I wrote a post on this awhile back pointing y'all to an outside blog. Unfortunately, that blog is no longer live, so I did some digging and came up with my own library of funny, disturbing, and thought provoking vintage drug ads.
But has anything really changed? (See my Huff Post piece "Pharma: Still Chasing Skirts".) Because while all these ads take us for "chumps", if you take a close look, you'll see they're particularly insulting towards women. (And I'm not even overly sensitive to things, darnit.)
So please take a look and have a few laughs along the way. I'd also be honored to have you weigh in with your favorite.
Note: Be sure to check out the Quaalude ad…are they ‘quietly’ suggesting the doctor also take it? And what in the hell is up with the 'Stabilize the Epileptic' ad with the girl on the swing?? And how about the Shaun Cassidy look alike in the Midol ad? Okay then, enjoy.
Big Pharma...
- Still selling lifestyle via a pill.
- Still sugar-coating side effects.
- Still heavily targeting women.
- Still medicalizing our problems.
- Still peddling conformity and control.
- Still dumbing us down.
- Still masterful marketers.
- Still legalized drug dealers.
Related:
Period got you down? Well there's a pill for that too...(hilarious)
"Side Effects" starring Katherine Heigl
Making the FDA a servant to us...
Pharma whistleblowers: From the big screen to today's headlines
Money Talks: Profits Before Patient Safety
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