Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Do You Inhale?

Is it me or do they seem to be asking an entirely different question here? I'll bet he's hoping her oral fixation doesn't end with a desire for a scratchy throat and hoarse cough!

In any case, I seem to have stumbled on a small little treasure. The link will pop you over to the Stanford School of Medicine's online gallery of cigarette ads through the ages. Interesting to see how an industry, quite knowingly it seems, worked to addict a generation to its killer product. Hoarse cough? Scratchy throat? Poor wind? Why these in one way or another are all turned upside down to actually sell the product that we all know caused them! Brilliant, in an evil sort of way.

I think the Lucky Strikes are my faves. The overt use of women as sex objects is something that wouldn't pass muster these days. But then what am I saying? None of these adds would pass muster! A baby promoting Marlboros? Santa having a relaxing smoke? Its a crazy mixed up world where evil has triumphed and our culture's most benign, indeed pure, icons are used to promote the killer weed.

Just one thing I don't get. What's the deal with the bride packing a carton of Chesterfields?

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

A Prediction

If John McCain is the definitive winner in tonight's debate, markets will have a substantial rally tomorrow. If Obama is the winner, or if there is a draw, markets will fall.