Comments on: Poetry Urban Legends Revealed #2

By: …but would it have sold any better? « EPL Off the Shelf

…but would it have sold any better? « EPL Off the Shelf — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:45:09 +0000

[...] to think they chose the name Edsel over that one. Check out the link at Entertainment Legends Revealed where there is also a piece on Shel [...]

By: Mitch Barrow

Mitch Barrow — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:52:23 +0000

Hey Brain,

Interesting note on the Edsel. Had a history professor in college who expounded this theory. As one who lived through it, he felt the Sputnik launch was a large factor in the adverse public reaction to the Edsel. His theory was after all the hype about the Edsel, and then it being really just another Ford with funky chrome bumpers and few innovations, that it became a symbol of everything wrong with American consumerism in the late 1950′s; while the Russians were busy designing a rocket, the best American engineers were working on shiny chrome tailfins.

The dates don’t exactly bear it out. The Edsel “launched” on Sept 4, 1957, Sputnik launched October 4, 1957. Then a promotional variety show on October 13,1957…an intriguing theory nonetheless.

By: Eldric IV

Eldric IV — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:50:54 +0000

“Soon, Silverstein was the second-most popular feature of the magazine – trailing only, well, you know, the naked ladies.”

How can that be when everyone you ask “just reads it for the articles”? Has anyone, ever, “just” read it for the articles?

By: Christopher Stansfield

Christopher Stansfield — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:48:23 +0000

Henry Ford founded the company- Edsel was his son. Generally, the Edsel line is considered a failure because it was a lousy car. It was also introduced during a recession, and, despite the original intentions of Ford, it didn’t really have a specific price segment- it was pretty much just as expensive as the Mercury.

By: JackKing

JackKing — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:29:17 +0000

Should be, ‘only child’, rather than only son. Apologies.

By: JackKing

JackKing — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:28:05 +0000

Not quite. Henry Ford did in fact found the company. Edsel was his only son. Edsel ran the company as the President from 1919 to 1943, when he died.

By: mary warner

mary warner — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:08:29 +0000

Henry Ford founded the company. Edsel Ford was simply the president (or CEO, or something like that) during the 1950s.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:30:10 +0000

I’ve read that ABZ book. It’s hilarious.

By: New Library « The New Rambler

New Library « The New Rambler — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:01:14 +0000

[...] a somewhat, slightly related note: Poetry Legends Revealed. Back in the day, Jack Cole and Shel Silverstein were Playboy’s staff cartoonists and were [...]