Weird Universe Archive
August 2013
August 3, 2013
Comb Art
A dominant theme in modern art is to transform everyday, seemingly mundane objects into art. I guess we can blame Warhol for this trend. In the case of Sonya Clark, her object of inspiration is plastic combs. She makes sculptures out of them. She explains: "Combs imply order in as much as they are tools that organize the fibers we grow. They suggest thorough investigation as in 'to go through something with a fine-toothed comb.' When a comb has broken or missing teeth there is evidence of struggle. The missing teeth provide a new rhythm, the music of a new order." [via junkculture]
Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 03, 2013 -
Comments (5)
Category: Art, Hair and Hairstyling
Woman Astonished and Delighted at Miracle of Popup Tissues
[Click to enlarge]
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 03, 2013 -
Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Emotions, Hygiene, 1950s, Women
August 2, 2013
Alien Spaceship?
Here's a Google Earth photo of something at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. That might be a good enough hint.
There's another hint in the categories listing.
Click on the link to learn the fascinating truth.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-02/captured-on-googl-earth-mysterious-barcode-patterns-strewn-across-us-land
Posted By: gdanea - Fri Aug 02, 2013 -
Comments (2)
Category: Photography and Photographers
Most Typical Boy
A little over a month ago I posted about how, back in the 1930s and 40s, there used to be "Miss Typical" contests. Turns out there were male versions of these contests as well. The picture below shows the 1939 finalists for the "Typical American Boy" contest. The winner was Karl McCready, 13, of Louisville, Kentucky (sitting in the front row, on the left). You can see some footage of the Typical Boy contest over at efootage.com.Can't help but wonder what kind of child would have been produced if Typical Boy and Miss Typical had ever gotten together.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 02, 2013 -
Comments (4)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1930s
Funky Weird Cover Versions
You will never hear these two classic songs again in the old way. Both cuts can be found on the What It Is! compilation in the sidebar.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 02, 2013 -
Comments (2)
Category: Music, Homages, Pastiches, Tributes and Borrowings, 1970s
August 1, 2013
Holy Bat-babies, Batman!
This short clip may change your opinion of bats and their scary reputation. My favorite part is where an official from the Australian government says they really need these bats to pollinate the plants.Trisha Wemberley is my new hero. She stayed up three nights in a row once to care for these orphaned bats.
Here's the link to the Austrailian Bat Clinic:
http://australianbatclinic.com.au/
How many bats do you want to adopt?
Posted By: gdanea - Thu Aug 01, 2013 -
Comments (6)
Category: Animals
Mairzy Doats
The song "Mairzy Doats," performed by the Merry Macs, became a surprise hit in 1944. The song is probably familiar to some of you, but for those who haven't heard it, it's worth having a listen because it's definitely one of the odder songs to ever become a chart topper. Its appeal was probably that it provided some comic relief during the war.The song had an apparently nonsense refrain:
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
But if you listened to the refrain carefully, it made sense as English. Read more about it at wikipedia.
1944 cartoon from the Ogden Standard-Examiner
Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 01, 2013 -
Comments (10)
Category: Music, 1940s
Wonder Bread
So far as I know, Wonder Bread has not yet returned to the shelves, although the rights to make it have been purchased. One can only hope that the new company revives this old ad campaign.
[Click all images to enlarge]
Ad source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 01, 2013 -
Comments (10)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Sex Symbols, 1940s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Chuck Shepherd Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |
