Odyssey Videogame Machine

I love the overlay that goes on the screen.

Posted By: Paul - Thu May 02, 2013 - Comments (10)
Category: Technology, Television, 1970s, Videogames and Gamers

Follies of the Madmen #204

"I would sure like to see more fun commercials like that on television."

Seconded, Gary!

Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 29, 2013 - Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Domestic, Television, 1950s

THE GOLDBERGS

Once upon a time, sheer Jewishness was exotic enough to supply material for sitcoms and product spokesmanship.

THE GOLDBERGS.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Apr 05, 2013 - Comments (5)
Category: Ethnic Groupings, Family, Stereotypes and Cliches, Television, 1940s, 1950s

Birth of the Transistor Radio

Who could have predicted that the technology above would lead to the result below?

A useful reminder for Apple as they attempt to deliver a wristband computer--with what unpredictable results and uses, we shall ultimately find out!

Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 09, 2013 - Comments (7)
Category: Music, Technology, Television, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1950s, 1960s

Follies of the Madmen #199

Special smokes for wimps!

Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 14, 2013 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Television, Tobacco and Smoking, Wimps, Milquetoasts and Cowards, 1960s

Borden Ice Cream Ads

I watch only one half-hour of TV per week--THE SIMPSONS--so I am not really qualified to assert this. Maybe a reader can clarify. Are there such things nowadays as TV ads for ice cream? I think not. In the 1950s, Americans had to be trained to consume luxuries like ice cream. Now we eat it automatically, three times a day! So why waste money on ads?

Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 06, 2013 - Comments (6)
Category: Addictions, Eating, Business, Advertising, Television, Junk Food, 1950s

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids

How a sardonic adult western ever loaned its name to a sappy kids' cartoon will remain forever a mystery. Whose brainstorm was that? In any case, please revel in the ghastly animation.

And if this happens to be a potent nostalgic item for you, you can buy the recently released complete series at Warner Archives.

Wikipedia entry here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 23, 2013 - Comments (3)
Category: Music, Spies and Secret Agents, Television, Cartoons, Psychedelic, 1970s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults

Win an Elephant

Remember when Bart Simpson won a radio contest and had to choose between a live elephant and lots of cash--and he chose the elephant?

I wonder if that happened back in 1970, when this contest ran?

I wish I could find a better scan to read the fine print. But the first sentence seems to promise the winner a real beast if desired.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 17, 2013 - Comments (15)
Category: Animals, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Television, Cartoons, 1970s

Rocky & Bullwinkle:  “Sex on Planet X”

[Click to enlarge]

I've been reliving my youthful TV watching by streaming episodes of Rocky & Bullwinkle on Netflix. I certainly catch a lot more of the jokes than I did when I was in elementary school.

And in the screen shot above, you'll see a risque easter egg I encountered in Episode 5.

Anyone else have similar favorite moments from the media?

Posted By: Paul - Sun Nov 11, 2012 - Comments (9)
Category: Aliens, Sexuality, Television, Cartoons, 1950s, Parody, Pranks

Cartrivision

Cartrivision was the first VCR marketed to the American public, back in the early 1970s. It predated VHS and Betamax. However, it soon failed, for a variety of reasons. First, it was sold as a TV/home entertainment center/movie camera combo, which made it very expensive. That is, you couldn't buy just the player alone and attach it to your existing set. You had to buy the whole bundle. Second, you could rent movies for it, but you couldn't rewind the movies, so you could only watch them once. This limitation was designed into it at the insistence of the movie industry. Finally, perhaps its slightly creepy ads played a role in its demise. Maybe it's just me, but I definitely sense a pervy vibe coming off of the dad in the scene below.

More info: retrothing, wikipedia, mrbetamax

Posted By: Alex - Sun Nov 04, 2012 - Comments (11)
Category: Technology, Television, 1970s