Radio mirror (Nov 1936-Apr 1937)

RADIO M IRROR HIDES FACE AS R0MPIN6 HUSBAND SPILLS TOBACCO ALL OVER HER. JUST-CLEANED RU6. THANKFUL THAT BlSSELL'5 HI-LO BRUSH CONTROL AUTOMATICALLY A0JL>STS IT5ELF AND CLEANS RU6S OF ANV MAPLENGTH. DECIDES TO USE HER HANDY BlSSELL EVERY DA^-AND SAVE HER VACUUM FOR ONCE-A-WEEK. CLEANIN6. THEM BlSSELL The really better sweeper Grand Rapids, Mich. TELLS HUSBAND TO GET VACUUMBUT ON SECOND THOUGHT DECIDES TO TRY HER NEW BlSSELL INSTEAD. REACHES UNDER CHAIRS AND LOW FURNITURE EASILY. DELIGHTED THAT STAY-ON BUMPERS PREVENT SCRATCHING. Phones Friend: "My Bissell is so light and handy! Just the thing for daily quick clean-ups — and it saves my vacuum for heavy-duty cleaning. Bissell's Hi-Lo brush gets the dirt from any rug — it fully adjusts itself to high or low nap." See the colorful new Bissells at your dealer's. Models from $3.95 to $7.50 DONT CUT CUTICLES Smart New Cosmetic Beautifies Nails While It Softens Cuticle This clever new preparation removes tough, dead cuticle without scissors, and at the same time keeps nails flexible and easy to shape. It brings out their natural beauty. It is a cuticle remover, a cuticle oil and a stain remover, all in one. You may not have time for long, expensive manicures, but with Manicare you simply brush your fingertips a minute a day, to keep nails nice. No hangnails or brittleness. 3 5 fiat druggists. mRnicRRE NEW IRONING INVENTION STREAMLINED — SELF-HEATING Irons in Ms Time for 1 Newest ironing discovery in 20 years! Beautiful, streamlined, all chromium-plated iron has no cords tubes, heats itself , burns 96% free air and only 4% kerosene. Does whole ironing for a penny or less! USE IT ANYWHERE Can be used anywhere, indoors or out. No more work over hot stovel Insulated handle. Cannot rust or tarnish, lasts a lifetime. Finger-touch heat control gives right temperature for any kind of ironing. 30-DAY HOME TRIAL Try it for 30 days at our risk. Satisfaction is guaranteed. Write at once for full particulars and how to get yours FREE, by helping to introduce it. BURNS 96% AIR AGENTS ! Selling everywhere! Wynne made $16 In one day, Jamison $15. Write at once for sensational profit plan. AKRON LAMP & MFG. CO., 375 IRON Bldg., Akron, Ohio The Curious Case of Radio's Hidden Censorship (Continued from page 34) to set standards of quality, good taste and integrity — which is a very different thing. The rules under which the NBC Continuity Acceptance department works look simple enough, and right enough too. In fact, it's hard to see why a department should be needed to administer them. No use of the Deity's name except reverently or as part of a standard classic work; no statements offensive to religious views or racial traits; no false or questionable statements; no obscenity; statements of price in commercial announcements to be confined to specific facts; commercial announcements not to refer to competitors by name. That's about all. You'll find a facsimile of them illustrating this article. But what a load of censorable material those rules can be — and are — stretched to cover. The broadcasters themselves admit that they're pretty elastic rules. In the NBC Continuity Acceptance department I was told that rules couldn't be made to fit exactly every case, and that the department worked under a general rule which could best be defined as "Do unto others as you would be done by." Boiled down, that comes to cutting out everything that might possibly offend anyone. There was also a good deal of dignified talk about "good taste." It all sounds all right, but wait until you see how far things are carried to adhere to the Golden Rule and the dictates of good taste. Here are some examples, culled from recent programs: THE script which described how a tired ■ woman came home and took off her corsets had to be altered to describe how she came home and loosened her girdle. I may be dumb, but I know I'll never understand why the word "girdle" is in better taste than the word "corset." Another script (and you ought to be able to identify this program) had the voice of conscience talking to a woman who was lying on her bed, unable to sleep. This had to be changed so the woman was dressed and pacing up and down the floor of her living room. You can't have a man's voice in a lady's bedroom. All gags built upon the depression are now taboo, even as innocent a little gag as that of one comedian who wanted to say, "It's getting so they pay our wages in meat in this country — haven't we all had chops in our salaries?" Script writers, when they were told about this general taboo, were informed vaguely that "Washington doesn't like such jokes" — the idea being that the country is getting prosperous again and people shouldn't be reminded that there ever was a depression. I don't mean to imply that orders come direct to radio from Washington. The broadcasters say they don't, and I believe them. It's just a case of excess zeal on the part of radio; another case of not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings — this time, the government's. Washington is also popularly supposed among script writers to want the annual ban on income-tax jokes around the month of March. Well, I'll admit that the income-tax comes under the head of touchy business — but on the other hand, it might do us good to laugh at it a little. Another political wise-crack which had to be deleted was one comedian's remark, made while President Roosevelt was on his way to South America, that while he was probably being seasick, the Supreme 74