var json_comments = new Array("

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ShamimMu

July 2, 2009 4:16 PM

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just think in 40 or 50 years from nowsomeone will show ad's from our time saying \" what were they thinking\"

2 replies

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cymph

July 3, 2009 12:37 AM

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@ShamimMu: It'll be an ad with the Verizon guy getting radiation treatments for his giant cell phone-related tumor saying, \"Can you hear me now? No?! That's probably because the brain cancer we all got from those perfectly safe cell phones and Bluetooth head sets that have impinged on our hearing. Good.\" Think 'Dick Hammer' with less coughing.

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Changed my name to \"I like potatoes\"

July 2, 2009 9:25 PM

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@ShamimMu: I say that now!

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Bryan Fernandez

July 2, 2009 4:19 PM

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We have T-zones now? Unfortuntately this is the kind of science we have lost in the past 50 years.

5 replies

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Anonymous

July 19, 2009 2:27 PM

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@Bryan Fernandez:

T-zone is a legitimate medical term for that area of the face.

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StevieQ

July 29, 2009 3:07 PM

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@CandaceEos: I don't think it is, the way they are using it.

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chiieddy

July 2, 2009 4:57 PM

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@Bryan Fernandez: When I got an original recording of Albott & Costello's Who's on First, the original show was sponsored by Camel. They spoke about the T-zones and home 4 out of 5 doctors smoke Camels. This ad would have likely dated from that time period.

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lihtox

July 3, 2009 7:59 PM

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@chiieddy: I had the same recording; I believe the ads were careful to state that the brand chosen most by doctors was Camel, but not that a majority of doctors smoked Camel. I don't remember the exact wording, but it seemed to me at the time that the ads could have been completely accurate even if 99% of doctors were nonsmokers.

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Lincolnsbeard33

July 2, 2009 4:28 PM

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@Bryan Fernandez: sad isn't it. But I assure you with proper government funding I will do everything I can to bring back this lost science.

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Cant_stop_the_rock

July 2, 2009 4:22 PM

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Believe it or not, I don't think I'm ready to laugh about the World Trade Center attacks just yet.

19 replies

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Sarah Plumley

July 3, 2009 7:33 AM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: I'm not either. I totally understand.

and in other news..... about the CORVAIR in the ads... I had a 1966... Loved that car (had to sell her though, so sad... but WILL have another before I hit 40 no doubt)

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varro

July 2, 2009 10:31 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

TOO SOON!

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P_Smith

July 20, 2009 1:13 AM

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@varro: \"Too soon\" is what people said to Gilbert Gottfried when he joked about \"Catching a connecting flight at the Empire State Building\".

After which, Gottfried went into his legendary interpretation of \"The Aristocrats\".

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July 2, 2009 9:25 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: It's the asbestos! Not 9/11 that's funny!

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Randy Garbin

July 2, 2009 7:20 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock:

Then you must have missed this:

[www.theonion.com]

One of the funniest things I've ever read.

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lihtox

July 3, 2009 8:02 PM

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@Randy Garbin: that was from The Onion's first issue after 9/11; the whole issue was good.

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SacraBos

July 2, 2009 5:59 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: Asbestos was starting to be restricted while the WTC were being built. It was only used up to the 64th floor. The substitute that was used did not have the heat insulation or adhesive capability of asbestos, so the towers collapsed sooner than it could have.

The towers were designed to withstand a direct impact of a Boeing 707 (largest jet at the time), so it was hit with something bigger than it's design criteria.

The towers would likely have collapsed anyway due to heat, but it might have given people another hour or two to get out and saved the lives of hundreds.

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Anonymous

July 2, 2009 7:50 PM

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This is factually inaccurate. Asbestos would not have given hundreds time to escape.

First of all, when the planes hit the towers, they sliced through all the stairways in the north tower and all but one in the south. In the North tower, people above the point of impact mostly could not get out--and it's not clear how much more time would have helped people escape. Basically, almost all the people who could get out did get out before the towers fell. (USA Today, 12/21/01)

Furthermore, much insulation on the structural steel was dislodged by the physical impact of the massive planes crashing into it.

Finally, there was much evidence that there were significant gaps in the building's fireproofing--asbestos and non-asbestos based. Inspections relating to asbestos lawsuits had pictures that showed large gaps--due to some mix of improper application, elevator cables hitting them, and the building's sway in high winds.

So there is no logical reason to believe asbestos would have made a lick of difference, and engineers' reports have overwhelmingly concluded this. At this point, \"asbestos prohibition killed people in the WTC\" is up there with the \"inside job\" conspiracy myths of 9/11.

What is referred to here is the fact that when these towers collapsed, asbestos flew into the air for MILES. I was in Brooklyn on 9/11, approximately 2 miles from the WTC. Not only could you smell the buildings burning, but papers from the towers made their way to my block. When the buildings collapsed, asbestos simply went everywhere--and the closer you were to the point of impact, the denser it was. People and buildings and entire city blocks were simply covered with powdery white debris. It was like a 2-year-old in a bathroom with a jumbo sized container of talcum powder. But not cute. Really, really horrifying as people walked down the street like freaked-out ghosts.

