Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

00:01 Is subliminal advertising real? Superman or Batman? Best Canadian city to do a book event? Best ad of the past year? Well, I answer all these cues and more in a recent subscriber-only bonus episode. Apple or Android? Tap the link in the description. 00:21 This is an apostrophe podcast production. 00:45 You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. 01:17 The Gong Show premiered on NBC television in 1976. 01:23 Hosted by Chuck Barris, it had a very unusual premise for its time. 01:28 Amateur performers, most of them terrible, would audition before three judges. 01:34 Behind those judges hung a giant gong. 01:38 If the performers were beyond terrible or if their act was just absurd or idiotic, one of the judges, or all three of the judges, would bang the gong with a huge mallet. 01:51 If the act survived being gonged, the three judges would rate the act out of 10. 01:57 The act or performer who got closest to 30 points would be crowned the winner. Barris would present a golden gong trophy and a grand prize check for the sum total of $516.32, which Barris called a highly unusual amount. 02:15 It was actually the Screen Actors Guild's minimum payment for a TV appearance. 02:24 You either loved the gong show or you hated the gong show. I loved it. It was the absurd humor of it all, the wacky judges, the often outrageous acts, and above all, the quirky but lovable host Chuck Barris. 02:40 Even though his persona was kind of odd and bumbling, and even appeared slightly tipsy at times, Barris was clearly having a lot of fun. 02:49 And he was actually a very talented guy. 02:54 In 1962, he wrote a hit song for Freddie Boom Boom Cannon called Palisades Park. 03:02 But above all, Barris was one of the most successful TV producers in Hollywood. He created hit programs like The Newlywed Game and The Dating Game. 03:15 In many ways, Chuck Beres was the pioneer of reality television, as all of his shows involved real people responding in unscripted ways. 03:26 But it was The Gong Show that was his most outrageous production. 03:31 From Hollywood, almost live, it's The Gong Show! 03:37 The acts varied from terrible singers... 03:48 To people who could burp the alphabet. 03:55 To a trio that whistled and used their pant zippers to make music. 04:06 Most of the time, the show seemed on the verge of careening out of control. The performers and the judges would suddenly jump up and start dancing for no reason. One of the judges, J.P. Morgan, once ripped her blouse off and danced topless, driving the censors nuts. And Chuck Beres loved it all. It was a crazy, crazy half hour. 04:30 While The Gong Show was produced by Barris, what you may not know is this. 04:36 The actual show idea had a connection to Tommy Hunter. 04:44 Tommy Hunter was a Canadian staple on CBC television for 27 years. Known as Canada's Country Gentleman, his show featured country music and a bevy of country stars including Johnny Cash, Anne Murray, and even a 14-year-old Shania Twain. 05:02 One day, an act came in to audition for Tommy. It was a juggler. He would throw bowling balls up in the air, but never catch any of them. Then he would throw four bowling pins up in the air, and they would just bounce off his head and fall to the floor. 05:19 Then the juggler said, and now I'd like to do it blindfolded. 05:24 Hilarious. 05:26 Tommy Hunter told one of his show writers named Chris Beard about the crazy juggler and other nutty acts that had auditioned for his program over the years. 05:37 Beard thought it could make a funny show, put Tommy Hunter in a tuxedo, and have him introduce all these kooky, hare-brained performers. 05:46 Beard pitched it to the CBC, who turned him down flat. 05:51 So Beard jumped on a plane, flew to Hollywood, and pitched it to Chuck Barris. And that show became The Gong Show. 06:09 We're going to play a little gong show today. I'm going to dip into the vast archives of advertising and talk about ads and commercials that could never, ever, ever run today. They are either so politically incorrect, so sexist, or so inappropriate, you won't believe your ears. Yet, they all ran back in the day. 06:34 So, get your gongs ready. GONG 06:40 You're under the influence. 06:56 Marlboro cigarettes are the world's best-selling brand. And for decades, the brand was personified by the Marlboro cowboy and this mythical place. 07:07 Come to where the flavor is. 07:10 Come to Marlboro country. 07:16 If you're a loyal listener to our show, you've heard me say that Marlboro was originally a women's cigarette. 07:23 But it started losing market share, so parent company Philip Morris took one last chance to save the brand and repositioned it to be a man's cigarette. 07:34 Their advertising agency chose the cowboy as the ultimate male image. 