memories

I was talking to a friend yesterday, remembering the meaning of “His Master’s Voice” – the slogan for RCA if I remember correctly - with a picture of a dog cocking its head at a horn?trumpet? (what did they call that thing?), and  listening. Obviously you couldn’t hear the voice. I was very young then and it took me a while to understand what the ad meant.  That led me on to memories of other ads with puns or double meanings which slowly dawned on me.

            Like, “Hasn’t scratched yet,” over a picture of a baby chick – an ad for Bon Ami cleaner.

            Or,  “Time to Re-tire” with a picture of a little boy in a nightshirt holding a candle stick with a lighted candle in it. Was that Fisk Tires?

            Oh, remember LSMFT? “Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco"

            And, “Sal Hepatica for the smile of health and Ipana, for the smile of beauty.”

Hey, remember the song:

            BrylCreme, a little dab’ll do ya,

            BrylCreme, youll look so debonair.

            Brylcreme, the gals will pursue ya –

            Simply rub a little in your hair.

I can sing it, too.  Did I spell BrylCreme correctly? There might be two Ls.

            I was never a hockey fan but I know someone who knows all the words to the Hockey Night in Canada song.

            This may be too hard for you. I’m much older than you are and I remember these things. I read that younger people today will not have these universal memories embedded in their psyches because the media sources that influence them are so diverse: Netflix and Shomi and on and on, projected not merely on TV screens, but on iPads, that is, tablets, and e-readers, and iPhones/Smartphones, etc.

            What do you remember?