This post is a reference to the rage many New Yorkers feel because we were LIED TO and told that the WTC area was safe in the days and weeks after the collapse. We were told it was OK to be in the area, to be in the neighborhood. We were told that the coating of white dust in our homes was perfectly safe. We were told it was OK to send our kids to school in the WTC area.

All of these were lies. It was not safe. People were denied the ability to decide for themselves what kind of risk they wanted to take--shrug your shoulders and clean up the dust, or have it professionally abated by men in suits. Shrug off the danger, or keep your kid at home. These are choices people have a right to make based on the facts, and we were not given the facts. We were lied to and told things were safe.

New Yorkers are STILL pissed about this.

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July 2, 2009 5:47 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock:

I laughed, but then again, I'm a pretty bad person in general.

Eddie Murphy's comedy stand-up \"Raw\" has a recollection of his conversation with Bill Cosby about inappropriate language and topics for Eddie's jokes. Eddie called Richard Pryor, who said:

\"Did the people laugh?\"

\"Yeah...\"

\"Did you get paid?\"

\"Well, yeah...\"

\"Well, tell Bill I said, 'have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up!'\"

RIP Richard Pryor

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HiPwr

July 2, 2009 5:27 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: The text is a pretty lame attempt at something. Most skyscrapers don't collapse when they are on fire unless they have thousands of gallons of jet fuel feeding the blaze.

I also wonder if the asbestos in the WTC already been abated when the terrorists attacked.

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Saboth

July 2, 2009 5:23 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock:

Those that forget the past are doomed to repeat it. So we should cover up every image of the world trade center and try and pretend it never happened? I thought it was ridiculous when I read movies were going in and editing out images of the buildings. I don't think we are supposed to be outright laughing at the ads above, but rather reflecting upon how the ads were presented to society. I am sure 30 years from now we will wonder at ads touting carbon fiber when we learn it has some kind of devious medical side effect when in dust form.

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Cant_stop_the_rock

July 2, 2009 5:34 PM

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@Saboth:
When did I say anything about forgetting the past or covering it up?

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Saboth

July 2, 2009 5:53 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock:

You objected to them presenting images of the WTC. Otherwise, there is nothing about the ad outside of the tagline, concerning the WTC, as it is concentrating on Asbestos, not the WTC.

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AwesomeJerkface

July 2, 2009 8:04 PM

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No, Cant_stop_the_rock said they personally can't laugh at 9/11 jokes (yet) and the accompanying text contains a joke about 9/11.

Before you melodramatically lecture people on remembering history by swallowing failed attempts at humor, you should probably read and take notes. Being condescending doesn't work if you're wrong or oblivious.

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July 2, 2009 5:08 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: The ad is more about the irony of Asbestos, but yeah.

Eh, I chuckled a little at the Asbestos, and didn't really react to the 9/11 reference.

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redkamel

July 2, 2009 5:07 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: yeah that WTC ad was kinda messed up. I mean, if it was an ad that had nothing to do with people dying, thats fine, but still...it has so many bad connotations...the fact that no one was able to evacuate, fire, two hours vs the short span of time for the buildings to collapse..not a fan.

Also the Dean PSA was sad, but you would think they would air it especially because of how he died...

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sir_pantsalot

July 2, 2009 5:00 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: Our wonderful administration thinks it is no big deal and that you should be over it by now.

-Everyone say \"cheese\" when Air Force One flys over.

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Squirrelbot3000

July 3, 2009 7:56 AM

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@sir_pantsalot:

Sorry, what? I couldn't hear you over your GOP Pity Party.

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Tzepish

July 2, 2009 8:58 PM

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@sir_pantsalot: ...? Never would I accuse anyone of thinking it's no big deal, and that people should be over it by now. I certainly wouldn't accuse THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES of that ridiculous position, regardless of his politics.

Jesus Christ.

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InnerRayg

July 2, 2009 10:26 PM

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@Tzepish: Never say never when it comes to Internet Snark my friend.

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Aladdyn

July 2, 2009 4:39 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: Well they are saying the ad is ironic not funny, but the copy next to the ad does seem like a lame attemp at humor. Actually its so badly written I cant really tell what their intent was.

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July 2, 2009 4:46 PM

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Irony making you laugh is ironic.

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B

July 2, 2009 4:22 PM

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The heroin ad reminds me of a passage in the book \"The road to Wellville\" Back then, a company (I think it was Sears) sold a mail-order alcohol addiction remedy that was opium. They also sold a cure for the opium that was grain alcohol.

1 replies

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July 2, 2009 6:00 PM

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@B: That would be the Kellogg company . . .

