First off, there already is a thread with this content. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-hot-rod-problem-life-magazine-nov-7-1949-1.437222/ All that is offered here, is full page scans and Magazine cover & index page.
If I was a teenager reading that in 1949, I'd want to join in the fun. The thing that really stood out to me now as an old guy, was the hat ad. Four damn near identical hats, with four different names, & four different uses. Were people really that dumb then?
Guess you're not a hat guy. No worries, some guys just don't "get it". I own a few Fedora's from J.&J. on 5th in Manhattan and when I lived in New York City, it was still a VERY stylish hat. None of those hats in the ad are the same, but a "hat guy" can see that and admire the differences. Dumb? Hardly. Sadly, in cities other than NY, a nice hat gets a bad eye. Peasants! Now, ya wanna know what's dumb? Owning 10 different baseball caps and the only differences are the free advertising slapped on the front. Now, that sir, is REALLY dumb. And I own 20 or so.
Damn hoodlums. Funny, kinda, I bet they didn't do an article about all those middle aged grown ups, driving drunk.
None of this is true, at least, that's what a Hamber once said, in no uncertain terms, when I mentioned these type of printed fabrications.
I just want it to be known that I was one of the "cool greasers" in high school, and wore my points and Florsheim shoes. Black. Highly polished. Deadly. BOOM
Damn kids. What's the world coming to? Hah! I have that "Champ B-17", guess I can only were it with sporty clothes from now on. I own probably 8 or 9 fedoras, and more than a few other Trilbys, Homburgs, and Milans, but only one ball-cap. Guess I'm a "Hat Guy"...
I always knew about chicken but never heard of the musical chairs car thing, I guess it wasn't as popular because you had to have a suicide rear door, 4 door to play. Though it was stupid I could have probably done it when I was younger but today I think I would be doing good if I could do it,walking the running board etc.with the car sitting still The bottom pic reminds me of some of the things seen on TV today about condemning drug making or bomb making but it shows basically how they make it ridiculous !
On the rotation thing, I guarantee he is not opening that back door on the 4-door at 50 or 60 mph. Really would be a suicide door. Mick
in 1949 a hot rod was considered a problem.....now when a cop sees and old car with someone with grey hair driving it they don't even give it a second glance
That article proves that "journalistic license" is not a new style invented by today's media. (However, the "modern journalists" seem to have perfected the art.)
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