The Wacky World of the Word of Wisdom

[Hagoth]

When the LDS church's Improvement Era magazine ran ads:


1904:


1906:


Other prophet-approved health products advertised in the church magazine:







And don't forget healthy chicken and watermelon:


These and so much more in:
http://www.keepapitchinin.org/topical-g ... book-1923/

[Hagoth]

I find it interesting that the radium water ad uses the same doubt-your-doubts illogic that church leaders apply to faith-challenging information:

"We don't care who tells you that radioactive water is not beneficial to the human system, so we are going to make this very emphatic statement right here, that any one making that statement is doing so through IGNORANCE or KNOWINGLY TELLING YOU AN UNTRUTH."

Who would tell you that ingesting radium isn't healthy? Maybe Satan?

[jfro18]

Hagoth you pull some of the most amazing things... that water ad is just perfect and will be safely stored in the vault for a later date lol.

[Red Ryder]

Is the guy in the beneficial insurance ad paying his tithing with a Chicken and 2 watermelons?

[Hagoth]

Is the guy in the beneficial insurance ad paying his tithing with a Chicken and 2 watermelons?

It makes no sense to me beyond "black people are funny, let's laugh at them."

[Reuben]

Is the guy in the beneficial insurance ad paying his tithing with a Chicken and 2 watermelons?

It makes no sense to me beyond "black people are funny, let's laugh at them."

It leverages racist stereotypes of the day.

Here's how the thinking went. The man is in a predicament. He has two watermelons, which it's understood he didn't pay for because he's black and black people steal watermelons. He happens across a chicken. No free hands to steal the chicken! What will he do? Haha! Black people should be less lazy!

(Sheesh.)

This "joke" was already well-known at the time. Beneficial is contrasting the black man's predicament and future regret with the peace of mind and lack of regret their customers ostensibly have.

[Thoughtful]

Is the guy in the beneficial insurance ad paying his tithing with a Chicken and 2 watermelons?

It makes no sense to me beyond "black people are funny, let's laugh at them."

It leverages racist stereotypes of the day.

Here's how the thinking went. The man is in a predicament. He has two watermelons, which it's understood he didn't pay for because he's black and black people steal watermelons. He happens across a chicken. No free hands to steal the chicken! What will he do? Haha! Black people should be less lazy!

(Sheesh.)

This "joke" was already well-known at the time. Beneficial is contrasting the black man's predicament and future regret with the peace of mind and lack of regret their customers ostensibly have.

Whoa. Awful!

[Hagoth]

Also on the radium pad advertisement: porn shoulders.

[moksha]

Most likely this also works for both Dropsy and the Collywobbles.

Don't forget to mention reading this in the Relief Society Magazine, the Juvenile Instructor, and the Mormon Interpreter.