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Why "ephemeral"? Sponsored by corporate America, these films were designed as advertisements for a lifestyle and were never intended to be preserved. Luckily, media archaeologist Rick Prelinger saw them for what they are: rare artifacts that reveal the cultural values and social mores of the day (or at least the gospel according to Oldsmobile, Proctor & Gamble, and Esso). They had us both laughing and cringing. Mostly paid for by big corporations, the films in the CD's first section document the golden age of American industry. These forerunners to infomercials promote products--and, along with them, a world view in which Roll-Oh the Robot (your chromium-plated butler), GM's "Futurama" exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair, and the miracle of television promise progress without end. And once technology has set us free, the second half of the program, a paean to unbridled consumerism, has plenty of tips on how to handle that newfound leisure. Check out "What to Do on a Date" (weenie roast or taffy pull?), "Two-Ford Freedom" (a second car will set her free), "American Look" (choose among many beautiful products), and "The Relaxed Wife" (tranquilizers). Prelinger's perceptive commentaries point out the dark side of the American dream as well: the shameless relegation of women to the domestic realm, and a society realizing that all was not quite right in postwar suburbia. |
