Trader Vic's vintage sign skewers WW II baddies

by Joe DiStefano (Subscribe to Joe DiStefano's posts)
Posted Sep 8th 2006 7:02PM
Filed under: Restaurants, Cocktails, Rum, Trends, Islands, America

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Like many urban hipsters of my generation, I have a weakness for artifacts that capture the boozy vibe of the WW II era, you know, cocktail shakers, Thin Man movies and the like. As such, I also have a soft spot for every kind of ephemera related to such nostalgia-soaked Tiki bars as Trader's Vic's.

Whilst trolling through boingboing I learned that Trader Vic Bergeron had more claim to fame than mixing up the first mai tai. Seems he also had a keen sense for timely political cartoons.

The boingboing poster says he spotted this image from a WW II era ~~menu~~ sign while visiting Hawaii. When I saw it, I could barely make it out. Let me assure you, upon magnification the cartoon depicts Mussolini as a jackass, Hitler as a skunk and Hirohito as a rattlesnake. The legend reads: "Due to these three Lousy Dirty Stinkers you're eating off paper instead of my grass mats." - Trader Vic, Oakland.

Promoting any agenda on a menu is uncalled for, even though the Trader was right. God knows it's better than shilling for toys.

Tags: Hirohito, Hitler, mai tai, MaiTai, Mussolini, Trader Vic, Trader Vic's, TraderVic, TraderVic's, Vic Bergeron, VicBergeron

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9-09-2006 @ 10:34AM

Dr. Electro said...

I'm sorry Joe but it ain't quite so. I'm not attacking your credibility, just pointing out reality. please don't take this as a personal attack because it isn't.

That picture, when blown up to full screen size, shows a background that is not a menu. It is a sign on a post just inside the entrance. The post is clearly visible at the bottom and there is a window visible above the sign.

Whether it's a sign or a menu decoration, the message is clear: The Axis powers caused shortages and problems for everybody. They really did stink up the whole world.

Thanks for posting this item. I had completely missed it on BoingBoing.

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