-
1 of 22
Ah, wartime. A time for patriotism, sacrifice, and if these propaganda posters from World War II are to be believed, lots and lots of syphilis.
Here are some of our favorite wartime venereal disease posters.
I'd like to have seen the artist's face when someone walked into his office and said, "Can you draw a soldier? But not just any soldier, one who really wants to have y'know, "relations" with a woman? And you need to see that on his face. Can you draw that for me?"
-
2 of 22
98 percent of all women had venereal disease in the 1940s? Remind me never to hug my grandma again.
-
3 of 22
I'm no musician, but the lyrics to this song take a really weird turn after the third stanza.
-
4 of 22
Sometimes, when the kids are incessantly crying and he has no free time and he realizes how much college will cost, I bet syphilis-free dad wishes he didn't get all his shots.
-
5 of 22
Did guys in the 1940s walk around telling women it was "necessary" to indulge in sexual desire? And did that line work so well that the government had to make a poster about it? I hope the answer to both of those questions is yes.
-
6 of 22
But what if Mercury is the name of another girl who's also swimming with disease?
-
7 of 22
Juke Joint Sniper looks a little tired. Must be all the VD coursing through her body.
-
8 of 22
Where is that boat going? Home or to war? Because if it's going home, then yeah, VD cost him a trip out of the hellhole of war, and that sucks. But if it allowed him to not go to war, then maybe a searing case of gonorrhea isn't so bad.
-
9 of 22
If you get all your sex news from some "wise guy" then maybe you should ask your dad to have the birds-and-the-bees conversation.
On a side note, if anyone knows the difference between a "private" and "public" prostitute, please let me know in the comments.
-
10 of 22
By the look of this woman's face, she's got a few more problems than just gonorrhea and syphilis.
-
11 of 22
People in the '40s were stupid.
-
12 of 22
This one almost sounds reassuring. Like, isn't it nice to know that no matter how far away you are from home, and how far away your friends and family are, you'll always have good ol' gonorrhea close by?
-
13 of 22
Maybe the guy chained to venereal disease should put his shirt back on. If I was that soldier, I would want as many layers as possible between me and a sex disease.
-
14 of 22
One word: prophylaxis.
-
15 of 22
How exactly does the USA suffer more than the guy's sweetheart?
-
16 of 22
Poetry and VD were apparently very popular in the '40s.
-
17 of 22
You know, those sketches are actually pretty nice. Who knew venereal disease was such a good artist?
-
18 of 22
If this poster has taught me anything, it's that you definitely don't want to have a red outline for a baby.
-
19 of 22
Is it me, or does that guy look a little too happy to be tied up like that? (Might be the reason he has VD.)
-
20 of 22
That's a pretty nice hat on that skull.
-
21 of 22
Sheesh, that disease is pretty homely.
-
22 of 22Next: If Pinterest was Honest
Shouldn't this woman be more pissed off at her husband for giving her syphilis than happy that her doctor is giving her treatments?
RULE No61
Carrying a pocket knife is a good way to be prepared and also intimidate your friends.
Show Comments
Add a Comment
1 Comment
I would guess the difference between a public and private prostitute is the public one can be found on the public streets , and a private one would reside in a brothel.
April 30 2012 at 3:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply