Since I’m currently shooting in Canada, this ad stood out as I was leafing through old issues of American Cinematographer while trying to fall asleep the other night. Featured in the April 1974 edition, its blatantly sexist approach to selling motion picture equipment was not uncommon at the time. But don’t put the knock on AC magazine alone for its insensitivity. Virtually every publication from the ’50’s through the ’70’s featured a similar degree of tastelessness to some extent or another.
Fortunately, those days are behind us. I wonder what society in general was thinking back then and how the magazine people framed the discussions that led to these ads’ publication. I also wonder about what we’re doing today that we think is cool, but in the future will be considered in a different way.
Whatever the response, we’re living in this exact moment – and based on what we know and widely assume to be valid in this moment – are certain of the choices we’re making. So, don’t judge the past too harshly by today’s sensibilities. We’re going to be on the other end of that stick soon enough, and judging by the state of the world in 2024, there will be enough pain to go around for everyone.
I’ve collected a few of those (hah!) — they mostly appear within a 2-year period, I think 1971-72, something like that. Unfortunately a lot of them are by Birns & Sawyer and Alan Gordon…
Hilarious! And I agree. Who are we to judge.