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Article: Matchbook Man. (the demise of the masculine image that use to grace the ads on matchbook covers promoting self-improvement studies, vocational training or high school completion courses) (Column)
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- September 20, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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To liberals he's the "blue-collar, white-male, racist, sexist homophobe." To feminists he's the "unsocialized" male because he continues to elude their gelding shears. I call him the Matchbook Man because he was the target of self-improvement ads in the matchbooks of my childhood.
Having had a mother who smoked four packs a day, I saw a lot of matchbooks and practiced my reading with them. On the inside of the cover were tiny grey coupons and ads that said: "Finish High School at Home in Your Spare Time!" or "Learn Locksmithing" or "Study Radio Repair" or "Be a Private Detective" - always at home in your spare time.
Some of the same ads can still be ...