October 2021
October 26, 2021
My Mother The Car
The 1965 sitcom My Mother the Car ran for a single season on NBC. Its oddball premise involved "a man whose deceased mother is reincarnated as an antique car, and she communicates with him through the car radio."Wikipedia notes, "Critics and adult viewers generally disliked the show, often savagely. In 2002, TV Guide proclaimed it to be the second-worst of all time, behind The Jerry Springer Show."
The Hackensack Record - Aug 17, 1986
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 26, 2021 -
Comments (7)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Television, 1960s
Alitalia Public Stripping Protest
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 26, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience, Public Indecency, Air Travel and Airlines, Europe
October 25, 2021
The Girl of the Far Future
This dress wouldn't have been out of place at an awards show in the '80s, or even today. So I'll give Ralph Moni credit for an accurate prediction.
New York Daily News - Mar 10, 1939
Ralph Moni, noted dress designer, made this gown for Helen Meyer to show his idea of the girl of the far future at the Midwest Beauty Trades Show. Charles Book then did his stuff. . . he's a New York hairdress expert. . . and capped Helen with the "futuristic" coiffure.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Oct 25, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Fashion, 1930s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
The Language and Poetry of Flowers
Once upon a time, each flower held a very specific symbolical meaning. You can read about them in this book.So be very careful next time you commission a bouquet for someone. You wouldn't want to include any white roses still in bud, lest you seem "ignorant of love."
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 25, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, Nature, Books, Nineteenth Century, Love & Romance
October 24, 2021
Howard makes clothes for men who make babies
Howard was a New York clothes store for men. The theme of their 1966 ad campaign was that they made clothes for virile men.The ad claiming that they made clothes "for men who make babies" was refused by every New York paper except the Times, which ran it once, and then never again, due to a complaint from the "Improvement of Advertising Content Committee".
New York Times - Mar 4, 1966
NY Daily News - Mar 3, 1966
NY Daily News - Mar 24, 1966
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 24, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Babies, Advertising, 1960s, Men
The Houndcats
A series so obscure (only 13 episodes) that not even Wikipedia knows of it.Their IMDB page reveals:
The Houndcats were five crack agents--leader Stutz, strongman Muscle Mutt, master of disguise Puddy Puss, electronics whiz Rhubarb and daredevil Dingdong--who received instructions of their latest mission via exploding tape-recordings and used their specialties to foil evil. If this sounds a bit like "Mission: Impossible", it's no coincidence. Sparkplug was the name of their car which took them to their assignments.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 24, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Cartoons, Cats, 1970s
October 23, 2021
7 Days to Better Bowling
Released in 1961 by Audio-Dynamics Corp. of Portland, Oregon. It promised better bowling through self-hypnosis. Although for right-handers only.INSTRUCTIONS
1. Listen to the record in solitude or free from distraction.
2. Listen to the record while in a relaxed, comfortable position.
3. This recording has been specifically designed to adapt to the schedule of the busy executive or career woman. Side No. 1 may be listened to at any time on any conventional 33-1/3 R.P.M. phonograph. Side No. 2 has been developed to be used on any 33-1/3 R.P.M. automatic player, and when used with a clock radio or timer, will accommodate those who do not have time for daytime listening. Listen for one hour at bedtime. Make certain your record player is set to repeat.
There was a companion album, "7 Days to Better Golf," which also specified that it was for right-handers only. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any clips from it online.
FOR RIGHT-HANDED GOLFERS ONLY!
image source: discogs.com
Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 23, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Hypnotism, Mesmerism and Mind Control, Self-help Schemes, Sports, 1960s
The Dryer Lint Art of Heidi Hooper
Recent article here.
More videos at her YouTube channel.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 23, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Domestic, Eccentrics, Outsider Art
October 22, 2021
Atomic Chess
Atomic Chess is a variant of chess that was invented by Nasouhi Bey Tahir, the Transjordanian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, in 1949. Most of its rules were the same as the traditional game except that it was played on a larger board (of 144 squares) and when a pawn was promoted it would become an 'atomic bomb'. When used it would annihilate all pieces (of both players) within a radius of six squares from the object of attack.The game also involved two other pieces, a tank and airplane, but I'm not sure how these were used.
Sydney Morning Herald - May 1, 1949
Chess.com describes a different version of Atomic Chess, that it says was introduced in 2000. This newer variant is played on a standard board, with the twist that "whenever a piece is captured, an 'explosion' reaching all the squares immediately surrounding the captured piece occurs. This explosion kills all of the pieces in its range except for pawns." Therefore, every capture, except by a pawn, is suicidal.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Oct 22, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Games, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1940s
The Damsel In Undress Campaign
A series of lingerie ads from the 1960s.Many more pics here, also from the same company's other campaigns.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 22, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Movies, Advertising, Underwear, 1960s
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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 |
