Short? Just lie

"A girl likes to look UP to her man..." - what a load of rubbish.

The solution for men of short stature. Lie about it and get some "Elevator Shoes".

"Elevators", 1964
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Blackface comedy

A minstrel show is an American form of entertainment where black people are portrayed in a way that is comical to a white audience. Truly racist entertainment.

Remember the black people in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "Tom Sawyer"? That's some of the stereotypes: funny and incompetent black people.

The ad here gives you the chance to learn it and you even get your own black person makeup. If you did this today you'll end up in jail. Or shot. Or both.

"Minstrels", 1930
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Give her the best

Think of June and a June bride says this ad. Well, you'd never buy something like this for a bride in the 21st century, would you?

"And you give her the best", 1947
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"For the Great Day, think of a Hoover" What a thought. Of course, in the 1940's an electric floor cleaner was a most elegant and prized possesion.

Fabulous. Just think of the other poor brides that still have to clean the floor on all fours.

Forgiving women

Old advertisements are an incredible tool for understanding the cultural norms and rules accepted by society.

Back in 1946, you could get away with an ad, in a nation-wide magazine, with the tagline:

"Forgive Her, she's only a woman."

The rest of the ad is just as "balanced" -women are portrayed as finicky fumbling creatures that can't be trusted.

From our perspective, it seems like the world before the sixties was not as fun or attractive. Sanforised or not.

"Forgive her", 1946
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Your sights are set on me

I really want to shake the hand of the adman that came up with this bizarre piece,

"Are your sights set...", 1959
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You mean black people go on dates toting shotguns -posing as old white people do- and they worry about their deodorant? I can think of the words patronizing and race-insensitive in the same sentence.

For crying out loud. I'm so relieved the sixties actually changed all that.