Reflection

While doing research for my second book, I called and asked my mom what it was like to live in the 1950's. She said it was a happy time, people were kind to each other, money had started to flow again after the ration days of WWII. She mentioned that everyone went out and bought a new car and TV set, repeating again that it was the prefect time to be alive. I commented how it wasn't exactly a perfect time—segregation was still around. She replied, "Yes, but we were working on that."

After our talk, I looked up some old magazine ads—which I spoke of in the last blog. What I enjoy most about these things are that they're like little time-capsules: our wants, dislikes, greed, and variety of greed. A simple ad about hotdogs can be about something else completely, just by how someone is holding the product and where and what clothes they're wearing. We're always looking in a mirror, but it's very distorted. We become what we see, and then the mirror changes, causing us to evolve over and over. The reflection is never a defined portrait, it's more like a prediction. If not for advertising, what would we be? We're so damn impressionable.

But, in all simplicity, I just love the humor. Here are some that I thought were fun and or shocking to read:

Mom used to make us gargle with this stuff and it made my breath worse. Yuck!

Those teeth are going to fall out anyway, kid.

Um, was this ever okay? Not cool.

Slobber.

Double slobber. I want this stereo system so baaaad!!!!

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMwhGNVO8ckjV80v6yE7saRTpmHBRGtdxi3S0DI_5kw2mtaLp0Og2KW6Mixi09ngIsNyVXg0ST4mu1E4OBekFUOlChORCQZlhXEdhKS9BF0qusbHw5y97wimEBrrKTjrD_vLCr-0tdeE/s1600-r/Pioneer+Stereo+Ad+1974.jpg

This is my favorite kind of ad. A regular woman like myself trying to lose weight . . . by eating.

http://pzrservices.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451ccbc69e2010536d2c1a9970b-pi

And there you have it, a small collection of ads showing how primal and insecure we are. It was cool, wasn't it? They're showing up now, but Google is weird, so here's a link to old magazines for your own viewing pleasure.

http://books.google.com/books?id=R1cEAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s#all_issues_anchor