And finally, as promised, we have the cover of Man's Life that inspired Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention's post-breakup album, Weasels Ripped My Flesh. In case you're wondering, this was a real magazine and not the product of Mr. Zappa's fervid imagination. The album cover is below:
I remember seeing these on shelves of news stands. Some of the covers hardened my teenaged peter, and my dad never worried about my reading the ones he bought.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that homosexual men looked at these mags, but I really don't think they were aimed at that market.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, war and testerone go hand-in-hand. Enjoyable collection -- I am old enuf to remember some of these.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the set vv! Some of the cowboys on the ranch where I grew up had a small collection of these. Some of the advice columns were a hoot.
DeleteI saw these mags in barbershops as a kid. Grea
ReplyDeletet set!-Dee Exx
Fitting location.
DeleteThen decade or so after these came the homoerotic publications from Joe Weider from whom I bought my first set of weights. Do you have any remnants of these on hand? I. have remnants of the barbell set.
ReplyDeleteI have posted an occasional photo from Mr. Weider's publications, but I may not have always labeled them as such. Might be time to give him his own series.
DeleteThat would be great!
DeleteAnother trip down memory lane, I remember these covers on the shelves when I was a kid. Naturally there was something about them that peaked my interest, how could they not! Lol. A couple of old book stores here have them lovingly preserved in plastic wrap, and they still put a smile on my face. Always fun to look back, thanks Jerry!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Pat!
DeleteAnd then there were the Sears Roebuck and Montgomery - Ward catalogs; the men's underwear sections. Pathetically desperate days...
ReplyDeleteMy cousins and friends would all be looking at the women's undies and bra ads while my eyes were fixed on the same items as you.
DeleteUse to see these pulps as a kid at liquor store magazine racks next to kids comic books. Though I myself would get a gander at the covers of the physique magazines. Finally my prayers were answered when a physique magazine had a fully clothed bodybuilder posing with a barbell on the cover. You bet I purchased it and was pleased to find near nude men in posing straps featured within. :)
ReplyDeleteTalk about a rare treat in those bad days of homophobia. And today we have self righteous hypocrites who want to take all of us back to this and worse.
Great series that brings great memories.
Rex in DC
Glad you enjoyed the series.
DeleteOtters.
ReplyDeleteThe stories of vicious littoral mustelids were fabricated to discourage groups of "Sin Happy Vacationists" from coming to Cape Cod. I think we know who they're talking about.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think we do.
DeleteA Mothers of Invention story:
ReplyDeleteWhile attending a performance of the "Mothers" at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta we were sitting in the second-row balcony. Two drunk dickweeds in front of us pried open the lighting enclosure that fronted the balcony removed a square metal color filter and flung it frisbee like. It stuck up on point in the wooden stage in front of the xylophone/vibe player. I made a "kicking his sorry ass over the balcony" motion to my friend who shook his head. A minute later five security dragged them out. We happily pointed and nodded "yep it was them."
When I lived in Atlanta, I knew one of the art restorers who touched up all the elaborate paintings in the Fox. He took me on several tours, the most fascinating element of which were the women's restrooms. They had individual hand painted vanities for the ladies to do their makeup. The only part of the buiilding I never got to see was the area where some guy had an apartment he was living in.
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