Monday’s ad for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1959, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Robbin Bain. In this ad, she’s out for a night of bowling, then a far more popular pastime. “Between frames or games — nothing scores like a refreshing glass of beer!”
Archives for June 2014
Blaming Alcohol For Rape
Despite the title of this post, this is not about rape, it’s about alcohol, and prohibitionists. Okay, that’s not exactly true. It’s a little bit about rape, but it’s more about how alcohol is being blamed for it. Rape is without question one of the worst crimes there is, in some ways worse than murder because its effect on the victim never really goes away. Our society, however, doesn’t really take it as seriously as it should, especially if the rapist is from a prominent family, or plays sports. Having a mother, a wife and a daughter, I don’t really understand why we treat it so cavalierly, and often blame the victim, too. Since every man has a mother, and almost every one of them also has at least an aunt, sister, wife, daughter, niece, female cousin, etc., I really don’t get our society’s casualness with rape.
Yes, some other countries are even worse they we are, but that shouldn’t really matter, or excuse it. Time magazine recently put the topic on the cover of their magazine, in their May 26, 2014 issue, focusing on rape on college campuses. It’s a start. And at least it’s getting more attention, which it definitely should. I’ve seen a number of news outlets discussing it. And even the White House weighed in with a report, Not Alone, subtitled “The First Report of the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault.”
Unfortunately, it’s not all good. For example, it’s increasingly true that George Will is not just an out-of-touch old white man, but an asshole, too. But worse still, others are using the increased awareness of this abhorrent phenomenon for their own terrible purpose. Enter Alcohol Justice (AJ), who can’t help but see rape as alcohol’s fault, not as a crime of violence and power, like it actually is. Here’s what they’re tweeting:
To be fair, they didn’t come up with the title “Colleges can’t discount role of drinking in sexual assault,” but they certainly jumped on it to flog their faithful with more tales of the scourge of alcohol. They took it from an internal UB Reporter website and spread it far wider, in order to further their agenda. The “new data from UB,” as if anybody would know who UB is, comes from the University of Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).
What’s upsetting the RIA, and by extension AJ, is that the White House report didn’t focus enough attention on binge drinking, which they believe is the heart of the problem. Just stop people binge drinking, and that will solve the rape issue on college campuses, goes the thinking.
“Research consistently shows that heavy alcohol use is a factor in a majority of college sexual assault cases,” Livingston says. “Therefore, reduction of binge drinking on campuses must be recognized as a crucial goal in assault prevention efforts.”
Not everybody agrees, of course, and the lone comment to the UB article is from an Anne Taylor, who takes exception:
The researchers are going about this wrong. Men who commit acts of rape and sexual assault will commit these crimes regardless of whether or not alcohol is present. Clearly, these researchers are ignorant about rape culture and its effects on society at large. Men who are rapists use alcohol (and drugs) as an aid to committing acts of rape. Do these researchers honestly believe that reducing binge drinking will reduce the number of men who are rapists? No, these men will simply find another way to prey on their chosen victims.
Maybe these researchers ought to do a little research on rape culture and the patriarchy before conducting their study? As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I am absolutely livid at these researchers for perpetuating one of the many myths of rape culture (i.e., that alcohol and “drunk women” are the only reasons why men rape, never mind the fact we live in an extremely sexist society that devalues women’s bodily autonomy).
The RIA does seem to acknowledge some of what Taylor expresses, when they say. “Some advocates worry that acknowledging the role of binge drinking in assaults is tantamount to blaming the victim, but our common goal here is to prevent sexual assaults by better understanding the conditions under which they are likely to occur.” But I think blaming the alcohol is exactly what they’re doing. At a minimum, that’s the result of shifting the focus from the crime to the question of whether anyone had been drinking. Not only does it blame the victim, but it also provides an excuse for the rapist. And while I’m certain that some students do use drinking alcohol as their way to take advantage of another person, making it about the alcohol removes the responsibility of the rapist, allowing him, and society, to blame it all on binge drinking. Whether binge drinking, or any drinking, is involved muddies the waters and shifts the focus of the rape away from where it belongs: on the heinous crime itself.
The RIA has apparently “conducted groundbreaking research on the association between binge drinking and college sexual assault,” and there’s a link to a fact sheet entitled Alcohol and Sexual Assault. Unfortunately, and not to take away from their efforts, there’s nothing “groundbreaking” here, it’s just an overview of some research and factoids addressing their displeasure with the White House report not making enough of drinking. Even if some of it were true, which no doubt some of it is, it ends up being an excuse for why it was acceptable in the mind of, in some cases, both parties. But this is one of the instances where there should be no ambiguity, a strict liability. Drinks or no drinks, it’s completely unacceptable, so why make it about the drinking?
