1960s
Follies of the Madmen #262
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 17, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Annoying Things, Business, Advertising, Products, Death, Insects and Spiders, 1960s, Australia
Launched in a sea of beer
In 1968, the General Dynamics shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts denied the rumor that it was going to launch the USS Milwaukee by floating it out in a "sea of beer," but company officials admitted they had been considering the idea. They figured that it would "add distinction and excitement to the float-out."They calculated that it would have required 68 million quarts of beer to achieve the float-out, and abandoned the idea because "we just couldn't figure out what to do with 68 million non-returnable empties."
Nashua Telegraph - Sep 10, 1968
Portsmouth Herald - Sep 26, 1968
USS Milwaukee
Related: The Banana-Launched Ship, 1941
Posted By: Alex - Fri Oct 16, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Inebriation and Intoxicants, 1960s
Personalized Dolls
Introduced in 1965 by New York toy manufacturer Jet Party Favors.
The dolls were said to be popular with "grandparents who desire reminders of grandchildren living in other cities, ... narcissists who want dolls depicting themselves as youngsters, necrophiles who want dolls of deceased relatives, and teen-age girls who mail their doll-like images to boy friends stationed overseas."
Source: Newsweek - Feb 22, 1965
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 13, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Toys, 1960s
SURFER BOY by the Supremes
The Supremes as the Beach Boys? To me, that's far enough off their baseline to be weird!
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 10, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Music, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1960s
The Wrist Twist Steering Wheel
March 1965: The Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Co. began testing the "wrist twist" steering wheel at dealerships around the country. With this "no-wheel steering wheel," the driver controlled the car by means of two rotating plastic rings, five-inches in diameter. The rings turned simultaneously and could be turned with one or both hands.As the video below explains, the benefit of the "wrist twist" was that you could more easily rest your arms on armrests while driving.
I guess the drawback was that you got carpal tunnel syndrome in your wrists by constantly having to twist them around.
More info: Popular Science - Apr 1965
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 06, 2015 -
Comments (21)
Category: Inventions, 1960s, Cars
Follies of the Madmen #261
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 06, 2015 -
Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, 1960s, Cars
Fine Art on Billboards
1963: In response to polls indicating that a majority of the public disliked billboards along highways and were in favor of banning them, the O'Mealia Outdoor Advertising Corp. began displaying fine art masterpieces on a handful of its billboards throughout New Jersey. The idea was to show that billboards could be educational and instructive, and that they should be thought of as "the public's art gallery." Among the masterpieces displayed were Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Gainsborough's Blue Boy.Cute idea, but it must have been difficult for motorists to fully appreciate a masterpiece as they sped by it at 60 mph. Perhaps those stuck in traffic jams could admire the art.
link: Popular Science - Oct 1965
Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 24, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Art, Museums, 1960s
Follies of the Madmen #260
Is the falling-down part of skiing really what the resort wants to highlight?
From the Daily Illini for December 19, 1967.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 15, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Regionalism, Screwups, Sports, Advertising, 1960s
Rent Boys of Central Park
1963 was a more innocent time, when the idea of young boys renting themselves out to strangers in Central Park wasn't anything to be concerned about.
Newsweek - Sep 2, 1963
Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 14, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Children, 1960s
Bob Harrington, the Chaplain of Bourbon Street
The animated mouth of Jesus, who speaks with a robot voice, is tops!
As for Bob Harrington himself, am I cynical for imagining that hanging out with the hookers and party-animals of Bourbon Street was more fun than ministering to Jim and Jane Normal in the suburbs?
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 14, 2015 -
Comments (2)
Category: Regionalism, Religion, 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, 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 |