1940s
American Legion Parades of Yore
Today, the average upstanding citizen is a pale shadow of his or her riotous ancestors. We don't drink as much or smoke as much or act goofy in public as much (despite the roll call of weird behaviors as collected by our Fearless Leader, Chuck.)
Look at this boring clip of a contemporary American Legion parade from last year.
Then view this account from 1947, when randy old codger Legionnaires rode bucking ATVs through the streets, poured water from hotel windows, and shocked innocent women with cattle prods (probably the very ones sold through Johnson Smith catalogs, as shown earlier on WU).
Now, answer truly: which era would you rather live in?
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 27, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Hobbies and DIY, Parades and Festivals, 1940s, Pranks
Hollywood Wolf Whistle
Original ad here. (Scroll down.)
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 26, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Motor Vehicles, Public Indecency, 1940s
The Bear Who Went to War
I've had this post queued up for weeks--then darn old Chuck goes and scoops me yesterday! But he didn't give you the visuals!
Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 10, 2012 -
Comments (1)
Category: Animals, War, Documentaries, 1940s
Best Hollywood Fake Nickname Ever
1) Sexy innuendo.
2) Bad pun.
3) Topical.
4) Privileges career of minor starlet over thousands of dead civilians in Japan.
A triumph of the press agent's art!
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 22, 2011 -
Comments (7)
Category: Movies, War, Weapons, 1940s, Double Entendres and Nudge-Nudge, Wink-Wink
Follies of the Mad Men #170
Now that PBR is a hipster beer, I wonder if they will revive this old ad campaign which is like some Twilight Zone episode where humans have been turned into hideous 2-D ribbons.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 15, 2011 -
Comments (3)
Category: Aliens, Body Modifications, Business, Advertising, Products, 1940s, Alcohol
Fiesta Soundie
Continuing our series of musical stereotypes.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 08, 2011 -
Comments (3)
Category: Music, Stereotypes and Cliches, 1940s, Central America
Men’s Adventure Magazines
Here is a site guaranteed to chew up hours of your idle time.
My pal, Phil Stephensen-Payne, runs a page dedicated to the history of magazines. He recently put together a wing dedicated to the "true story" men's mags.
If you follow this link, you come to a page containing the names of over 150 such zines. Click on any title and be presented with a gallery of cover images like the one above.
Happy viewing!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 28, 2011 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Destruction, Magazines, Sexuality, Sports, Stereotypes and Cliches, War, Foreign Customs, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Men, Fictional Monsters, Graphics
Electrified Lunch Box
Wonder why this never caught on...?
Original article here. (Scroll up one page.)
Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 21, 2011 -
Comments (3)
Category: Food, Inventions, Stupidity, 1940s
Strange As It Seems
News of the Weird has several ancestors. One is Strange As It Seems.
Strange as it Seems featured bizarre stories based on cartoons created by John Hix who was a staff artist at the Washington Herald. The comic strip Strange as it Seems was syndicated in American newspapers between 1928 and 1944. Strange as it Seems was comparable to Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Sponsored by Exlax in the 1930s and Palmolive Shave Cream when the show reappeared in 1947-1948.
The brand has recently been revivied, and features a YouTube Channel. Check it out!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 17, 2011 -
Comments (2)
Category: Newspapers, Radio, Weird Studies and Guides, Comics, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s
What’s Their Motto?
Your assignment: to come up with this company's slogan. I'll volunteer the old Timex one, although it's not quite right: "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"
Surely WU-vies can do better!
Original ad here. Scroll down.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 15, 2011 -
Comments (8)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Sexuality, Public Indecency, Technology, 1940s
| Who We Are |
|---|
| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. 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. Contact Us |