This
year, Tater Tots turn 60. I'd never have known, but my wife got an
email from Ore-Ida.
I
checked online and learned the company's marketing department is
trying to make this a big deal:
“Ore-Ida
Tater Tots potatoes have a 60 year history that evokes many happy
memories,” says Fed Arreola, Vice President of Marketing. “From
humble beginnings, the original Ore-Ida Tater Tots potato brand has
retained its place at the dinner table as the one and only, the
original that we all know and love, and that’s something we’re
proud of.”
The
announcement got me thinking how someone writing a novel set in 1954
might research what people would eat, drink, and wear – besides
what brands of soap they'd use to wash dishes and their laundry.
Some
historical details are easy to find, like the names of elected
officials and what songs were popular. But many minor details, like
the brands on a shopping list or those products' advertising slogans
– “Crisco: It's digestible!” – take deeper digging.
As
I type this, I'm listening to the 1957 “RCA Victor 'New
Orthophonic' High Fidelity Recording,” Bing With a Beat
featuring Bing Crosby with Bob Scobey's Frisco Jazz Band. That's one
way to get in touch with the mid 1950s. But it's not an easy album to
find – or find out about.
With
all the information available online, there must be reliable sources
for discovering what was new and popular in any given year. If you've
found some of those sources, please share.
When
you do, let me know if you'd like an MP3 of Bing's version of “Let
a Smile Be Your Umbrella.”
2 comments:
Would love the MP3 of Bing -
In my memoir, my parents spent a lot of time watching TV. I found a place where the TV Guide from the 60's and 70's is listed for the evening shows. Periodically I mention some of the shows in my memoir. Here's the link:
http://www.tvhistory.tv/tv_guide3.htm
I also Google phrases to confirm they were used - I'll post something like - when was "Cool" used in conversations. Often that will give me the answer.
It's so important to keep consistent in memoir. I don't want to pull a person from the story because of a mistake in peripheral facts.
I just recently came across two great resource - Listening to America and I Hear America Talking by Stuart Berg Flexner.
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