Talk:Burma-Shave

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Sad to say much of this article seems to have been copyvio'd from http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-BurmaShave.html. Perhaps the person who lifted the text would care to reword it rather than have it deleted? Flapdragon 16:14, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

I have taken the article all the way back to Sept 15, 2004, which is when the copyvio text was added. I'll see what can be salvaged from later additions. -- Mwanner | Talk 17:38, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Photo order

The photos in the examples appear to give the lines of the verse in the wrong order - burma-shave.org gives a more natural sounding order (and makes the question-mark make sense, as well). But looking at the background, it seems like the photo ordering does represent the real order of those signs, so I guess the signs themselves were put up incorrectly by whoever did it. I think we should still show them in correct verse-order, rather than correct sign-order, though - any thoughts? --Maebmij 02:04, 19 July 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Brand name

Burma-Shave must be one of the most valuable brand names of the 20th century to have simply disappeared. What happened to it? Bigturtle 00:15, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I googled for the American Safety Razor Company, and discovered that in 1997 they launched a new line of Burma Shave products (I find conflicting information about when the original Burma Shave product was discontinued). They now use the Burma Shave brand name to market a kit of shaving soap and a brush, which is kinda ironic because the original Burma Shave was one of the first brushless shaving creams. The (very minimal) website for the current product line is here. After looking at that page, I realized that I actually do remember seeing this product on the shelf of a drugstore. --64.165.112.146 02:44, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Moers

After he collected 900 more jars for the return trip, the company sent him on vacation to the town of Moers (pronounced "Mars") near Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Moers is pronounced more like ['møɐs], not Mars. --Abdull 22:43, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

-Well, we are talking ad campaigns here, based in Middle America. As Burma-Shave couldn't very well send the store owner to the Red Planet itself, Moers was deemed close enough by the store chain's publicity man. Glenn 18:38, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Modern ads in the same style

Florida Turnpike

I don't know if this is considered "pop culture" but on the Florida turnpike there are similar style signs advertising both oranges, beaches and careful driving all along the road.

--ShatterdRose 16:53, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

Kansas Turnpike

At least a few years ago, the Kansas Turnpike had signs on bridges promoting K-Tag, their electronic toll collection system. One set read "The gate goes up/Then you'll see/You really are/A VIP/Get K-Tag". I don't know if they are still there, though. I took a very quick look at the KTA/KDOT Web site and couldn't find a cite for it.

[edit] Pop Culture

Richard Stallman Why is there a section on Richard Stallman? It seems like such precedent would indicate a need to include the author of every witty couplet on this page.

[edit] Was Burma Shave named after Burma?

The country? 68.36.214.143 15:47, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bill Bryson

I should think most British people only know of Burma-Shave via the books of Bill Bryson; he's an enthusiast for the rhymes, and mentions them several times in his work, which is immensely popular in the UK. 86.143.48.55 (talk) 20:56, 4 February 2008 (UTC)