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 4:24 PM

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IIRC, Thalidomide has been re-introduced into the market, though not for pregnant women.

And I really like that color on the Pinto, but, is that baby naked?

12 replies

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mmmsoap

July 2, 2009 7:12 PM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: It's definitely being used again, as my brother was taking it four years ago as part of a chemotherapy regimen.

It was particularly bizarre, because neither my mother (menopausal) nor myself (no chance of getting pregnant that year), nor the visiting nurse (no idea of her fertility, but this was her job, after all) were not allowed to even handle the package, even with gloves on.

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working class Zer0

July 2, 2009 7:09 PM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: Thats not a baby. The message they are trying to convey is that the back of the Pinto is roomy enough for a menage-a-trois as long as one of the participants is a midget.

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July 2, 2009 5:09 PM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: I love the Pinto, sadly. I would drive it if it weren't a death trap. Reminds me of my 81 Honda. I love the 70's look cars, from the late 60's to the very early 80's (before they tried to make everything futuristic).

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HiPwr

July 2, 2009 5:34 PM

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@Wombatish: I'm hoping that the the Ford Pinto isn't your idea of the best example of late 60s through early 80s styling. You must be a Gremlin fan, too.

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July 3, 2009 9:28 PM

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@HiPwr: Best example? No. But it's still an example, and I would still drive it as I said.

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 5:13 PM

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@Wombatish: Can't it be retrofitted w/a fuel cell tank, like race cars have?

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July 2, 2009 5:10 PM

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@Wombatish: And yes, the baby appears to be naked or in some nice sheer pantaloons.

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July 2, 2009 5:14 PM

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@Wombatish: Sigh. Edit button, really want :D

[en.wikipedia.org]

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July 2, 2009 5:01 PM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: It's the Colorforms approach to child safety seats: place a naked child on vinyl upholstery and it will take a huge effort to peel him back off.

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Aladdyn

July 2, 2009 4:37 PM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: I didnt notie it at first but after further review id say there is definately butt crack there.

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Applekid

July 2, 2009 5:00 PM

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@Aladdyn: Simpler times before the OMG PEDOPHILE craze.

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July 2, 2009 9:45 PM

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yes it was, my mom had a pinto and I didn't even know what a car seat was.

I miss them unlegislated olden days.

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HiPwr

July 2, 2009 4:36 PM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: Did they drive to the field with a naked baby, or did they remove the clothes once they got there and are now leaving?

Good thing about transporting a baby in a Pinto would be that you don't have to worry about a child seat being that you will all die in the wreck any way.

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July 2, 2009 4:58 PM

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@HiPwr: Back in the dark ages, we didn't have car seats to worry about. I'm guessing some people didn't worry much about diapers, either.

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July 2, 2009 4:45 PM

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I thought that was the reason for the lack of clothes, less fuel for the fire.

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DoubleBaconVeggieBurger

July 2, 2009 4:53 PM

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@Snowblind: It's so carefree you don't even need pants!

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 4:51 PM

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@Snowblind: Perhaps no AC?

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I Love New Jersey

July 2, 2009 4:29 PM

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How about this 1998 American Airlines ad with one of their planes headed toward the WTC:

3 replies

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Framling

July 2, 2009 9:23 PM

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@I Love New Jersey: in March 2001, the pilot episode of the X-Files spin-off The Lone Gunmen featured a plot by a cabal within the US government to remotely hijack an airliner and crash it into the World Trade Center.

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July 2, 2009 4:35 PM

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@I Love New Jersey: Wow, that last shot is absolutely creepy.

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You Cannot Untoast

July 2, 2009 5:18 PM

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@valleyval: Yes, we should go back to 1998 and prevent them from making that commercial!

Sorry, but I don't think it's creepy or prophetic. It's after the fact whogivesashit.

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July 2, 2009 5:34 PM

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@You Cannot Untoast: Really? Gee I guess I didn't get it.

I know it's not prophetic...but it's still gives me the creeps. Chill out.

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July 2, 2009 9:35 PM

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Watched without sound because I'm still at work.

That WAS creepy, but you know what was creepier? All the happy, smiling customer service people!

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July 2, 2009 11:09 PM

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@HogwartsAlum: That's not creepy, that's alarming. They must be learning about how to jack up fees.

\"You mean, we can charge people to bring clothes on a trip?\"

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You Cannot Untoast

July 2, 2009 5:38 PM

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@valleyval: Sorry, pissed at another thread. My apologies for sounding like a dick.

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July 2, 2009 4:31 PM

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'Mr. Dean was killed in his speeding Porsche shortly before the movie was released.'

The analysis of the accident says Dean wasn't speeding. It was the other drivers fault. Highway head-ons are always serious.

5 replies

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Scoobatz

July 2, 2009 6:29 PM

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@kingmanic: I would like to add that I found the James Dean interview to be very bizarre. It actually made me somewhat uncomfortable listening to the weird interaction between the two of them.

