Follies of the Mad Men #74

This little film is simply the most brilliant surrealistic, dadaistic piece of cinema of the second half of the twentieth century. Opening with a full minute of a young woman wandering an autumnal landscape, it evolves into an anti-capitalist treatise featuring a world where decorative refrigerators rule mankind. And it's all done without dialogue. Forget Bunuel and Dali! Westinghouse and the Jam Handy Organization rule!

Considering it was made circa 1968, one has to ask: what were they smoking/dropping, and where can I get some today?

Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 02, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Domestic, Interior Decorating, Drugs, 1960s

Follies of the Mad Men #73

Why do I get the sense that this "game" is just one card away from turning into a full-fledged orgy?

Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 29, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Games, 1960s

Follies of the Mad Men #72

This one's just for Patty, who registered discontent with our exclusive concentration on the female form!

Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 27, 2009 - Comments (6)
Category: Animals, Body Modifications, Business, Advertising, Products, Hygiene, Fictional Monsters

Follies of the Mad Men #71

[From The Saturday Evening Post June 6, 1953.]

An ad which inevitably causes the viewer to ask, "Is that a barber pole in your Jockeys, or are you just happy to see me?"

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 11, 2009 - Comments (6)
Category: Business, Advertising, Fashion, 1950s, Genitals

Stupid Punts, Cheesy Bankers and the World’s Wurst Museum!

In what looks likely to go down as the slowest naval engagement of all time, rival punting companies in the historic English town of Cambridge are apparently engaging in a clandestine war for the city's annual passenger river-trade, worth an estimated £2.5m ($4m). The latest move in what the locals dub "the punt wars" has seen two of the flat, pole-propelled craft belonging to one local operator sawn through from end to end. Until now, some punt companies have stuck to using stink bombs or liquid soap to incapacitate their rivals' craft, or have severed mooring chains so that the boats must be found and recovered before they can start work, but this latest escalation of the conflict, which caused £10k of actual damage, is worrying many people. Some are now calling for a limit on the number of punts allowed to work on the river (Guardian).

Meanwhile, in Milan in Italy, the loan-collateral held in the vault at Credito Emiliano is not only protected by inches of steel and high-tech alarms systems, it's also maintained at the perfect temperature and humidity, and turned and cleaned by automated systems to ensure that it keeps its value. That's because Credito Emiliano is offering the local cheese-makers loans of up to 60% of the value of any parmesan cheese deposited with them. With each parmesan wheel worth 300 euros ($400), and local producers typically putting up 2000 wheels in a year in collateral, this has meant the bank has lent nearly 420 thousand euros ($600k) to each customer against the cheese in their vault. Which is gouda news for the local cheese industry (AP).

If there is one food that could be intimately linked with the German city of Berlin, it's the currywurst. A twisted cousin to the American chilli-dog, from a parallel universe so evil even the women have goatees, the Berlin currywurst is a sliced pork sausage served with plenty of powdered curry and cayenne and covered in a spicy, curry sauce and sold by street vendors to the passing trade. So popular is this snack in Berlin that the city has just opened the Currywurst Museum to show off the dish's history to tourists and locals alike. Partly this is to support Berlin's claims to be the birthplace of the currywurst, but it is also hoped the museum will promote the snack in the face of increasing competition from more conventional fast food. As one might expect from a museum dedicated to this singular foodstuff, the cafeteria includes an authentic currywurst stand (Times).

(Images from Wikipedia.)

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Sun Aug 23, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Business, Crime, Destruction, Museums, Pirates

Meet King Joe

Shouldn't they update this cartoon with regards to the Chinese worker?

Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 21, 2009 - Comments (1)
Category: Business, Movies, Documentaries, 1940s

1948 Commercials

What a weird and different era....

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 25, 2009 - Comments (9)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, 1940s

Follies of the Mad Men #70

[From Playboy for May 1970.]

Well, folks, here it is: the last FOLLIES OF THE MAD MEN for the foreseeable future, and my last regular post after one year's worth of nearly two per day. I didn't quite achieve two FOLLIES per week over that year, but close.

In any case, read the convoluted logic here about how your choice of TV reflects your sexual prowess.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 07, 2009 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Sexuality, Television, 1970s

North Korean Beer Commercial

Benny-Hill-stye music, women with barely an inch of flesh showing-- The North Koreans have a lot to learn!

Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 03, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Asia, Alcohol

Make Mine Duff’s!

Who knew that Homer Simpson's favorite brewery also made cake mixes?

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 27, 2009 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Cartoons, Alcohol