Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Glossy Time Capsules #20: Life - March, 1967

Glossy Time Capsules #20

Life
March 17, 1967
Price: 35 cents


Throughout the Glossy Time Capsules series, we've paid many visits to the mid/late 1960s. We've pored through Family Circle (1965)Jack & Jill (1966 & 1968), and Better Homes & Gardens (1966 and 1969).

So... what was Life like in 1967? 

Well, if you were wealthy enough, life had the potential to be quite colorful...



Purchasing a color TV wasn't the only way to have a nice home in 1967. 

You could have  -- gasp -- Venetian blinds!


Or electric heating! (Not to mention a finished basement with an invisible ping-pong table!)


Or you could have brand-new washers & grayers! Wait, I meant to say dryers... why didn't I say gryers? DRYERS!


1967 car ads were weird. But then, I don't think that's changed much.




Yep, that was technically a car ad, too.


That woman on the right is clearly engaged in an epic eye-roll. This eye-roll screams, "Can I not just get my hair styled in peace?"

Traveling was apparently the thing to do...


That kid's jacket is amazing.


Every airline company seemed to want Life's readers to know that they (the company) had something special to offer the air-bound traveler.

United had "friendly, intelligent, and attractive" highly-trained stewardesses with the ability to grow extra limbs when necessary.


American Airlines vowed to treat you like a seasoned traveler, even if you were a total newbie...


Eastern wanted you to be able to afford to take your kids on a trip, even if it meant paying ahead in monthly installments...


BEA had stewardesses who were "friendly," "pretty," and "couldn't be nicer"...


And TWA had steaks. Lots and lots of steaks.



Speaking of food, there aren't many ads for edible products in this magazine, but those that are present tend to fall into one of three categories...

1. Foods for people who were dieting...



2. Foods for people who were not dieting...



We may chuckle at the Mandela Effect proponents who swear there used to be a peanut butter called Jiffy, but here is photographic evidence that Nestle Crunch used to have a rouge "s" in there. Did they change it because people kept calling it "Nestle Scrunch?" Even the candy bar's official page on the Nestle website doesn't give answers! I remain annoyed. And also hungry.

Where was I?

Oh yes. The final category? 

3. Liquor.


If that woman's plaid skirt and singular leg aren't enough for you, there were plenty of other ads featuring women's fashions and beauty ideals...







Men, however, were just big ol' lumps...


Life was full of interesting articles, which today can shed a light on a time and a place that many have perhaps forgotten.

In 1967, America was gearing up for a presidential election the following year...


You may be sad to discover how that turned out.

Jimmy Hoffa went to jail for a minute...


People thought a draft was (perhaps) necessary, but that it was way more annoying than it needed to be...


A random guy wore a bag to class for a term, and made everybody crazy...



At first I was thinking, This sounds like something that could happen now. Only I think if anyone tried that now, they'd get physically attacked. I hope I'm wrong.

The letters to the editor alluded to a previous issue's article about J.R.R. Tolkien. An article, of course, which brought out all the fanboys....


And The Peanuts was at (one of?) the height(s?) of its popularity...



The Neat Stuff You Should Buy section took up only half a page, and the items weren't very neat at all...



However, one thing that DOES look appealing, even to me living in 2020...



Oui. J'aimerais y aller รงร !

Well, 1967... I'm not particularly sorry I missed out on experiencing you, what with your wars, your rampant sexism, and that sinister second "s" on all the Nestle Crunch Bars, but it's been fun visiting with you nonetheless!


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