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July 2, 2009 5:52 PM

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@kingmanic: Which makes the ad all-the-more tragic, since he specified: \"The life you save might be mine.\"

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July 2, 2009 4:40 PM

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Here here! I just came in to make the same point. The driver coming the other was crossed the center when blinded by the sun.

Tired of people giving J-dog and his 550 a bad name...

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Bruce Bayliss

July 29, 2009 5:35 PM

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@Skyoodpov: Where? Where?

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Bruce Bayliss

July 29, 2009 5:35 PM

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@Skyoodpov: Where? Where?

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SharkD

July 2, 2009 4:33 PM

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My father's first car was a Corvair... and he's still around.

4 replies

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scoosdad

July 2, 2009 5:51 PM

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@sharkd: My older brother drove a Corvair as his first car, and he painted it with flat yellow latex paint, if I recall. He never had any accidents in it and he's still around. Must have been the paint job.

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SharkD

July 2, 2009 4:46 PM

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@sharkd: For comparison's sake, my mother's first car was a 1967 Galaxie 500 with a 390 V8.

My first car was a 1965 Mustang 289 3-spd convertible. Wild guess who I take after...

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JulesNoctambule

July 2, 2009 6:21 PM

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@sharkd: My mom drove an MG, and after her brother wrecked it she got an Austin-Healey (my first car was a Honda Accord that was always in the shop, but that's another story).

Mom worked at a movie theater during the summer holidays, and she had a great view of the road in front from the ticket booth. Being a fan of cars she paid attention to the interesting ones that went past, and one day she was eyeing a Corvair sitting at the traffic light when the engine block dropped out and hit the street. She said it was like a scene in a movie, the way everyone around paused and turned to look.

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July 2, 2009 11:32 PM

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@JulesNoctambule: Funny, funny thing I foud on Wiki about the Corvair:
\"In what may be the automotive industry's greatest irony, NHTSA, the federal agency created from Nader's consumer advocacy, investigated the Corvair and issued a report in 1971 clearing the car's design, two years after the car went out of production.\"

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July 2, 2009 11:35 PM

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@the_sidewinder: Also, there wre many many issues involving O rings, because they could not stand up to the engine temp. And there was no available suitable material to make the O rings out of, until 1970, when the car had already been discontinued

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HiPwr

July 2, 2009 4:53 PM

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@sharkd: Looks like a BMW in your picture so perhaps you take after the milkman?

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SharkD

July 10, 2009 1:21 AM

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@HiPwr: It's a race car. In which case, brand doesn't matter so long as the tool gets its assigned job done properly.

And beside, much like my Mustang, it's repaired using a box-wrench and a slot-driver, rather than a soldering-iron and a serial cable.

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HiPwr

July 2, 2009 4:40 PM

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They should have depicted the doctor smoking a cigarette during the examination.

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July 2, 2009 4:42 PM

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\"flipper babies\"

I know how terrible that is but I couldn't stop laughing for two or three minutes.

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July 2, 2009 4:43 PM

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drugging the baby reminds me of the old joke where the new mother tells her doctor thank you 'cause those tranquilizers are miracle drugs until the doctor explained, \"no, no, they're for YOU to take, not the kids!\"

1 replies

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 4:53 PM

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July 2, 2009 4:46 PM

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If your family had a Corvair and didn't die in it, please be sure to go on about that in comments because that disproves everything.

...but ...but i like presenting anecdotes as evidence...

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redskull

July 2, 2009 4:48 PM

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Fun article, but damn, next time try proofreading.

\"Ah, the innocent days before a Union Carbide plant in India killed obliterated everyone in sight.\"

\"You want a hear my nightmare?\"

7 replies

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July 3, 2009 3:05 AM

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@redskull: @jecowa: ...what? I don't think he was making fun of any foreigners...he quoted directly from the article...but maybe I'M just the confused one...

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July 3, 2009 12:29 PM

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@AlxFherMana: I believe that was a joke, but it's not definite.

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jecowa

July 2, 2009 9:24 PM

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It's not cool to make fun of foreigners. Times are tough right now. I don't see you paying minimum wage for American editors.

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McLaren and Torchinsky

July 2, 2009 6:10 PM

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@redskull: Thanks, I fixed 'em!

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joe18521

July 2, 2009 5:53 PM

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I stopped counting, and stopped reading, after about the 6th typo. I'm no spelling/grammar police, but this is kinda ridiculous.

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Raekwon

July 2, 2009 6:43 PM

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@joe18521: Haha my grammar is atrocious as well but this article was really starting to bug me. Funny thing is I didn't actually list the James Dean part because I couldn't figure out how to properly quote a quote with an extra quotation mark. Throw that one at an English teacher!

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Raekwon

July 2, 2009 5:40 PM

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@redskull: \"Ford's Pinto was design in such a way that rear-end collisions could cause the car to catch fire and blow up.\"

\"Who says advertising doesn't tell the true? \"

Errant double quote in James Dean quote.

