Oh, this is beautiful on so many levels. It’s a 1956 spot for Hotpoint dishwashers, and it aired during The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. This ad is so ’50s it just screams suburban repression.

I love how the premise of the prospective home buyers is dropped entirely, less than halfway through the spot. The wife mentions the dishwasher and the salesman/real estate agent launches into his spiel, complete with mobile display props. Notice the subtle way he both panders to and dismisses her with the “I don’t blame you, lady” line. If a salesman ever said that to my wife he’d find his nuts in the kick cycle.

Astute viewers may have noticed a familiar face at the beginning of this clip. The bouncing elf/fairy, Happy Hotpoint, was played by the very lovely Mary Tyler Moore. She filmed almost 40 spots for Hotpoint, masters of the advanced “two-cup” technology.

Related articles

• The Battle of the Dishwasher (ayearinparis.wordpress.com)
• I’m a Broken Dishwasher (stillfugue.com)
• Letter To Home Depot CEO Gets Dishwasher Replaced In 12 Hours (consumerist.com)
• How To Fill Space Where Dishwasher Used To Be? Good Questions (apartmenttherapy.com)

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