Weird vintage ads
Looking at old advertisements is like looking at a crime scene where the weapon was misogyny and the motive was selling toaster ovens. It is wild what they got away with. You have ads literally teaching men how to “train” their wives like they are golden retrievers. Who approved this? Was the copywriter just a guy named Chad who hated his mother? It is fascinating and horrifying all at once.
These weird vintage ads are a time capsule of bad ideas. You have inflatable sauna shorts that promise to melt fat, which is just medically impossible and physically uncomfortable. You have hot dog ads that are so filled with accidental innuendo that I refuse to believe it wasn’t on purpose. And don’t get me started on the “Wake Up Gay” Ovaltine ad. That is just a gift from the universe to modern comedy. It proves that language changes, but the desire to sell useless junk to gullible people is timeless.
We have dug through the archives to find the most questionable, offensive, and unintentionally funny advertisements from the past. These images show just how much cultural norms have shifted. Prepare yourself for some serious cringe and a lot of questions about how anyone survived the 20th century.
It is a relief to know that we have moved past most of this, even if modern ads are annoying in different ways. At least we aren’t suggesting that you mow your lawn in a glass bubble anymore. Although, to be honest, I would probably buy that. The air-conditioned mower is the one idea here that actually holds up.
If you enjoy laughing at the mistakes of the past, there is plenty more history to roast. You should explore history memes, retro humor, and vintage fail galleries for more blasts from the past.
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Priya Coleman is a viral content specialist and meme analyst with over six years in digital publishing. Her past roles include viral content editor for PopSugar's humor vertical and meme correspondent for HuffPost’s comedy section. Priya specializes in spotting trending meme moments just before they peak—like the chaotic delight of the Ever Given’s Suez Canal mishap or the existential comedy of This is Fine. She brings her sharp wit and instinctive knack for viral content to Thunder Dungeon, always keeping the community a step ahead of the latest meme craze.
