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The World's Tackiest Postcards
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your mailbox they reared their ugly heads ...
30 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1987
7 people want to read
About the author
Klutz
633 books27 followersKlutz is a publishing company started in Palo Alto, California in 1977 and acquired by Scholastic Inc. in 2002. The first Klutz book was a how-to guide titled Juggling for the Complete Klutz, which came provided with juggling beanbags attached in a mesh bag. The book was created by three friends who graduated from Stanford University: Darrell Lorentzen, John Cassidy, and B.C. Rimbeaux. Since then the company has continued to specialize in activity-driven books sold along with other items needed for the activity. Not all the books are about developing a skill; there has also been a geography book containing, among other physical attachments, packets of rice corresponding to the average daily caloric intake among the poorest people of the world. Many of their books are spiral bound and teach various crafts. The items needed are usually included with the book, e.g. the juggling guide. The Klutz credo is: Create wonderful things, be good, have fun.
Source: Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia.
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May 25, 2023
When this book was published (1987) it was estimated that over the preceding 50 years more than 25 million different commercial postcards had been published in the United States. Many of them fell into the 'boring' category with some being so dull that they entered the next grouping, 'unbelievably boring'.
Once the cards in these categories have been exhausted, the competition begins to get a little more critical with cards in categories such as 'The Really Dumb Card', 'The Marginal Taste Card', 'The Hideous Colours Card' [this one doesn't sound too bad] and the 'I Don't Understand Why Anyone Would Ever Take This Picture Card'.
Most of the examples in 'The World's Tackiest Postcards' probably fall into the last named category but the introduction suggests that they are in a category even beyond that, even beyond the bounds of aesthetic and good taste. It is suggested that they are 'The Truly Tacky Postcard'. And there is no doubt about it, those in this collection certainly are. Many of them have captions explaining or describing what is on the front although one or two of them don't seem to match up particularly well - probably because the publisher is too ashamed to write anything about the illustration - or they are simply made up (like the cards?) by Klutz Press (the publisher of the book itself).
There is nothing unwholesome about the postcards, they are just plain odd, the worst of which is a line of men with arms raised and white coated nurses (?) sniffing the aroma from under their arms! The caption mentions a certain laboratory, which is 'the leader in controlled environment Beta testing for the personal hygiene and pharmaceutical industry'. It goes on to say, 'Providing clinical, laboratory and random field testing for both consumer as well as industrial products. Ask your rep for details. FDA approved.' Really? See what I mean about possibly being made up?
Others feature Amana Colonies, the 'Bratwurst Capital of the World', and features three chefs making the German sausage; the Steel Pier Diving Horse; the Miami Parrot Circus and Jungle; Let Deco Wall put the FUN back onto your walls! and a gripping caption on the reverse, 'Why pay more? When you can have that rich look of wallpaper, without the cost! Deco Wall goes on easy. It's fun and economical too!' as the chap spreading it on the wall demonstrates!; two bowls of what looks like unappetising stew (with no caption on the front) but with a Truckstop Diner mentioned on the reverse (that will improve custom, I'm sure) and two travellers looking out of a railway carriage window at Indian Sheepherders trekking across the desert- apparently an advertisement for viewing from the panoramic windows of a high-level, air-conditioned Continental Trailways Silver Eagle Strato-Cruiser.
There are quite a few more bizarre and 'Why would you publish them' postcards but my favourite, or should I say most boring, is the evening-dressed couple, her hand lovingly on his shoulder as he plays the piano with a front title of 'playing the piano … turns idle leisure time into real pleasure time … for busy people' - the reverse suggests that those busy people could be presidents, industrial leaders, scientists, doctors and the like.
It definitely is a bizarre book and 'Tackiest' could easily be replaced by 'Weirdest' but having said that it does have just a little bit of passing appeal.
There is one advantage of the book, for a bubble on the back has the wording 'You! Tear 'em Out And Mail 'em!!!' - what a great idea, you can then just have the card covers left with a brief introduction and save the embarrassment of looking at the cards again. Please send addresses and I will mail you one [only joking, as on second thoughts I don't think you would want one]!!!
Once the cards in these categories have been exhausted, the competition begins to get a little more critical with cards in categories such as 'The Really Dumb Card', 'The Marginal Taste Card', 'The Hideous Colours Card' [this one doesn't sound too bad] and the 'I Don't Understand Why Anyone Would Ever Take This Picture Card'.
Most of the examples in 'The World's Tackiest Postcards' probably fall into the last named category but the introduction suggests that they are in a category even beyond that, even beyond the bounds of aesthetic and good taste. It is suggested that they are 'The Truly Tacky Postcard'. And there is no doubt about it, those in this collection certainly are. Many of them have captions explaining or describing what is on the front although one or two of them don't seem to match up particularly well - probably because the publisher is too ashamed to write anything about the illustration - or they are simply made up (like the cards?) by Klutz Press (the publisher of the book itself).
There is nothing unwholesome about the postcards, they are just plain odd, the worst of which is a line of men with arms raised and white coated nurses (?) sniffing the aroma from under their arms! The caption mentions a certain laboratory, which is 'the leader in controlled environment Beta testing for the personal hygiene and pharmaceutical industry'. It goes on to say, 'Providing clinical, laboratory and random field testing for both consumer as well as industrial products. Ask your rep for details. FDA approved.' Really? See what I mean about possibly being made up?
Others feature Amana Colonies, the 'Bratwurst Capital of the World', and features three chefs making the German sausage; the Steel Pier Diving Horse; the Miami Parrot Circus and Jungle; Let Deco Wall put the FUN back onto your walls! and a gripping caption on the reverse, 'Why pay more? When you can have that rich look of wallpaper, without the cost! Deco Wall goes on easy. It's fun and economical too!' as the chap spreading it on the wall demonstrates!; two bowls of what looks like unappetising stew (with no caption on the front) but with a Truckstop Diner mentioned on the reverse (that will improve custom, I'm sure) and two travellers looking out of a railway carriage window at Indian Sheepherders trekking across the desert- apparently an advertisement for viewing from the panoramic windows of a high-level, air-conditioned Continental Trailways Silver Eagle Strato-Cruiser.
There are quite a few more bizarre and 'Why would you publish them' postcards but my favourite, or should I say most boring, is the evening-dressed couple, her hand lovingly on his shoulder as he plays the piano with a front title of 'playing the piano … turns idle leisure time into real pleasure time … for busy people' - the reverse suggests that those busy people could be presidents, industrial leaders, scientists, doctors and the like.
It definitely is a bizarre book and 'Tackiest' could easily be replaced by 'Weirdest' but having said that it does have just a little bit of passing appeal.
There is one advantage of the book, for a bubble on the back has the wording 'You! Tear 'em Out And Mail 'em!!!' - what a great idea, you can then just have the card covers left with a brief introduction and save the embarrassment of looking at the cards again. Please send addresses and I will mail you one [only joking, as on second thoughts I don't think you would want one]!!!
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