Charles Atlas
I read a lot of comic books when I was young. I vividly remember the ads for the Charles Atlas program. I know they were marketed to boys and men, but I studied them. There were several things that I decided about life based on these ads.
Crowded beaches are a hotbed of bullies.
Men who are very muscular are bullies and should be avoided at all costs.
Getting sand kicked in your face is an insult.
I was never going to be one of those stupid girls who just stands around and lets her boyfriend get beat up.
I was never going to be one of those stupid girls who is proud of her boyfriend when he beats up another guy.
Saying, “What a man!†isn’t an insult.
I don’t think any of these are actually an indication of real life, but to this day, I avoid crowded beaches and muscular men. I wonder if the Charles Atlas program actually inspired people to be stronger and healthier, because their ads did nothing for me.
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