07:39 Now, before all that happened, Marlboro was aimed at women, as I mentioned. And the print ads Marlboro ran were kind of shocking. 07:49 One ad shows two babies, maybe a year old. One baby says, And if that weren't enough, the other baby says, Hard to believe a cigarette company would put babies in their ads. 08:11 Those ads ran often in the 1950s and could be seen in prestige magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. 08:25 Staying with babies for one more moment, 7-Up ran some questionable ads in the mid-50s. 08:33 One had a baby drinking directly from a 7-Up bottle, cradling it as a baby would normally hold a bottle of milk. The headline says, Why we have the youngest customers in the business. 08:47 The ad goes on to say, quote, This young man is 11 months old, and he isn't our youngest customer by any means. 08:55 7-Up is so pure, so wholesome, you can give it to babies and feel good about it. By the way, Mom, if your toddlers have to be coaxed to drink their milk, add 7-Up to their milk in equal parts. 09:11 Hard to believe the soda industry would make a pitch that directly and that boldly to moms and babies. 09:19 That ad is from 1955. 09:31 We were speaking of cigarettes earlier. There was a time when doctors actually endorsed smoking. 09:39 One print ad, for example, shows a doctor smoking with the headline, More doctors smoke camels than any other cigarette. 09:48 The ad said that doctors in every branch of medicine were asked, quote, What cigarette do you smoke? The brand name most was Camel. The doctor's choice is America's choice. 10:01 This ad is from 1952. The link between cancer and cigarettes wouldn't officially come from the Surgeon General until 1964. 10:12 The More Doctors Smoke Camels line was used in popular radio programs, medical journals, and magazines like Time, Life, and the Saturday Evening Post. It was even used in TV commercials. 10:27 You know, if you were to follow a busy doctor as he makes his daily round of calls, you'd find yourself having a mighty busy time keeping up with him. Time out for many men of medicine usually means just long enough to enjoy a cigarette. 10:41 And because they know what a pleasure it is to smoke a mild, good-tasting cigarette, they're particular about the brand they choose. In a repeated national survey, doctors in all branches of medicine, doctors in all parts of the country were asked, what cigarette do you smoke, doctor? 11:00 Once again, the brand named most was Camel. 11:03 Along with doctors, Santa got in on the act. 11:08 A Lucky Strike print ad showed good old St. Nick enjoying a smoke, along with a special message that said, A gift that brings pleasure to every home, both great and small, is rare indeed. Such a gift, my friends, is Lucky Strike. Signed, Santa Claus. 11:27 And Santy Claus wasn't brand loyal. Another 1947 ad shows the jolly old elf holding an entire carton of camel cigarettes, saying, A Merry Christmas for every smoker. 11:48 Elaine Bryant is an American women's apparel retailer that specializes in plus sizes. The company began way back in 1904 and claims to be the country's largest plus size retailer. 12:02 I came across an old ad from the company. The headline says in big block letters, free for chubbies. 12:10 There was a coupon attached that said, quote, Fall and winter fashion book full of charming, chubby-sized clothes. Send for yours now. 12:19 Who could resist that pitch? 12:25 And if you think these ads are bad, wait until you hear the sexist ones. 12:33 The Sexist 12:40 Sexist advertising was rampant back in the day. Women were relegated to the kitchen, and things weren't going well. 12:49 Harvey, want anything special for your birthday? 12:51 Just a decent cup of coffee. You're kidding. I'm serious. Honey, your coffee's undrinkable. 12:57 It's pretty harsh. 12:59 Well, so's your coffee. You know, the girls down at the office make better coffee on their hot plates. 13:04 His poor wife gets advice from her neighbor. 13:07 And he didn't even kiss me goodbye. You know, if I could just make a decent cup of coffee, I could relax. So, relax. Why don't you try Instant Folgers? Tastes good as fresh perked. 13:18 Then it's Folgers coffee to the rescue. Hey, great coffee. 13:23 It's Instant Folgers. Doesn't it taste good as fresh perked? 13:26 Better. 13:27 Better than those girls make at the office. 13:29 Honey, their coffee can't hold a candle to yours. 13:32 That was standard fare back in the late 50s and 60s. 13:37 A print ad for Chase and Sanborn Coffee had a headline that said, If your husband ever finds out you're not store testing for fresher coffee, dot, dot, dot. 13:48 The visual showed a woman lying across her husband's knees as he spanks her. 14:02 You may remember commercials for whisk detergent, anchored by the slogan, Ring Around the Collar. 