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July 2, 2009 4:48 PM

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The best ironic cigarette ad I saw featured John Wayne for KOOLs. \"Guard against throat scratch\" by smoking the mentholated brand. Wayne eventually lost one lung to cancer.

2 replies

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ArcanaJ

July 2, 2009 6:10 PM

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@Shadowman615: Oh, I don't think it was just the cigarettes that killed him. [www.straightdope.com]

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July 2, 2009 5:26 PM

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@Shadowman615: yeah, but no throat scratch.

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July 2, 2009 4:50 PM

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What about AIDS? Just before Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome became well known a company coined an AIDS acronym for their diet product. (At least that's what I think it was.) Needless to say when HIV/AIDS started to panic people the AIDS diet product was quickly tossed to the scrap heap.

6 replies

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merist

July 2, 2009 7:05 PM

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It was spelled \"AYDS\", the AYDS diet plan.

Back then, I used to use an HP terminal that had a key on the keyboard labeled \"AIDS.\" It was basically a Help button, but we would always joke about not touching the \"AIDS\" key. Someone would grab a long stick and use it to press the key and everyone would laugh. Boy were we stupid.

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July 2, 2009 8:45 PM

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@merist: I must be stupid too because that story made me lol.

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larrymac thinks testing should have occurred

July 2, 2009 5:31 PM

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@IphtashuFitz: The product was called Ayds (with a Y) and was around long before Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

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redskull

July 2, 2009 5:55 PM

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@larrymac: I remember Ayds. It was basically nothing more than a box of chocolates. You were supposed to eat ONE piece and drink a glass of water 20 minutes or so before you ate a meal. It was supposed to fill you up so you wouldn't eat as much at dinner. I always wondered how many people just ate the entire box full at one go.

They stuck around for a few months after AIDS became mainstream knowledge, and then disappeared. I always wondered why they just didn't change their name.

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PeggyK

July 2, 2009 9:47 PM

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@redskull: Ayds were better than just chocolates - they contained benzocaine as an anesthetic/appetite suppressant. It's not fun to eat with a numb tongue.

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 4:55 PM

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Now in peanut butter flavor!

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Bryan Fernandez

July 2, 2009 5:11 PM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave:
O
M
G

Both did get you skinny and curbed hunger. It's the \"chewy\" part that sets them apart.

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 5:14 PM

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@Bryan Fernandez: Don't forget the South Park, \"Jared from Subway is thin b/c he has aides.\"

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July 2, 2009 4:53 PM

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I worked for DOW for a while, they actually have a very legitimate point when they say they're not responsible for the Bhopal incident...

1 replies

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Applekid

July 2, 2009 5:11 PM

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@hunter3742: When Dow bought Union Carbide, they sure reaped the benefits of their assets. Why should the liabilities not also be inherited?

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barb95

July 2, 2009 4:54 PM

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My family had a Pinto stationwagon back in the day. My mom tells stories of me as a 2 year old walking around the back of the car while my dad drove around town. Fun times.

1 replies

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AthenaAmphisbaena

July 3, 2009 1:36 AM

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We also had a (Pinto? I think) station wagon. My brother and I would put on shows for the cars behind us, usually with us pretend dying in an overblown, dramatic style.

Now my 4 yr old is so locked down in his carseat, he can't even moon the car next to us.

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YourTechSupport

July 2, 2009 5:03 PM

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Narrator: A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.
Business woman on plane: Are there a lot of these kinds of accidents?
Narrator: You wouldn't believe.
Business woman on plane: Which car company do you work for?
Narrator: A major one.

This quote just NEVER GETS OLD.
I am Jack's toasty Pinto.

1 replies

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Jason Hollis

July 6, 2009 4:14 PM

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@YourTechSupport:

\"I am Jack's toasty Pinto.\"

Hahaha.. so much win. Thanks for that. XD

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tangent4

July 2, 2009 5:06 PM

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Why can't we see bigger versions of these ads?????? I'd like to actually read the writing.

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Jim Topoleski

July 2, 2009 5:09 PM

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\"If your family had a Corvair and didn't die in it, please be sure to go on about that in comments because that disproves everything.\"

NO ONE who drove the Corvair properly ever died from any of the supposed flaws with it.

NO ONE

The idea the care was critically flawed was purposely pursued by Nader in making it do things the car was never designed to do

Thats like saying \"HEY this 50 pound tested hook couldnt hold 100 pounds its flawed.\"NO the person putting 100 pounds on it is a moronic jackass.

And we wont even go into the fact that the car had been redesigned by the point the book came out and was even safer.

But hey you know lets pick on the Corvair, because you know its not like no other cars had the same suspension as it.... OH WAIT THE VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE DID.As well as ALL cars of the era had ridged steering wheels.

The ONLY criticism of the car that was valid, was a shitty designed heater system, but again it relyed on people not maintaining their cars properly to cause a problem to occur.

