Retrophilia: Psst!

retrophilia (ret troh FEE lee uh) n. 1 An intense attraction for things of the past. 2 a weekly series for popsucker wherin the irrepressible Wootini reveals the horrors of the past to the present to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Psst! I've got a secret to tell you!
You know how sometimes you look at photos of people in the '70s and you think they kind of look like a dirty hippie? Well, these kids may not be dirty hippies, but they are kind of dirty in their own way. Oh, and don't think I mean in the sexual way. I mean dirty. Just plain dirty. Make the jump and find out why!

That's right. "Instant Shampoo." Really. You "spray it on, fluff your hair, wait a few minutes, then brush." They say the white powder will brush out completely, but I have my doubts. I suspect you'll miss some spots and look like you have bad dandruff. How can that possibly make your hair feel clean? I might give you "fresh-smelling," but clean? No way.
But for only $1.00, they'll send you a "Go-Kit" which is a sample of Psssssst and a brush so you can see for yourself "how much shampooing time it can save you." Really? I had no idea that shampooing my hair was taking so much valuable time out of my day. Just think of what else I could've been doing for that whole minute! Seriously, if you're already in the shower, how hard can it be to rub some shampoo on your head? Are we to believe that these kids aren't actually bathing every day? They spray some powder in their hair and some deodorant on their pits and call it a day? Ew.
I also enjoy that they've encompassed pretty much all the generic teenage stereotypes in this group shot. Well, minus the black people. I don't think they were being racist, I'm just speculating that their product didn't work on that specific hair type. But look, down in front, you've got your tomboy/lesbian Rizzo type, the shaggy-haired vaguely hippie-ish-but-still-cute boy, flanked by generically pretty-but-non-threatening blond and brunette. And then the frizzy-haired carrot top librarian, or whatever in the center. There's always a geek, I guess. She just doesn't look like a teenager. And they've all got their bags packed for... something, I guess. Something where they can't stop to wash their hair good thing they've got Psssssst!






I actually remember this stuff.
There was a time when women would go days without shampooing their hair, usually after some sort of beauty parlor treatment.
Scary.
Anyway, this stuff is back in production and available at a CVS or Walgreens near you.
http://tinyurl.com/3n4dd4
Honestly? With a little gender-bending (or species-bending for the doggishly-faced woman lying on the ground) and you have the cast of Scooby Doo.
Three guesses who Velma is.
Sadly, these average looking people would never stand a chance at landing a print ad today.
You know, you can still buy this. It's on the bottom shelf in the shampoo aisle in my local Walgreens, and also, for example, here.
Does that disqualify this as a Retrophilia entry?