From the 1930s to the 1960s, Henry Luce’s photo-journalism weekly Life Magazine was one of the most powerful institutions in America. Life really canonized American culture of the time, explaining to America how to think about itself.
Tens of millions of Americans read Life every week, and from Life sprang iconic photos of U.S. wars to smears of political opponents of Luce’s friends (among them J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI and Allen Dulles of the CIA). Many of the early privacy protecting politicians were taken down by Life Magazine stories alleging corruption, often the behest of various FBI men like Hoover henchman Deke DeLoach. Senator Edward Long, John Tydings, and Rep. Neil Gallagher come to mind as some of Luce’s prey.
Anyway, I got the chance to flip through a bunch of magazines from that period, and while the photos are widely celebrated, what transfixed me were the ads. These ads explained to Life readers how women and men should live life and what they should consume. And the ads were so unbelievably sexist.
Check them out. This one is from Feb, 1963.

This one is from April, 1966. Violence-drenched sexist puns seem to be associated with camera ads.

Hey guys, buy this car so you can have sex with it. May, 1966.

This one is also from May, 1966. it’s an ad for paint. Blonde paint in my apartment. Get it?

This one’s from Feb, 1966. Another weird and violent subtext to a camera ad.

And then, finally, as this April 1966 ad shows, you shouldn’t deny sugary drinks to your kids just because you’re a fattie.

In other words, Life magazine ad rules for being a good American were:
1) Buy shit.
2) Women should be pretty for their husbands, while feeling guilty about their children not getting enough sugar.
3) Guys should have sex with lots of models.
4) Don’t be gay.
5) Be white.
6) Buy shit.
Henry Luce was an asshole.
The sugar bit may be my favorite