National Lampoon November 1975

National Lampoon

November, 1975

November, 1975, and atop the Billboard Hot 100 are two disco songs, not at all unusual for that year, as the disco craze swept America. The Four Seasons benefit from the Nostalgia Craze and appear in the top 5 with their single 'Who Loves You,' while Elton John, a chart juggernaut during this decade, has a former number one with 'Island Girl.'

The November issue of the National Lampoon is devoted to 'Work,' and even the seemingly benevolent bakery of Sarah Lee doesn't escape satire, being depicted as a grim place where elderly women are forced into cruel labors.

The lengthiest piece in this issue is a satire of the Kelly staffing services, which, back in the 20th century, advertised itself as the go-to place for the temporary hire of young women to do routine office work. The advertisements for Kelly emphasized that the 'Kelly girl' was quite attractive and presentable; the perfect marketing tool to aim at the older men who might be interested in hiring a temp.

Leave it to the Lampoon to take aim at the Kelly girl with a portfolio of depictions of undressed, nubile young women groveling for the benefit of the male office staff. The explicit nudity in this portfolio was quite tasteless and exploitative, even by the standards of a 'humor' magazine published in 1975.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The November issue featured a bunch of comics that are printed on the 'slick' paper portion of the magazine, and include a two-pager that mocks the 'truckin' man' phenomenon. This comic is attributed to Lampoon staffer Joe Schenkman; he emulates the style of underground comix legend S. Clay Wilson, to good effect.

Shary Flenniken steps away from 'Trots and Bonnnie' to do a comic about a toilet factory (!?).

 

 

The 'Trail of Tears' comic offends those Native Americans who preferentially sought work in the field of constructing skyscrapers.

 

 

 

 

'Foto Funnies' get reworked into 'Cancer Ward,' with Lampoon contributor Chris Miller playing the role of a hapless man who gets bad news. 

A satire of a public service advertisement to 'hire the handicapped,' is cruel and offensive.

The comics printed in the back pages of the magazine, on newsgrade paper, include the particularly unpleasant 'Eating Out,' as well as the more gentle 'Mule's Diner.'

 

Let's close with an advertisement from this November issue, reminding us that 49 years ago, Pink Floyd had released their album Wish You Were Here.

And that's what you got for your dollar, back in November of '75........