The Art of the Ad: The Computer Revolution

Computer ads from the 1960s through the early 1980s are bursting with optimism for a future made easier—and better—through technology. Now that we’ve all assimilated, plugged in 24/7, the jury is out on whether that’s “better” or not. Now we just shrug with every iOS update, allow our data to be harvested, and rot our … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: The Computer Revolution →

From the Vault: Video Killed the Rental Store

This post originally appeared at my old blog in 2016 and appears here in slightly sofferent form. Did you appreciate the video rental store while you had it? Probably not. Instead, you simply spent nearly every Friday and Saturday night wandering around inside its walls, looking for VHS treasures to rent. You'd browse intently, as … Continue reading From the Vault: Video Killed the Rental Store →

Random Image Dump #10

For the tenth edition of this series, I’ve gathered together a cornucopia of vintage photographs and art to celebrate. This post is positively sizzling hot and worthy of being the tenth in a series that allows me to look at pretty pictures and (mostly) take a break from writing! In that spirit, and without further … Continue reading Random Image Dump #10 →

Bad Cat, Indeed: Samantha “Sunshine” Jensen Redux

My soft spot for Baby Pfeiffer is legendary, but I’m not alone. My friends and fellow super pfans Kelda, Paul, Juan, and Stacy (RIP), to name just a few, love Baby Pfeiffer with the same sort of fanatical zeal as I do. Every now and then I take a deep dive into the early roles … Continue reading Bad Cat, Indeed: Samantha “Sunshine” Jensen Redux →

Lost and Found: V.I.P.

The overwhelmingly positive response to the new documentary Pamela, A Love Story has been a pleasant reminder that people really do love Pamela Anderson. For years, decades even, she’s been reduced to a punchline in the media, thanks to everyone’s obsession in the nineties with a leaked, intimate tape featuring her and then-husband Tommy Lee. … Continue reading Lost and Found: V.I.P. →

Bad Girls We Love: Molly from Batman (1966)

Decades before Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) movie ignited Batmania across the land, the original Batmania spread like wildfire after the debut episodes of the 1966–1968 Batman television series. One of the few instances of an honest-to-goodness pop culture phenomenon, Batman’s camp sensibilities and colorful pop art style endeared it to millions of fans, including yours … Continue reading Bad Girls We Love: Molly from Batman (1966) →

The Art of the Ad: The Playboy Club

At some point in the 1970s, probably just a couple of years before I was born, my parents and some of their friends visited the Playboy Club on East 59th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. I know this because of the Playboy swizzle sticks stored in a kitchen cabinet during my childhood, which I … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: The Playboy Club →