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merist

July 2, 2009 7:07 PM

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@Jim Topoleski:

The VW beetle doesn't count because it can't go fast enough to be a danger to anyone.

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July 2, 2009 6:21 PM

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@Jim Topoleski: You are right. Good thing every product released is used the exact way it was meant to by every person that buys it.

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Jim Topoleski

July 2, 2009 7:10 PM

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@youbastid: Well if you decide to take a turn at 100 mph, who is at fault for the car not sticking to the road, a \"poorly\" designed car? Or the jackass driving a econo-car through a corner faster than it can take it.

I mean My Aura has a sports suspension and a 3.6l V6, but you would be damned if you saw me hitting 120 on the GSP.

I can DO it, and I know people who have in the same car, but I am not stupid enough to think I am that good of a driver to do it and not cause a accident and get killed.

If you have ever seen the videos of the tests Nader had them do, the way they have the cars being driven is extreme to put it mildly. Not to mention like I said the Beetle and most German cars of that time used the same suspension, and DIDNT get attacked for it, and DID pass the European safety standards, of which the US had no equal test of the day, which was why they where allowed to be imported into the US.

the Covair is a GOOD card that got a really crummy rap from a guy who designed a test to make a example of someone.

Nader set back small car design in the US for decades.

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 7:36 PM

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@Jim Topoleski: You wouldn't be hitting 120 on the GSP today or tomorrow, unless you were talking about exiting at 120 to goto Matawan. I dread todays ride home to 98.

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Jim Topoleski

July 3, 2009 11:56 AM

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@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: Oh you can. I wont admit I have (certainly not in this car) >.> BUT at certain times of the night 120 or fast is COMPLETELY possible on the GSP.

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HiPwr

July 2, 2009 5:41 PM

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@Jim Topoleski: A lucid and informative comment from you.

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larrymac thinks testing should have occurred

July 2, 2009 5:34 PM

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@Jim Topoleski: Have you considered decaf? Many brands are actually quite tasty these days.

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July 2, 2009 9:28 PM

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@larrymac: Real Genius?

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July 6, 2009 6:28 AM

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@magic8ball: \"There's a lot of decaffeinated brands on the market that are just as tasty as the real thing.\"

Classic '80s flick, for sure.

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 5:16 PM

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@Jim Topoleski: Next you'll tell us that Dateline using pyrotechnics to simulate/duplicate/enhance the visual of what could possibly happen on side mounted fuel tanks wasn't truthful. Or that Firestone tires blowing b/c people ran them underinflated was not really Firestones fault. blasphemy!

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July 2, 2009 5:22 PM

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Hello, this is the Torchinsky half of the team here. I just want to make it known that I love Corvairs, and I don't care what Nader says. I'm not going to ruin the post, or the valid points, but I'd feel like a hypocrite if I didn't say something.

They weren't as bad as people said. They fixed the swing axles and it was really quite a compelling car, essentially an American Porsche. If it had been successful, I think American cars could have gone down a path of lighter, more efficient and sophisticated cars. Oh well.

1 replies

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July 3, 2009 8:19 AM

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@YoAmphisbaena: It would have helped if people read the owners manual that said to inflate the rear tires to only 15 psi.

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ekasbury

July 2, 2009 5:31 PM

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Awesome article. Please copyedit.

2 replies

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July 4, 2009 4:41 AM

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@ekasbury: As a professional copy editor, I must point out that \"copyedit\" is not a verb.

P.S. Thanks for fixing those errors, Consumerist.

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600Followers_GitEmSteveDave

July 2, 2009 7:37 PM

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@ekasbury: Please direct any spelling/grammar errors to the author(s) themselves, using the link provided on the left hand side of the page, rather than in the comments. Not all authors read their posts, but do read their e-mails. Also, after a mistake is fixed, your post stays the same, which makes it appear you read/understood an article wrong.

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July 2, 2009 5:47 PM

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What I'd like to see is a list of modern ads that will be ironic in 20-40 years...

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joe18521

July 2, 2009 5:48 PM

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What's with all the typos? Is that supposed to be ironic too, or am I missing something?

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astrochimp

July 2, 2009 5:49 PM

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Yeah, even the sixth word of the article is a typo: it's barbituRate...

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JulesNoctambule

July 2, 2009 6:26 PM

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July 2, 2009 6:40 PM

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My dad actually has 4 corvairs (2 hard top and 2 convertables). I actually like them. he is currently working on rehabbing one of them. I especially like them because out of the classic cars he has, these are the ones that actually run. don;t get me started on the others...

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CrumpsBrother

July 2, 2009 7:00 PM

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Be sure to find a good contemporary ad for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs when you re-run this in 10 years.

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jokono

July 2, 2009 7:58 PM

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Funny how Dean's cool persona comes off as highly pretentious now.

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REZPECT

July 2, 2009 8:13 PM

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When I was a kid, my family owned a Corvair and a Pinto. Not kidding. And we all lived to tell the tale.

