“These four men have one thing in common…” Who would you rather buy insurance from if you live in Alexandria, Louisiana. Fred Tarver? How about C.F. Tarver? Wait, what about Cleston Tarver? Or C. Fred Tarver? For close to three decades, residents of that city were familiar with Tarver’s repetitive ad for his State Farm… Continue reading Brutal and Effective: C. Fred Tarver’s Advertising Campaign
Category: Things You’ve Never Heard Of
Margarine Mascot Monkey Gives Birth in Pipe Organ
On October 31, 1919, we find that a monkey named Nuko escaped, ran amok, hid in a pipe organ in San Francisco’s Civic Auditorium (now Bill Graham Auditorium), and gave birth. What happened? For those of you unlucky enough to be born in the 21st century, I can tell you that the entire history of… Continue reading Margarine Mascot Monkey Gives Birth in Pipe Organ
Kelsey Grammer’s Father’s Murder
Kelsey Grammar has had a legendarily disaster-ridden life. Some tragedies were brought on by himself: DUIs, car crashes, jail time, conniving spouses. But others are seriously life-rocking tragedies that the universe rained down on him, no fault of his own. There is, of course, the familiar story of the abduction, rape, and murder of Grammer’s… Continue reading Kelsey Grammer’s Father’s Murder
Bizarre Tale of Two Rat Packers Bound By One Mountain
The Rat Pack defined Hollywood and Las Vegas 1950s cool: Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, Angie Dickinson, and more. They played together, they partied together, and their legacy lives on today. Two of the most prominent members were Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, both singers and all-round entertainers. Frank Sinatra, of… Continue reading Bizarre Tale of Two Rat Packers Bound By One Mountain
The Great Foley, Minn. Computer Scam of 1955
It’s time for Robert Kotsmith and Michael Chmielewski to fess up. Time to come clean. Guys, don’t worry. We forgive you. The Statute of Limitations of high school foolishness has passed now, and we just want to know how you did it. We really don’t care anymore. In the July 1955 issue of Popular Mechanics, Jim… Continue reading The Great Foley, Minn. Computer Scam of 1955