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Friday, February 17, 2023

The Xerox 914 Ad - Not my Words.



Ads that didn't age well...not my words, so don't get mad at me.

###

I can't type I don't take dictation
I won't sharpen a pencil
I can't file 
my boss calls me indispensable 
Miss Jones 
Just a minute
Will you make a copy of this 
Naturally 
I push the button on the Xerox 914 
I make perfect copies of whatever my boss needs
by just turning the knob and pushing a button

Anything he can see I can copy in black
and white on ordinary paper 
and I'm I fast 
I can make seven copies in a minute
By the way I never need wet chemicals my
914 is a dry machine powder dry
Sometimes my boss asks me which is the
original and sometimes I don't know 

Here Mr. Smith I'm going to lunch with mother

###

FADE IN:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

A secretary, Miss Jones, is sitting at her desk, visibly frustrated.

MISS JONES:
Can't type. I don't take dictation. I won't shop in pencil. I can't file. My boss calls me indispensable.

She picks up the phone.

MISS JONES (CONT'D):
Just a minute.

She turns to the Xerox 914 machine on her desk.

MISS JONES (CONT'D):
Will you make a copy of this naturally?

She places a document on the machine and pushes a button. The machine comes to life.

MISS JONES (CONT'D):
I make perfect copies of whatever my boss needs by just turning enough and pushing a button. Anything he can see, I can copy in black and white on ordinary paper. And I'm fast. I can make seven copies in a minute. By the way, I never need wet chemicals. My 914 is a dry machine, powder dry.

She looks at the documents she just copied.

MISS JONES (CONT'D):
Sometimes my boss asks me which is the original, and sometimes I don't know.

The phone rings and she picks it up.

MISS JONES (CONT'D):
Here, Mr. Smith. I'm going to lunch with mother.

FADE OUT.
__________

Tweet: Check out this old Xerox 914 ad from the 1960s featuring a secretary bragging about how she can make copies without any skills. It definitely didn't age well. #adfails #sexistadvertising #throwback

Keyword list: Xerox 914, ad fails, outdated advertising, sexist advertising, 1960s, secretary, copy machine, Miss Jones.

Search question: What is the story behind the Xerox 914 ad featuring a secretary named Miss Jones, and why is it considered an example of outdated and sexist advertising?

Intro paragraph: The Xerox 914 ad from the 1960s featuring a secretary named Miss Jones has been widely criticized for its sexist and outdated portrayal of women in the workplace. In the ad, Miss Jones brags about how the Xerox 914 machine allows her to make perfect copies of documents without requiring any skills, such as typing, filing, or taking dictation. She even states that her boss calls her indispensable, but in reality, she seems to be merely a copy machine operator. This ad may have seemed harmless at the time, but looking back, it's easy to see why it didn't age well.

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