14:10 Women were tortured by those commercials as they were blamed for the dirty rings around their husband's shirt collars. 14:17 As you can hear in this commercial, where a husband, his wife, and their young son are greeting hubby's mother at the airport, and mother-in-law instantly blames daughter-in-law for those dirty rings. Woo! 14:30 Oh, Mr. Craig, you look just like you. Same eyes, same freckles, same ring around the collar. They both got ring around the collar. 14:40 Humiliated wife looks at the camera and says... Those dirty rings. The ring around the collar line was repeated at least five times in every commercial. 14:52 A print ad for Thermador was promoting a three-in-one oven, where all three components sat on top of one another in the kitchen. 15:01 The ad showed a buxom woman in a very, very low-cut top lounging near the oven while her husband looked on with a knowing smile and a martini. The headline? 15:13 Stacked for your convenience. 15:16 The ad said Thermador ovens were, quote, stacked and endowed with the most refined developments for culinary satisfaction. 15:28 Another print ad showed a woman unwrapping a vacuum cleaner. Headline? Christmas morning, she'll be happier with a Hoover. 15:36 It included a P.S. to husbands that read, She cares about her house, so if you really care about her, consider a hoover for Christmas. 15:48 Yeah, then consider a divorce. 15:53 P.S. 15:59 I remember this commercial used to drive my mother up the wall when it aired in 1972. It was for Geritol. 16:08 My wife's incredible. She took care of the baby all day, cooked a great dinner, and even went to a school meeting. And look at her. She looks better than any of her friends. She takes care of herself, gets her rest, does her sit-ups, watches her diet, and to make sure she gets enough iron and vitamins, she takes Geritol every morning. Makes me take it, too. 16:28 More than twice the iron of ordinary supplements plus seven vitamins. Take care of yourself. Take Geritol. 16:33 My wife. I think I'll keep her. 16:36 It was that last line, which aired at the height of the women's movement. You can just hear the eye rolls at that one. 16:48 I'm looking at a vintage 1953 print advertisement for a toothpaste called Chlorident. Headline? There's another woman waiting for every man. 17:00 The ad actually tries to instill fear in wives by saying, quote, The attractive women your husband will meet during the day won't have morning mouth. 17:11 If you use Chlorident, your goodbye kiss works for you, not against you. 17:17 In other words, save your marriage with toothpaste. 17:21 An ad for Ready Whip Cream Topping said, How to hold a husband. Serve him desserts glorified with Ready Whip. Remember, there's only one Ready Whip. Your dessert magic secret that helps to hold a husband. 17:38 Nice to know you can save your marriage with dessert topping. 17:52 Back in the day, there were quite a few ads and commercials that suggested women were bad drivers. 17:59 One Volkswagen print ad from the 60s said, Sooner or later, your wife will drive home one of the best reasons for owning a Volkswagen. 18:08 The visual in the ad was a Volkswagen Beetle with a broken headlight and a dented fender. 18:15 The ad was promoting the fact that VW parts are easy and inexpensive to replace. 18:21 The ad explained this by saying, Your wife isn't limited to fender smashing. She can jab the hood, graze the door, or bump off the bumper. It may make you furious, but it won't make you poor. 18:39 Goodyear tires played into the helpless female stereotype with this 1960 commercial. 18:47 It begins with a woman looking at her flat tire on the side of the road at night. This flat tire needs a man. 18:56 But when there's no man around... 19:01 Goodyear should be. Next time, give her a second chance. 19:06 How about this commercial for the new Buick Riviera? 19:10 Riviera by Buick. A great and rare machine that a woman can admire and enjoy to the fullest, but only a man can really understand. 19:20 Yikes. 19:21 Find a road yourself and discover Adventure is a Car Called Riviera. 19:27 Here's a Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. It opens with a coach screaming at a referee during a football game, but the ref just calmly tunes the coach out. 19:39 A very close call. Could have gone either way. It was right on the line. 19:44 Well, Ferguson's not too happy with it, I can tell you that much. 19:48 He's beating him like a rented mule. 19:50 And the ref's just tuning him out. 19:54 Boy, where do you train to take a beating like that? 19:57 Then we see the ref at home with his wife screaming in his ear, and he just calmly tunes her out. 20:04 He said, when's that porch gonna get painted? And that litter box! It's been three weeks! Three weeks! And to think I could have married Don Hoffman! And would it hurt for you to say that you love me once in a while? 