. I mean you can get Skype on there. Also, that hat is ridiculous.
41. Remember, fellows, smart men don’t mask morning mouth.
Because a smart men wouldn’t wear a ridiculous space helmet to the office. So try Chlorodorant.
42. Relieve your worries with Barker’s Vibrator.
It’s actually supposed to be a wellness product like a massager. Yet, reading it inspires certain images that may not be safe to describe to children.
43. Improve your water circulation with the classic head.
Though “good head” can also be a sex term that I’m not very familiar with. Or at least what I think is a sex term.
44. “Take your party over the rainbow.”
Yet, Dorothy seems to wear sunglasses due to suffering migraine headaches, apparently. Though why Toto’s wearing sunglasses, I have no idea.
45. Sued by your children? We can help.
Reading this just makes me cringe. Since it portrays teenagers as being out of control kids who put their parents through hell.
46. Doctors, here is the drug pusher.
Apparently, the drug pusher is a scary dude who hangs out on a bench. Even wears a mullet. Avoid him.
47. You always know it’s clean with Pyrex.
Yet, the boy seems like he’s embarrassed like he accidentally dropped his pants. While his mom just laughs her head off.
48. Mighty Tiny is the world’s smallest record player.
Yet, this girl is so happy because she thinks these little records could be used as potential weapons. And she’s thinking about getting revenge on that neighbor who told her to get off his lawn.
49. Hold up your figure with Kotex belts-now in white.
What the hell is that supposed to be? Some sort of girdle? Also, her dress looks really white. Like it can blind you.
50. Protect your buildings with the magic mineral asbestos.
Yes, protect your building with the magical mineral asbestos. While you inhale it and die from mesothelioma.
51. Ven Heusen shirts give men a bolder look.
Apparently, Van Heusen thinks they’re great for when beating your wife. Seriously, the top image makes it seem like the brand is endorsing spousal abuse.
52. Glow with your health with VI-Rex Violet Rays.
So this is another electrotherapy device. Still, during the 1940s and 1950s, these devices were subject to numerous lawsuits and multiple actions by the US government like recalls, forfeitures, and orders to have them destroyed.
53. Take Prophylaxis for she might be a slut.
Though I don’t think Prophylaxis is that effective for preventing STDs. Best idea would not to have sex on the first date.
54. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Hooter.
Actually though it resembles a vacuum, it’s seems more like a cocaine dispenser. Still, the name’s pretty funny.
55. Hope you’d enjoy this snow shoveler.
Okay, that’s not used for shoveling snow on your driveway. That’s for shoveling cocaine.
56. Sno-blow always adds life.
Yes, more cocaine stuff. This is supposed to be a nose doucher you put in cocaine and up your nose. Yes, it’s disgusting.
57. Want to play this magic flute?
This is another cocaine object. Though it seems more or less like a whistle than anything. You can even have it on your keys.
58. Everything is always at its best in cellophane.
But putting your son in plastic wrap is not a good idea. Seriously, he could suffocate. Also, he doesn’t seem too happy about it either.
59. The love rug is always great when the time is right.
Available in jaguar, lynx, and mink. Yet, you’re unlikely to have sex on it with a guy who looks like David Hasselhoff.
60. Now you can get a poster of your own likeness.
And you thought taking a selfie is an expression of egotism. I think people who do this are incredibly self-absorbed like Donald Trump.
61. Rock in the newest hairstyle with the stretch wig.
Okay, that looks so stupid and fake. Seriously, I could tell it’s obviously a wig. Also, is that guy naked?
62. With Cannon Towels, your bathroom is a room with a view to tomorrow.
Yet, I wonder why the hell is a woman with a bare ass and back doing here. Oh, I get how sex sells. And she’s in the bathroom. Fair enough.
63. With this universal food chopper, you can cut anything.
Hell, you can even chop animals to smithereens. Though what’s more disturbing than the pigs in a grinder is that some of the fruits and veggies apparently have legs.
64. “Have you ever had a bad time in Levi’s?”
This is a 1971 ad for Levi’s for Gals. And here they show an angry woman in striped pants and a bad spray tan.
65. “He asked Mother for a dowry!”
So I guess wear ever aluminum utensils was the result seeing the ad. Still, the dowry thing is so Middle Ages and might be an indication that he’s a gold digger.
66. With Varig Air, you’ll find out what he actually does in Rio.
Basically when the headline is “I found out what he does on those ‘business’ trips to Rio,” it’s not usually a good thing. Of course, the description doesn’t have the guy doing anything shady. Yet, you kind of expect he may have something on the side.
67. “If you guys don’t buy these new Drummond sweaters, we’ll go back to male models.”
The company’s basically admitting they have a naked women in their ad because they think sex sells. Still, those sweaters are ugly and not worth the gimmick. So guys, please don’t buy these.
68. “Are your panties up to date?”
Why should I care if my panties are up to date? Nobody’s going to see them anyway. Seriously, why?
69. Get a Volkswagen because you know your wife will drive your car someday.
Okay, that’s really sexist since it implies that women are bad drivers. So it’s best you get a cheap economy car like a Volkswagen, according to their logic.
70. Got a Housewife Headache? Take some Anacin.
Or if you’re suffering from boredom and emotional fatigue, perhaps you might want to find something to do. Or watch Netflix. Or read a book.
The Lone Girl in a Crowd 