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rootehound

July 2, 2009 8:48 PM

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My first two cars were Corvairs (they were dirt cheap in the mid-seventies, thanks to Mr. Nader's book).

They were both pretty good, dependable cars. Handling, compared to my parent's big Buick was pretty good.

The NHTSA later proved they handled better than many other 60s cars. It turned out Nader was wrong.

GM screwed up big time when they went after Nader the man and not his research.

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July 2, 2009 9:36 PM

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I normally try not to be a grammar Nazi, but... does anyone else find the complete lack of proof-reading the original article distracting?

Ah, the innocent days before a Union Carbide plant in India killed obliterated everyone in sight.

The stench of this \"new India\" remain to date,

Who says advertising doesn't tell the true?

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Gwendolyn Smith Ward

July 2, 2009 10:53 PM

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H9w safe should I feel....Just found out my father owned two of the worst cars...The Corvair and Pinto. He still has Corvairs!

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militarydave

July 2, 2009 10:54 PM

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I agree that these are indeed very ironic, however i dont see any \"sexy\" ironic ads?

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July 2, 2009 11:12 PM

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I remember back in the late 60's that the Corvair was the \"poor man's Corvette\" and was frequently driven to excess by guys in their mid to late 20's that were in the army.

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kaycee

July 2, 2009 11:40 PM

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\"Flipper babies\"? How dehumanizing is that? If I had been harmed by thalidomide, I don't think I would appreciate being called that.

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chiaspod

July 3, 2009 7:01 AM

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If you had been harmed by thalidomide, you wouldn't have been able to type that.

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Aaron Ogus

July 3, 2009 12:40 AM

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Actually the Corvair doesn't belong here. Investigation of the alleged handling problems led to the development of the science of car handling. Guess what, the Corvair's handling was great. Eventually this debacle lead to the book \"Race Car Vehicle Dynamics\" by Milliken and Milliken, so I guess it wasn't a complete waste of time.

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Doreen Klose

July 3, 2009 1:20 AM

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I especially like the ad with the twin boys wrapped in cellophane. Oh, and this is scary, I actually saw a Ford Pinto on the road the other day!

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lockdog

July 3, 2009 1:45 AM

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Alright, asbestos siding: it's bad for the miners, manufacturers and installers, but if it is on your house, don't freak out. And please for the love of god don't cover it with crappy vinyl siding. Asbestos siding, if it is in good condition does slow down fires, lasts next to forever, and holds paint for ages too. You would have to spend a small fortune on another cementious siding to get a product with a similar longevity. Plus, whether you are covering it up or taking it off you are disturbing it, which is basically the worst thing you can do for asbestos siding.

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Wayne Dyer

July 3, 2009 1:48 AM

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Actually, the NHTSA investigated and cleared the Corvair.

Ironically, it was Nader's book that got the NHTSA started.

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Michael Spadoni

July 3, 2009 2:05 PM

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My father owned a number of second cars when I was growing up. One of them was a 1960 Corvair sedan. I truly hated that thing. While mom was working, Dad would watch us and we had to go to the bowling alley every Friday for his league tournaments. My sister and I ended up fighting over who would sit up front, because the back seat was noisy from the rear-mounted engine. On top of that, the Corvair always smelled like gas inside (I learned later it may have been from the gas-powered heating system unique to '60 models). Dad fortunately replaced that car with a VW Beetle; it wasn't much better, but at least it didn't smell like gas!
By the way, the James Dean PSA was actually a segment of ABC's \"Warner Brothers Presents\" (1955-56), which rotated series versions of three Warner film properties--\"King's Row\"; \"Casablanca\" and \"Cheyenne\". Each episode was followed by a 15 minute feature called \"Behind The Scenes At Warner Brothers\"; it was used to promote the studio's latest films and stars. But only the \"Cheyenne\" segment was a hit; by early 1956, the \"Behind The Scenes\" feature was dropped and \"King's Row\" was eliminated; \"Cheyenne\" would alternate with other WB produced series through 1962.

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July 3, 2009 11:00 PM

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I just wish you could still get a Coke with.... coke.

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July 3, 2009 11:09 PM

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My brother had a corvair, and it was a great little car, whether at high speeds, on icy roads, country roads, whatever. Of course, he was on his way to Vietnam in those years, so wasn't too concerned about highway safety. Now, Agent Orange, which he met over there, that's another story. Around the same years, I owned a French Renault: now THERE was a piece of unsafe S**T! Bring back the corvair!

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Anonymous

July 4, 2009 1:21 AM

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The most ironic ad I saw only aired once or twice during a world series before it was pulled. It featured Chuck Conners sitting in a pick-up truck (Dodge as I recall). It was a side shot with him speaking. He was describing how spacious the truck was. However he didn't fit in it and was actually bent sideways in the most awkward pose imaginable. The group I was watching with was laughing their heads off. Someone at Dodge must have been watching because it was only shown once or twice in the first game of the series and never appeared on TV again to my knowledge. It would be worth looking for as it is a TV classic.