20:16 Believe it or not, that commercial ran in 2004. 20:28 Then there were the body image ads. 20:32 One for a woman's undergarment company called Warners ran a print ad that showed a big color photo of a pair. Headline, this is no shape for a girl. The subhead, that's why Warners makes the concentrate girdle and the little fibber bra. 20:50 The print ad goes on to say that Warners can help girls with too much bottom and too little top. 20:59 A cigarette ad from 1967 said, A print ad for face creams showed a worried wife watching her husband talk to another woman at a party. The ad asked, The subhead said, Then there are the ads that just make you shake your head. 21:45 How about this one starring Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble? The commercial begins with Fred and Barney watching their wives doing housework and mowing the lawn. 21:54 They sure work hard, don't they, Barney? Yeah. I hate to see them work so hard. Yeah, me too. 22:03 Let's go around back where we can't see him. 22:05 Then Fred and Barney spark up a dart. 22:08 Gee, we ought to do something, Fred. Okay. How's about taking a nap? I got a better idea. Let's take a Winston break. That's it. Winston is the one filter cigarette that delivers flavor 20 times a pack. 22:21 Yes, The Flintstones was meant to be a cartoon for adults, but a lot of kids like me loved the show too. So seeing Fred and Barney lighting up smokes was a bit disconcerting. And the commercial was a tad sexist. 22:44 The headline on a print ad for DuPont said, You see so many good things in DuPont's cellophane. 22:52 The visual actually showed three babies wrapped in cellophane. 22:57 I kid you not. 23:00 Another ad for Black Flag Insecticide shows a baby with the headline, No flies on me, thanks to DDT. 23:09 The ad says Black Flag with DDT is, quote, long preferred by housewives everywhere. 23:18 Another ad for a similar product came from a company called Penn Salt Chemicals in 1947. 23:25 It showed an illustration of a dog, a cow, an apple, and a woman all happily singing, DDT is good for me. 23:34 The print ad proclaims that the great expectations for DDT have been realized. 23:41 The ad recommends DDT be used for orchards, crops, cattle, and the ad includes a small image of a mother holding a baby saying DDT helps make healthier, more comfortable homes. 23:56 Then, there's this product. 24:00 It launched on television in 1984. 24:03 It's for a device that de-bones fish. 24:07 It feels like a Saturday Night Live parody ad, but it's real. Voice over by celebrity Mike Rowe. 24:16 The commercial begins with three guys on a fishing trip, and it's time to clean the fish. 24:22 Then he demonstrates how the Wonder Boner works, quickly deboning fish in seconds. 24:46 Why go through the hassle of deboning a fish the old-fashioned way when the Wonder Boner makes deboning fish this easy? Every tackle box in every kitchen should have the Wonder Boner. Call 1-800-310-3039 and order your Wonder Boner for only $19.95. 1-800-310-3039. Call now. Get your wallets out. Then, get your gongs out. 25:15 Believe it or not, all these ads were deemed acceptable when they first appeared. There was no discernible pushback, no demands to yank them off the air. None were banned. 25:28 It was a different time. 25:31 Marshall McLuhan once said that advertisements were the cave art of the 20th century. 25:36 That is true. 25:38 Look at the ads from any decade and you instantly get a sense of what was politically correct, what the current lingo was, what the latest fashions and most popular products were, and a sense of the prevailing attitudes. 25:53 The 50s seemed to be the most offensive decade in hindsight, the most sexist advertising, doctors endorsing cigarettes, babies in DDT ads. 26:04 Then again, the 80s had the wonder boner. 26:09 Not every ad category has improved with time, but thankfully a lot have. 26:16 To quote another campaign from the past, we've come a long way, baby, when you're under the influence. 26:25 I'm Terry O'Reilly. 26:32 This episode was recorded in the TearStream Airstream mobile recording studio. Producer, Debbie O'Reilly. Sound engineer, Jeff Devine. Under the influence theme by Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre. Tunes provided by APM Music. Follow me on social at Terry O. Influence. This podcast is powered by Acast. And if you'd like to read next week's fun fact, just go to apostrophepodcasts.ca and follow the prompts. 27:02 See you next week. 27:04 Hi, this is Joe Bruno from Milton, Ontario. Fred and Wilma Flintstone were the first animated married couple to share a bed together on television.