Weird Universe Archive
October 2021
October 16, 2021
Amphibia Eau de Toilette
A fragrance for muppet fans was a cute idea, but the image of Kermit with six-pack abs was a bit unsettling.
For some reason, Amphibia was deemed culturally significant enough to be added to the Smithsonian's collection. From the Smithsonian:
Amphibia eau de toilette was launched in 1995. It was sold exclusively at Bloomindale’s and was advertised as being "Pour homme, femme, et frog." The glass fragrance bottle is in its original packaging, which includes a cardboard box also containing a t-shirt with an image of Kermit the Frog lounging on his back and showing off his 6-pack abs.
Fort Myers News-Press - Dec 26, 1995
Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 16, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: 1990s, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents
A Tough Dance
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 16, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Movies, 1900s, Dance
October 15, 2021
Bad Frog Beer
Can you guess why Bad Frog Beer was banned in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina? The answer is below in extended.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Fri Oct 15, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings, 1990s, Alcohol
Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 39
The artist's Wikipedia page.
The Images of Modern Evil series, painted between 1943 and 1948, offers a probing and powerful insight into the schismatic socio-political climate of World War II and its aftermath. Though neither critically nor popularly successful at the time, the series proved formative in Tucker’s practice as a distillation of humanist, psychological and mythological ideas and as a vehicle for specific motifs and narratives that have endured within his art.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 15, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Art, Evil, 1940s
October 14, 2021
Nail Heel Boots
Footwear from Maison Margiela. Fall 2008. Looks like they're no longer available for purchase. But if they were, they'd cost you $1490.
via Tapireye
Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 14, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Shoes
Gastro Obscura
A new book from the ATLAS OBSCURA folks about weird foods. A perfect Xmas present for any WU-vie!I understand Jeppson's Malört is discussed therein.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 14, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, Regionalism, World, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust
October 13, 2021
Citroen ad with secret message
Can you figure out what the hidden message is? The answer is below in extended.Hint: Enlarging the image (click on it) will help.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 13, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Advertising
Budd-Michelin Rubber-Tire Trains
The Wikipedia page.Long informative article here (a PDF).
Newspaper source: The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California) 25 May 1932, Wed Page 13
Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 13, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, 1930s, Europe, North America, Trains
October 12, 2021
The Farm Art of Jens ‘Art’ Morrison
Jens 'Art' Morrison, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a practitioner of 'farm art'. Or, as he put it, he was a 'farmicist'. He mostly worked in ceramics and was most active during the 1970s and '80s.By 'farm art' he meant that a) farm animals were a recurring theme throughout his work, and b) there was a heavy emphasis on quirky, folk humor in his work, as well as A LOT of bad puns (see 'farmicist'). So, 'farm art' was deliberately distinct from 'serious art'.
One of his creations was 'Juxtapachickens.' This was a series of fourteen-inch ceramic chickens. (The url juxtapachicken.com leads to a site that consists solely of a picture of two skinned chickens in a pot. I have no idea if this was somehow inspired by or related to Morrison's work. I'm guessing not.)
Far more elaborate was his "artillogical" discovery of the "Farmounians," who he claimed were the ancient, original settlers of Iowa. As he put it:
About 450 B.C. (before ceramics), the Farmounians crossed the Boaring Straits, sailed down the River Swine, and settled in the eastern basins of Iowania, to farm the fertile fields and rolling hills. The ancient glyphs and corntainers are imporktant because they depigt the lifestyles and legends of the Farmounians: the mysteries of the Corn Cult, the age of Barcornius, and the winter dwelling or Pigloo. These frelics of the daily rituals, banal activities, and peculiar characteristics make Farmounian art unique in the western world.
He created (or 'discovered') numerous artifacts of these Farmounians, such as 'corntainers' that displayed ancient-looking ceramic reliefs he called 'Pigtaglyphs'. He said he was just providing 'infarmation' about this ancient culture.
Morrison even wrote a book about the Farmounians — A History of Farmounia. He described it as a 'Historical Gehography'. It's an obscure work, but there's a copy available on abebooks for $33.66 (plus $34 shipping from the UK to US).
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 12, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Farming, Art
Follies of the Madmen #517
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 12, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Business, Advertising, Tobacco and Smoking, Women
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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 |