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Wanda Pierce

July 4, 2009 1:48 AM

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Good things are twice as good in Cellophane? Really?

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gman863

July 5, 2009 5:49 AM

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There's an ad campaign from roughly 10 years ago which deserves (at the very least) honorable mention in ironic adverts.

\"Ask Why\"

This TV campaign dared us to question the status quo of bussiness, communications and energy.

The fatal flaw was it omitted the question of \"how\" the company was achieving its stellar growth rate.

In 2001, someone asked. When the answers started flowing, Enron crashed from a top ten Fortune company into bankruptcy in a matter of weeks.

What makes it even more ironic is - even after we knew the \"why\" involved shady accounting and no federal oversight - countless banks, brokerage firms and insurance companies were able to duplicate Enron's stunts, putting our economy in its current state.

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Susan Cactuswren

July 6, 2009 1:12 AM

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[cactuswren.livejournal.com]

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July 9, 2009 3:28 AM

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I got a bone to pick here, actually.

They *stopped* coating the WTC steel with the asbestos coating at about floor 87, cause that's when the fuss kicked up.

Several engineers, including the guy who designed it, assert that had they kept going all the way up, the buildings probably would not have fallen down, and their arguments ring true on inspection.

So, double-reverse-irony with a twist!

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Alan Petrillo

July 9, 2009 5:19 AM

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Nader was on the warpath against GM long before the Corvair came out, and the car was a target of convenience. Sure the early ones had some problems, but they were fixed in the later models. An uncle of mine had one for years and loved it. The problem really was that Americans didn't know how to drive rear engine cars with their inherent oversteer.

Also, a re-examination of James Dean's fatal crash has proven that he was in fact NOT speeding at the time, but was going the speed limit. PBS Nova did a show on it over a decade ago, but James Dean still gets a bad rap.

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Steve Watkins

July 12, 2009 1:33 AM

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Anecdotes about owning corvairs don't prove anything....Tests by car magazines and the DOT etc...those said that corvairs were as safe or safer than other cars of that size. Nader was proven pretty much wrong on his attack on what was a really inovative automobile and the end result was that GM stopped any real development on the car after 1966....His dishonesty and/or ignorance set back automotive economy and progress who knows where we might be today if he hadn't.

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BaldwinPeriphetes

July 12, 2009 11:51 PM

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No Financial Services ads circa 2005-2008? Quite a few priceless examples did the rounds in the immediate aftermath of some of the collapses...

Wouldn't surprise me if Nader's personal crusade was counterproductive (as the 2000 election campaign was) but the example he set for people getting interested in and scrutinizing consumer issues was very important, well beyond the car industry. Ludicrous to put any blame on him for the decline of the US car industry anyway.

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Anonymous

July 13, 2009 5:14 PM

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Since I am not permitted to say that my family and I have not perished in a Corvair -- dad bought one in 1961 and we still have his Corvair today -- then I will simply point out that unlike asbestos and thalidiomide, government tests exonerated the Corvair from a safety standpoint. It was no more dangerous than other cars of its era.

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Difdi

August 30, 2009 1:34 AM

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Interesting irony: The World Trade Center actually did have asbestos fire retardant installed in part of the building. It was a new form of fire retardant compound that, while still asbestos-based, promised to present no health risks, since it was thoroughly encapsulated (as far as was ever tested, the new encapsulation did work -- it caused no health problems, unlike more common forms of asbestos).

The asbestos ban interrupted the application of the fire retardant, while it was only applied to about a third of the floors of the twin towers. It was stripped out at great expense, and replaced with a new, non-asbestos product that (at the time) had never actually been tested to the same degree as asbestos.

In fact, had the towers been treated with asbestos fire retardant, instead of the non-asbestos alternative that was used, they would likely have weathered the fire just fine. Internal temperatures never exceeded the maximum rated temperature for asbestos-protected steel girders.

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Dr. Mark

March 27, 2011 7:19 PM

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As a Baby Boomer, I grew up with an amazing array of autos my parents drove. Truth is, Mom and Dad traded cars every two years without fail. Mom's favorite car of all time was her 1965 Chevy Corvair Monza ragtop (convertible) and she chose to drive it instead of the 1966 Ford Country Squire station wagon (the \"other\" car in the house). Dad was a pilot for Eastern Airlines (now defunct).

I got sent off to college in a brand-new 1Chevy Chevette; a car which lasted until I traded it for a new Honda Civic in 1988. My brother got a 1977 Ford Pinto (dark green with a sunroof and \"Starsky & Hutch\" stripes). I loved that car; my brother hated it and only kept it a year until it was traded in on a 1978 Ford Mustang II.

We owned three of the \"worst\" cars on this list and nobody in in my family died from it!

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