Category:
Politics
Politics
Mayor Max
In 2012, the residents of Idyllwild, California elected Max as their mayor. He was a golden retriever. Tragically he died of cancer a year later, but the people of Idyllwild agreed that Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II, aka Mayor Max II, could complete his term of office. The new Max was subsequently granted a perpetual term as mayor. So he's still in charge there.Check out the official Mayor Max website.
Mayor Max I
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 12, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Politics
How I Stole Elections
Marlin Hawkins served as an elected official in Conway County, Arkansas for 38 years — for most of that time as sheriff. He built up a legendary political machine, being able not only to win reelection for himself (19 times) but also to deliver votes for other candidates. He often boasted that he could accurately predict the outcome of every election in the county.
It was long suspected that he was rigging the elections, especially since absentee voters would always vote for him by a wide margin, but no one could ever prove anything.
After he retired in 1978, Hawkins eventually wrote his autobiography, which he brazenly titled How I Stole Elections (available on Amazon). He joked that he "stole" them by "treating my neighbors right."
But no, he stole them by ballot fraud.
His book came out in 1991. The year after, some people who were remodeling their house discovered a whole stash of marked ballots from a 1968 election hidden in their attic. The house had previously been owned by one of Hawkins' deputies.
Hawkins got away with it because the statute of limitations had expired in 1974. He died in 1995.
More info about him at the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
Palm Beach Post - Jan 9, 1992
Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 09, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Government, Politics, Books, 1990s
President Naa Hoo Woo of the USA
What a blatant instance of cultural appropriation!
Original foto here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 26, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Fashion, Politics, Officials, 1970s, Native Americans
1960s Marx Presidents Set
Gee, I wonder why they quit adding new presidents after LBJ?
More info here.
Original ad here.
ADDENDUM: WU-vie GES seems to have found a Nixon figure from the final incarnations of this set.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Feb 05, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Politics, Toys, 1960s
Blood Painting
In Culver City, California, artist Illma Gore is painting a canvas with human blood to protest the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump. She's working with 20 pints of blood donated by artists, musicians, and activists.
I'm sensing that weird stuff people do to protest Trump will be a prolific theme in weird news during the next four years.
More info: abc7.com
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 13, 2017 -
Comments (7)
Category: Art, Politics, Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience
Damn It, Pass the Bread!
July 1930: Charles G. Wood, author of Reds and Lost Wages, when speaking before Hamilton Fish's Special Committee to Investigate Communist Activities in the United States revealed the corruption of morals that followed the adoption of communism, illustrated by the fact that children in the Soviet Union had no table manners and were being taught to say, "Damn it, pass the bread."
El Paso Evening Post - July 21, 1930
The Baltimore Sun - July 17, 1930
Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 17, 2016 -
Comments (0)
Category: Politics, Reformers, Do-gooders, Agitators and SJWs, 1930s
Anti-Hero Hostility Dart Board
In 1967, artist Robert Cenedella came out with the "Anti-Hero Hostility Dart Board," featuring "photographic images of some of your favorite anti-heroes." Consumers could choose between an "LBJ, Lady Bird, Humphrey, Castro, Hochi Minn, De Gaulle, Nasser, Nixon, Bobby Kennedy, Reagan, or Sigmund Freud" dart board.In a later interview, Cenedella said that, "For a few dollars extra, you could put a relative or an ex-wife there." He added, "I had more success in doing these gimmicks than I did at my art."
The following year, Cenedella discontinued the dart boards, citing his concern that the nation had become too violent.
As far as I know, Cenedella's Hostility Dart Board was the first commercially sold, political-themed dart board. But nowadays they're fairly common. Zazzle.com, for instance, has a bunch of them.
La Crosse Tribune - June 12, 1968
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 30, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Politics, Products, 1960s
The Smell of The Donald
In 2004, Donald Trump lent his name to a perfume — DONALD TRUMP: THE FRAGRANCE. Now that he's going to be President, that means he's the first U.S. President to have a perfume named after him. The stuff is no longer for sale, but if you really want some, there's plenty of it to be found on eBay.The marketing literature that came with it promoted it as, " Luxurious. Confident. Persuasive. The compelling new scent for men. Power attracts."
Wendy Donahue, Chicago Tribune reporter, reviewed it and wrote:
The scent that emerges is floral and fruity and green — as in plant matter — not money-money-money, as the opening to "The Apprentice" theme song goes.
Even Trump describes it as such: "It's a rose flavor; it's an orange flavor; it's lemony... What I did was I really relied on the great people of Estee Lauder. You know, so many companies wanted to do it. They gave me 30 different scents, all of which they felt were good, and I chose the one I liked."
Even Trump describes it as such: "It's a rose flavor; it's an orange flavor; it's lemony... What I did was I really relied on the great people of Estee Lauder. You know, so many companies wanted to do it. They gave me 30 different scents, all of which they felt were good, and I chose the one I liked."
In a case of satirical prophecy, back in 1992 MAD magazine had imagined a Trump fragrance line. They called it "The Smell of The Donald."
via mimifroufrou.com
Posted By: Alex - Tue Nov 22, 2016 -
Comments (8)
Category: Politics, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents
Antonio De Soto Major
We tend to think we have some eccentric politicians today, like the UK's Boris Johnson or, ahem, a certain President-elect. But really, the past had the present beat hollow, and we are proved to be relatively colorless today by comparison.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 10, 2016 -
Comments (2)
Category: Eccentrics, Politics, Europe, Nineteenth Century
America needs a space age president
Gabriel Green campaigned to be President of the United States in 1960, promoting himself as "your write-in space-age candidate."His main qualification was that he had "seen at least 75 flying saucers and has chatted with space people." Also, he was founder of the Amalgamated Flying Saucer Clubs of America. He promised that his presidency would usher in "The World of Tomorrow, and UTOPIA now."
However, he didn't attract a lot of support from voters. He attributed this to the fact that "not enough Americans have yet seen flying saucers or talked to outer space people." So he dropped out of the race and endorsed John F. Kennedy. The space people told him that they approved his decision.
He ran again in 1972, with similar results.
More info (and photos) at Gabriel Green for President.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Nov 08, 2016 -
Comments (6)
Category: Politics, Strange Candidates, 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 |