Retro Ad #4 - Buy War Bonds - Get a House and Gold Digger

This poster is a bit of an oddity from the days of World War  II, when the easiest way to provide support to the war effort, was buying war bonds.  For those who are unacquainted with the world of war bond, they were documents issued by the government  promising inflated financial returns in the years beyond a country's imminent victory in war, in exchange for money.  This money was used to finance a country's war effort, and the influx of cash was also used as a means to control inflation by taking money out of circulation.  Canada, the United States, and Germany all had war bond programs during the first and second world wars.

While most North American war bond posters usually portrayed various glorious battlefield scenes or scenes from the war effort back at home, this one is just bizarre.  It features characters from Li'l Abner comic strips, who were very popular in the day.  Li'l Abner featured a cast of hillbilly characters, who speak in a barely recognizable form of english and, for the purposes of the world at the time, are on the war bond bandwagon.  However, according to this advertisement, war bonds are more a means to get a hot babe and a house and less about helping the war effort.

The most perplexing thing about this poster is not the message, but the goings on in the background of the illustration.  Why is that old woman with the corncob pipe holding that old man upside down and cutting his toenails?  What does that have to do with war bonds?  I get Daisy Mae in a classic pin-up pose, but was the toenail thing a recurring thing in the comic strip?  I'm also amused by the old woman's high heeled boots.  If not for the boots I would have though she was a man.

Retro Ad #1: B.V.D Slim Trim Swim Trunks

Hey All!  On the unofficial final day of summer I thought that I would find a retro ad with the summer spirit....

Behold B.V.D Slim Trim Swim Suits, control-top swim trunks for the well dressed beach bum of 1941.  According to this add, not only do these trunks offer "figure-form control," but they also help "support your muscles, giving greater energy, new pep and vim."  You also have to like the three tiers of figure-type design the use the whole military theme - something very topical in 1941.

It's kind of hilarious to think of men, especially the stereotypical, stoic men of the forties being that concerned with their figure, but I guess it goes to show that vanity affects both genders throughout history.  I also find it funny that the copywriters managed to use the word vim, not once, but twice. I think vim will be the next word that I rescue from obscurity.