And the answer is…

The Internet Archive offers a collection of "answer songs" from the 50s and 60s. I embedded a player below, but going to the Archive itself allows you to select which songs to play.

We've previously posted about "answer songs," but here's the definition again (via wikipedia): "a song (usually a recorded track) made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist."

It's a genre that, as far as I know, has now entirely disappeared.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 27, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Music

Wild Life

Badminton on the prairie.

Wild Life, Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 27, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Agriculture | Death | Regionalism | Stupidity | Cartoons | Twenty-first Century

Artists and their Sears appliances

In 1969, Sears ran a series of magazine ads to advertise its Kenmore line of appliances. The ads below all appeared in Better Homes and Gardens.

The ads featured well-known artists (musicians, novelists, actors, etc.) who owned Kenmore appliances. I guess Sears was hoping to make itself seem like a more high-end brand by suggesting that people with good taste owned their products.

It's interesting to see the homes, and appliances, of these artists. For instance, Dave Brubeck apparently kept his washer and dryer in his living room.



A week ago I had never heard of Pauline Trigere. Now she's appeared in two posts within the past few days. She should have had a loaf of bread wrapped in waxed paper in the background.



I wondered if one of the kids was Natalie Cole, but I think they're her younger twin sisters Timolin and Casey.





That's definitely not George Clooney (Rosemary's nephew). I'm pretty sure it's her son Miguel Ferrer.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Apr 26, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Celebrities | Advertising | Appliances | 1960s

My Boomerang Won’t Come Back

Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 26, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Racism | Stereotypes and Cliches | 1960s | Australia | Weapons

Device to self-administer gas

This curious device was featured in Mechanix Illustrated (July 1938), but no info was given about the inventor.



So I searched the patent archive. This patent granted to Justin Sholes in 1939 seems to be it:

Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 25, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Drugs | Patents | 1930s

Fish Surgery

This is not a topic I had given much thought to, before encountering this report from 1955.

Then I found more-current info.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 25, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Medicine | Fish | 1950s | Twenty-first Century

Buy bread in waxed paper

Buy bread in waxed paper and then lounge about with it while wearing a gown designed by Pauline Trigere.

Life - June 7, 1954

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 24, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Fashion | Food | Advertising | 1950s

Trick Gun for Secret Society Initiations

Imagine the sheer delight of the person being initiated, when the realistic looking gun is pointed at them, a loud explosion occurs--but only water emerges! High-larious!

Full patent here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 24, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations | Guns | Patents | 1900s | Pranks

Balenciaga Towel Skirt

Balenciaga recently debuted a "towel skirt" that retails for $925. It's been receiving quite a lot of attention.



Ikea spoofed if by coming out with a "VINARN towel skirt".



A writer for Vogue tried wearing it on her morning commute. She wrote, "It looked like I’d locked myself out of the house while doing the bins... Only the bins were across town."

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 23, 2024 - Comments (3)
Category: Fashion | Overpriced Merchandise

Les Fo’Plafonds

Somewhat, ah, unique instruments.

Their YouTube channel is here.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 23, 2024 - Comments (3)
Category: Hobbies and DIY | Inventions | Music | Europe