Retrophilia: Modern Technology
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.
Can you tell what this gadget's purpose is meant to be? It sort of looks like a radio, but it also kind of looks like a videotape in there. Some kind of Betamax player? Well, the year was 1973, and this was the latest technological marvel to make lives easier. Take a guess and make the jump to see if you're right!
That's right -- it's an answering machine! Remember those? It's a little crazy to me that I'm running an ad for a device that was brand new and amazing in 1973, and nowadays is practically on its way out. I mean, with cell phones and voicemail taking over, who even uses an answering machine anymore? And if you do, I'm sure it doesn't use a physical tape!
What I love about this ad is the fact that they'd invented the device, but hadn't started calling it an answering machine yet. Instead, they're calling it an "automatic telephone answerer." Hm. Yeah, not quite as catchy. Doesn't really roll off the tongue. But what's really fantastic is that as they're touting the machine's ability to take messages for you while you're home, they've also figured out that you can screen your calls! That's right -- don't worry about having to talk to people you don't want to deal with, just listen to who's calling you and decide whether or not they're worth your time! Fun for the whole family!
Nevermind that the answering machine is as big as a stereo and appears to use some kind of massive reel-to-reel tape -- it's only $129.50. Can you imagine what that would work out to in adjusted dollars? In 1973, that must have been one heck of a luxury item! And that's the "new low price!" Although I'm not sure how "your home is safer" when "your phone is never left alone and unanswered." I mean, clearly it's a recorded message saying that you can't get to the phone. You'd think that would be like a big green light to potential thieves. I'm just saying...
Wootini
Posted to Hot Stuff, Retrophilia on 10 November 2008
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Other stuff like this: advertisement, phone-mate, retrophilia, seventies
Thanks to the Consumer Price Index, we don't have to imagine what it works out to in today's dollars. $129.50 in 1973 adjusted for inflation is $598.15 in modern dollars. An answering machine these days retails for about $20, which would translate to about $4 back in 1973.