Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Wondering about an old hair product

Let’s go back in time to the wonderful 1950’s. That is when I was in school and learning about life in this great big world we live in. Being an only child, I looked forward to going to school. Living in what used to be the country; I only had two friends within walking distance of less than a mile and one of them moved away after only a few years in school. The other one is still a friend and we keep in touch. I loved the 1950’s, the music, the dances (remember the school dances), the girls (I started dating my wife in high school so I will not talk about any of the other ones), the final exams (wow, didn’t want to remember them), the football and basketball games, and I guess school itself. That was back in the days when you had to save your allowance for awhile to purchase a 45 rpm record of what was popular at the time.


When we guys stated to take notice of the fairer sex, we also became more aware of how we looked. Of course there were exceptions to this on both sides. We were influenced by adds that promised to make us irresistible to the girls. You know, like Brylcream. Do you remember Brylcream and “a little dab will do ya” jingle? If not, here are two youtube links to classic Brylcream TV adds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRcRIbExrfg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6F4GtyRfto

Brylcream was created in England in 1929 but didn’t really hit the big time until the 1950’s in the U.S. All fads come and go and after awhile the wet Brylcream look gave way to the dry look. Did you have either look? I must admit that I am now in the grey look.

Another bit of trivia, the Flintstone phrase “aba daba doo” came about by the influence of the Brylcream jingle, a little dab will do ya. . .

You all have a great day now, you hear, and don’t worry if I don’t post a blog tomorrow. I have things I got to do.

12 comments:

  1. I'm old enough to remember the ads, but too young to have used the product. Remember that wax like stuff that was used to keep crew cuts standing up? My dad used to take me for crew cuts until I was old enough to complain strongly against it. Now I just put the gray hair in a pony tail and call it good.

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  2. Dizzy!!! Push Back from the computer and go load the Bus, You supposed to leave this morning. :-)

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  3. Sixbears, Hate to admit I was old enough and I too, wear my hair in a pony tail most of the time.

    Ben, No hurry, don't have to be there until this afternoon and it only takes a little over an hour to get there, maybe longer driving slow.

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  4. Don't forget "Wildroot Cream Oil". In my early teens I always looked like I had a quart of 30 weight in my hair. Now like a lot of old gray haired men I just do the pony tail.

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  5. Well I remember clouds of hairspray!!!

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  6. Oldfool, yep I remember Wildroot Cream Oil and what about Vitalus. Don't know if I spelled it right.

    Frann, Don't remember any hairspray back then, but there probably was. Something had to hold those girls' "big" hairdo.

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  7. How 'bout " "Dippty Do". Mom would comb my hair before school and it would stay that way even after i got home.....lol

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  8. Pony-tail-smoney-tail, the only reason you mention is is because you still have hair up there on your head!

    Yes I remember 'A little dab'l do ya!' How bout 'Slickum'? Now that was serious hair tonic. You could stick your head out the window of a moving car at 50 MPH and your hair would not blow around.

    It turned your hair into a helmet! Think Marlin Brando on a Harley, D.A. hair cuts, and rolled up shirt sleeves. The 'hoods' kept their cigarettes in the rolled up part.

    And how about the 'Cootie Fence?'

    Flat top crew cuts with a cootie fence up front was the style and it took some kind of wax stick to keep the cootie fence standing up. I don't remember what the brand name of the wax stick was but it smelled good, whatever it was.

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  9. Seth, you sure she didn't use Elmer's glue (grin).

    Ernest, I never heard of Slickum nor a Cootie Fence, but then I never had a crew cut either.

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  10. I used to use the original "Butch Wax" to train my hair to what I thought was a cool set.

    At the start of the Summer, I used to get a flat top and then let it grow out until school started!

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  11. HJ, Flat tops were populat with a lot of the guys, except the cone heads (grin).

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  12. I sure remember the SLICKUM from the '50s. It created a really stiff helmet of hair.
    "Dippity Do" will do the same thing. I suppose that's what the guys with the 14" high Raspberry and Lime Mohawks use these days.

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