Category:
Twentieth Century

Follies of the Madmen #608

Man, this ad is all over the place!

Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 22, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Scatterbrained, Unfocused and Ditzy, Advertising, Junk Food, Twentieth Century

The Hays Code

We've all heard of the infamous Hays Code,which governed for decades what could and could not be shown in a Hollywood film. But have you ever had a chance to actually read its 24 pages? Well, you do now!

Text here.



Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 08, 2024 - Comments (5)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, Movies, Twentieth Century

Miss General Electric

In 2017, Alex reported on "Miss Food Freezer," who also held the title of "Miss General Electric." I thought I'd try to find other winners of the latter title. But references are few and far between.

The earliest citation is 1925; the latest, 1968.

I am not sure about "Miss General Electric Torch" being the same honor.








Miss General Electric Torch and Miss Bell Torch presenting $507,412 and $630,943 to the United Fund. Two women holding a sign.


Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 24, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Technology, Appliances, Twentieth Century

Walter Easler, Human Pincushion

Nowadays, we are used to all kinds of piercings in daily life. But this fellow still merits a look.



This young man is literally "on pins and needles" but it doesn't seem to worry him in the least. He is Walter Easler, of Lorain, Ohio, and he is able to pierce his skin with impunity because of sensory anesthesia with which nature has endowed him. The pins and needles which penetrate his lips and cheeks do not cause him the slightest pain, and he recalls with amusement his father's perplexity when he was a lad as to how he could be punished since spankings could not be felt.


Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 23, 2024 - Comments (3)
Category: Body Modifications, Human Marvels, Twentieth Century, Pain, Self-inflicted and Otherwise

The Goofus Club

There seem to have been innumerable organizations with this name. One, from the 1920s, focused on sports. One from the 1960s featured amateur magicians. So I am not sure how the first song represents "The Goofus Clubs of America." But you can enjoy the various versions anyhow.





Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 17, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Geeks, Nerds and Pointdexters, Music, Twentieth Century

Beaversprite

Dorothy Richards established a sanctuary for beavers in Little Falls, NY. Not so weird. Except that she also had several beavers at a time living in her home.

Read her life story at the Internet Archive.



Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 12, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Eccentrics, North America, Twentieth Century

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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.

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