If ever a sports personality was perfect for selling stuff on TV commercials, it was Broadway Joe. Men loved him because he was a pretty darned great athlete, one who put the AFL on even ground with the NFL by beating the Colts in Super Bowl III. And the ladies loved him because he was a good-looking bad boy.
Joe's commercials included some sexy spots with unknown model Farrah Fawcett selling Noxzema shaving cream. Obviously, Joe's sports hero appeal to guys was greatly overshadowed by that provided by the lovely future Mrs. Majors.
But if he was hawking Right Guard deodorant, it was Joe the quarterback who was selling to America's guys.
In 1974, he filmed a commercial for Beautymist pantyhose. The camera started at a shapely pair of feet attached to a reclined pair of legs. It slowly, seductively panned upward over the calves, knees, then thighs. Finally, it showed the owner of said gams: JOE NAMATH!
His men fans were flustered. The women? Well, Beautymist sold a whole bunch of pantyhose that year.
Joe was quoted in the commercial (it's on YouTube) as saying "Now I DON'T wear pantyhose." Okay, Joe, I don't either, but we have photographic evidence that you did, at least once!
But it was a very effective ad. Joe's knees were famous for their multiple surgeries at that point. And the ladies were certainly impressed at the way they made those poor, scarred joints look. Sales went up: the bottom line of advertising.
His reputation took a hit among his male fans. But it was just a blip on the screen, really, and it wasn't long before they were laughing about it.
So I guess the historical impact of Broadway Joe's pantyhose-clad legs was that it caused a general lightening-up amongst the masses.
And there's no doubt that that is a good thing.
Comments (3)
Hi Ron,
What's goin' down? Just had to write you a note to tell you how much I enjoy "I Remember JFK". That Joe Namath piece is priceless--seems like only yesterday...
Keep on keeping on,
Happy Trails,
Paula
Posted by PR Gaon | March 15, 2007 10:46 AM
Posted on March 15, 2007 10:46
I remember quite a bit of fuss over that ad. What is most remarkable is how tame it is compared to today. It is further evidence of what I say about the very conservative nature that was still alive in 65 and the rest of the 60s. A man was a man and he would not wear panty hose on the peril of death. A sense of humor was mysteriously absent, given the context. Joe sure stirred things up.
My brother and I received a Joe Namath electric football game, a cheap one, where the board vibrates and the players move every way but forward. But to be honest, we did play with that thing a number of time. Joe’s name was big. Back then, boys and girls, if an athlete talked kind of big, he was a braggart and not a good sport. Now we call it In your face bravado. We look up to it today but back then, some didn’t know how to take it.
My assessment? Broadway Joe had done nothing wrong and proved to be right. He was not out of line with it or un-sportsman like. Joe was daring and a pioneer in stepping ever so slightly out of the very strict and narrow bounds of American society, which a number of people did then, because it was so cramped and narrow. We needed some of that and Joe was a pioneer and a good guy still. But days would later come when people kept pushing boundaries and pushing them till there were hardly any boundaries left.
There is a balance, some even ground, on which to rest, if one wants to find such a thing. Wasn’t Burt Reynolds also a daring soul for posing naked or nearly so? And then there is that Hugh Hefner guy, too. I suppose we could debate boundaries, but I would rather not. But I am glad some boundaries came down and got changed. Joe Namath was a pretty good sport. I wish his knees had been better so as to enjoy a longer career before needing an operation.
The football world he knew in 69 was not the one he came back to in 72. Further, the Jets were not a great team to support him when he did come back. We will never be quite sure what he was or wasn’t as a QB for his personality sort of overshadowed and possibly mythologized what he was and wasn’t.
Now I have a question for all, Don McLean’s American Pie mentioned a
“Jester, on the side lines, in a cast.” Is that Broadway Joe or not being referred to?
Posted by Scott Irv | May 26, 2009 5:14 PM
Posted on May 26, 2009 17:14
Baby Baby! Yeah, it was shocking, but Braodway Joe could pull it off! And after all. Joe is all guy! I bet his knees don't look that good today. He is all banged up! Joe can barely walk these days due to his injuries! Joe is to cool!
Posted by Rivers End | June 6, 2009 7:26 PM
Posted on June 6, 2009 19:26