(original artwork-all rights reserved)
…now my mom was probably among the most loving and caring of moms that ever lived; but I remember her doing something that would probably be grounds for child endangerment today!Living in the country with seven children who were in and out of the house all day long on hot summer days—the screen door practically swung on its hinges. Flies were plentiful as I recall but were not welcome in our house. So my mom—along with other caring mom’s of the day, had her FLIT can ready for action!
She would pump the handle and spray directly at flies that landed on the kitchen table, or directly into the air—wherever she saw those little flying menaces.
In her defense, the advertising of the day was very convincing.
Remember.. this was the same era when testimonial ads convinced my parents that Camel cigarettes were actually good for you!
Long before the Cat in the Hat ever made his appearance (..very interesting story there of the origin of the book) , Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr.Seuss) created very convincing ads for FLIT.
They are priceless!
This ad campaign actually began during the depression— my mother grew up hearing "Quick Henry the FLIT!"which became a common catchphrase.So my mother, like thousands of other mothers in the 50's thought she was doing something "good" for her family.
..I have to wonder what I did for the "good" of my children that they will write about in the future!
That is a really hilarious bunch of ads. Can't imagine how they were actually believed in those days. :)
ReplyDeleteI imagine there are quite a few ads today that, 50 years from now, will elicit the same reaction. I love the Dr. Seuss themed ads.
ReplyDeleteDDT is not the "killer" you presume. Lack of it in Africa has killed millions since it was banned. Your mother was wiser than you. Get used to it.
ReplyDeleteArt Svensson
Thanks for your comment Art...and yes, even now at 83 my mother is wiser than I'll ever be!
ReplyDeleteMamie