For Lily White Washes

I drove for about 12 hours all told on Wednesday. That's nothing, actually. My friend Bill just drove from San Francisco to Minneapolis in two days, he likes to go 18 hours a shot.  I can't do it, drove from Canada to Fallbrook once without stopping, 20 hours, just about killed me. No more.

One of the things I like to do on long drives is listen to old time radio shows on Sirius. Channel 148. The mystery and horror shows can really keep you awake when you are tired. 

I forget what I was listening to on Wednesday but it might have been Philip Marlowe.

The detective was cracking wise with some young dame who was trying to give him the double cross.

Anyway the point of this blogpost is not the show, it is the commercials. You see the commercials are recorded live in front of a studio audience.

This one was for Rinso Soap.  Back in '47 if I remember correctly.

Two society matrons were waxing poetically about the joy the new and improved soap powder had brought to their lives.

Think late 40's actresses affecting the worst Connecticut B - movie rich lady accents you could possibly imagine.

And the conversation went something like this:

"Dahling, I can't tell you the joy that Rinso Soap has brought into our home.

Our servants had been so sullen and insolent but after Rinso Soap even our Beulah is happy again."

I am not sure if the message was more classist or racist but the underlying inferences were quite clear.

Somehow I don't think they would run that commercial today.

Guess we've come a long way baby.