This will hurt me...

If there’s one thing I think most people can agree upon, I think that it is how we just don't see enough explicit violence towards women in advertisements these days. As this ad indicates, a thrashing for failing to ensure the coffee was fresh was once clearly a beatable offense. What I particularly like is – if you look very very closely – she appears to be enjoying her beating. She knows that she’s done the wrong thing. She’s sorry. She appreciates that her husband cares enough to remind her. They just don’t make ads like this anymore, and the world is clearly worse off for it!.

The smurfs turned 50 the other day, and I couldn't help but wonder, how do they breed? There's only one girl among all of those male smurfs. It must get tricky. I've also wondered what they taste like. Gargamel clearly rates them, but I'm not sure what they taste like. I'm thinking like a cross between quail and guinea pig.

I wonder if doctors are still endorsing specific brands of cigarette? I'm also left wodering if there is anywhere in the world left with lax legislation to advertisments around smoking.

Accra, Ghana Accra is the capital of West African nation of Ghana. First up, I have a declaration to make, perhaps a conflict. Every Ghanaian that I’ve met, I’ve liked, I’m not sure if that indicates bias, but best to declare it straight up. This intuitive ‘liking’ has no doubt influenced my desire to go to the place (and no doubt explains my lack of desire to ever visit Durban!). Anyway, an perhaps rather distressingly for me, the word ‘accra’ apparently derives from the word nkran which means ‘ants’ in the local tongue, a reference to the numerous anthills seen in the countryside around Accra. Now ants annoy me, but I have faith in the Ghanaian people to take care of any potential ant population problem. Accra is one of the wealthiest and most modern cities in the African continent, with a high quality of living by African standards, and according to my Ghanaian sources Accra is also known as being the continent's most ‘fun’ cities. I am told that the best way to visit Accra’s m...

Perhaps this one could be resurrected in times of peace, as well as war? My mother regularly offered up similar warning to the brother and I throughout our teenage years. I think that it's a nice touch that the girl in the ad actually DOES look clean; you'd never guess the secrets within. I also like the notion that it's the GIRLS that spread the VD, not the sailors who procure her services.

I'm starting ANOTHER series on this blog (in the vein of Places that I'd like to visit ). This will help ensure that I update with some degree of regularity, and will hopefully force my hand to occasionally post something of substance!. ANYWAY, with thanks to Fark and 2Spare , this new series will feature some of my favourite vintage ads. Today, we begin with fizzy drinks and babies, always a fun and healthy combination!

Here he is, Miss America...

Port Antonio, Jamaica Port Antonio can be found on the north-eastern coast, about 100 km from the capital, Kingston. The town is surrounded by some of the most rugged and beautiful scenery in all of Jamaica. It is the island's third largest port, and famous as a shipping point for bananas and coconuts. You have just got to love the idea of a tropical island featuring bananas and coconuts, don’t you? Apparently, Port Antonio was a sleepy coastal town up until the 1880s, when the banana trade took off in Jamaica and Port Antonio began to be promoted as a destination for wealthy American travellers. It is claimed that the banana trade, coupled with the tourists who came in the banana boats, was once so large that weekly sailing from Port Antonio was greater than weekly sailing from the port of Liverpool. Of that, I am somewhat sceptical, but it’s still a nice story. In the wettest, greenest parish in Jamaica, known for its many rivers and waterfalls, Port Antonio was the model of par...

Cagliari, Italy Cagliari is the capital of the Italian island of Sardinia, and its Sardinian name Casteddu, literally means the castle. Obviously, it has a castle then! I love castles, we only have tacky poured concrete castles in Australia, and they don’t stand up too well to the authentic ones. Again, Cagliari seems to be a walking city, with the old part of the city lies on top of a hill, offering a view of the Gulf of Cagliari (also known as Angels Gulf). I love my harbours of course (as appears to be bearing out in this series on the blog), so this will be a must.