Attention, modern families of the ’50s! More than ever, advertisers are pitching the idea of family togetherness, whether they’re selling baby food or automobiles. And they need model families to help them do it. Do you have what it takes? Of course, it’s not enough to be white and wholesome-looking. Kids, can you deliver what one Chicago model manager calls “GOOD BREAKFAST FOOD ANIMATION — raised eyebrows, a good, healthy smile”? Moms over 30, have you kept the weight off? We’ve got a consumer lifestyle to sell here, and if you qualify, you can earn enough to help Dad keep up with the Joneses. What better way to enjoy some FAMILY TOGETHERNESS!
* Hourly rate for the Bream kids: $8. Hourly rate for child models today: $75 to $150.
* Year that the term “family room” was coined: 1946.
* Year that Illinois modeling agencies agreed to stop denying jobs on account of race, religion and ethnicity: 1966.
* Number of replies to Redbook magazine when it asked readers in 1960 to send them examples of “why young mothers feel trapped”: 24,000.
Sources: Tribune archives, news reports, “The Way We Never Were” by Stephanie Coontz, “Make Room for TV” by Lynn Spigel.
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nwatkins@tribune.com
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