1960s
The Stay-Alert Game
Briefly experimented with in 1969 as a way to motivate U.S. troops in Vietnam to stay alert, fight better, and avoid casualties. The idea was that combat would be turned into a game. Each platoon was awarded points for enemy troops killed, weapons captured, and rice caches discovered. But they lost points if they suffered any battle casualties. The winning platoon would receive two or three days off at a rest center.Troops hated the stay-alert game, so it was quickly mothballed.
Appleton Post-Crescent - May 5, 1969
Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 17, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Games, Military, War, Armed Forces, 1960s
Bacchus After-Shave
Very strange 1969 ad campaign for Bacchus after-shave. The premise is that instead of leaving a giant horse outside of Troy, the Greeks actually left a "towering bottle of Bacchus," and that this caused the Trojan women to become so wild with lust that the Trojan men no longer had time for fighting.It then follows this up with the tagline: "The Romans conquered an empire with it. Go out and conquer yours."
But what do the Romans have to do with the Trojan horse? Rome didn't even exist at the time of the Trojan war. I guess there's a vague connection because the Romans believed they were descended from the Trojans, but even so the history seems hopelessly muddled.
Esquire - Jan 1970
Posted By: Alex - Sun Sep 16, 2018 -
Comments (4)
Category: History, Advertising, 1960s, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents
Follies of the Madmen #382
Associating your product, even in jest, with reviled aristocrats: not the smartest move.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 11, 2018 -
Comments (7)
Category: Business, Advertising, Royalty, Soda, Pop, Soft Drinks and other Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 1960s
Mystery Illustration 76
What actress, most famous in the 50s and 60s, lurks beneath this makeup?
The answer is here.
And after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 08, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Hollywood, 1950s, 1960s
Mystery Gadget 64
NASA uses this. What is it?
The answer is here.
And after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 07, 2018 -
Comments (3)
Category: Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, Technology, 1960s
Follies of the Madmen #381
If you're going to make an outrageous claim for your product, why not go big!
Alice Pearce.
Joey Heatherton.
One source I have seen credits this ad to the famous George Lois.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 06, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Body Modifications, Business, Advertising, Cosmetics, 1960s
They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!
Made it to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 popular music singles chart on August 13, 1966. But according to Wikipedia:The flip side of the single had the same song played backwards.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 04, 2018 -
Comments (7)
Category: Music, 1960s
Burt Reynolds in HAWK
Portraying a "full-blooded Iroquois." Lasted 17 episodes.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 29, 2018 -
Comments (0)
Category: Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Law, Television, 1960s
Miss Cold Potato of 1966
All will be explained at the link.Many many thanks to WU-vie Fred Goebel for this charming discovery.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 28, 2018 -
Comments (4)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Food, 1960s
Million Dollar Legs Contest
Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 27, 2018 -
Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1960s, Women
| Who We Are |
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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 |