Blaming alcohol, as RIA and AJ seem to be doing, is doing exactly what they’re claiming not to be doing, making the “role of alcohol” a “stumbling block when discussing prevention efforts.” Because a crime is a crime, whether someone’s been drinking or not. If we discovered that more robberies were perpetrated by people who’d been drinking, would we focus our attention on stopping everyone from drinking, or continue trying to stop robbers from committing the crime? If it was found that criminals who’d been drinking considered robbery more acceptable morally than sober criminals, would that in any way change our view of the crime? And I think that’s why the more serious reports, including the White House’s, are concentrating on stopping the crime, not looking for a bogeyman.
Here’s another way in which one of the rape myths is addressed, from Chapter 7: Violent Crimes Committed Against Women and Children of the Office of the Attorney General for the State of California Department of Justice.
Many people have the wrong idea about sexual assault. They mistakenly believe that rapists are overcome with sexual desire or that a woman who is raped may have dressed too seductively or “asked for it” in some manner. These ideas assume that rape is only a sexual act, a crime that is motivated by desire. It is not. Rape is a violent crime, a hostile act, and an attempt to hurt and humiliate another person. Sex is used as a weapon, and rapists use that weapon against women, strangers and acquaintances of all ages, races and body types.
People may think of it as somehow “okay,” but that doesn’t change what it really is: a terrible crime. You can find information about rape being a violent crime all over the place, from Abstract Nonsense, the Minnesota State University and even the National Institute of Justice. Anybody claiming that they thought it was okay, or was okay if they were drunk, is a Neanderthal that should be removed from society, period. I know that’s not how our society currently approaches rape and sexual assault, but making this a question about how alcohol does or doesn’t contribute to the state of mind of either party to this crime is not helping. In fact I think it’s doing more harm, because not everyone who drinks, or even binge drinks, is a rapist, or thinks sexual assault is acceptable. But that’s the most common prohibitionist tactic. If anything bad ever happens, even just once or twice, and someone involved had been drinking, then the only possible response is for everyone to stop drinking. It must be the alcohol’s fault, and personal responsibility apparently doesn’t really exist. If one person can’t handle their booze, then no one should ever be allowed to drink. The fact that we don’t approach any other societal problem in this manner never seems to matter, and there’s always some excuse about “alcohol” being somehow different because it has, well, alcohol in it. Or it’s a sin, or toxic, or some other ridiculous notion. Oh, and did you hear? It’s made with antifreeze, too, because brewers want to kill all their customers.
When you read more about this, it’s clear that there are a minority of sexual predators on college campuses, and some of them use alcohol as a weapon. According to research as early as 2002, we’ve known this to be the case. In a respected study at the University of Massachusetts, they found that rapes were perpetrated by only 6.4% of the male college students, but that each of them was a serial rapist, with an average of almost six sexual assaults. As is the case with a lot of social problems, alcohol included, a small number of people are making it awful for the rest of us. And our usual response it to let those bad actors determine our response, which inevitably punishes everyone. The White House was right, I think, in focusing on the crime itself, and not on any of the weapons, or on other distractions.
What AJ, and possibly the RIA conveniently seems to forget, is that one of the major causes of binge drinking on college campuses is that prohibitionists forced the minimum age from 18 to 21 by getting Congress to tie it public highway funds. In a sense, binge drinking on college campuses was an unintended consequence of trying to curb drunk driving. The RIA does acknowledge that “underage drinkers who are victimized may fear legal or disciplinary consequences for alcohol use.” That’s what drives college drinking underground, and into secret, and creates the conditions where binge drinking can flourish, and so can sexual predators. So if their real goal was to stop binge drinking in college, they should at the very least be questioning the minimum age and talking about how it would help bring drinking into the open, and thereby possibly reducing many of the negative aspects of binge drinking that they believe are increasing sexual assaults. That’s the entire point of the Amethyst Initiative, which has 136 chancellors and presidents of universities and colleges across the United States signed up to change the law for that very reason. I understand why AJ would never entertain that idea. It’s simply not possible for them to view alcohol in anything but the most negative way imaginable, but I’m baffled why the RIA wouldn’t at least suggest it as one possible solution.
Obviously, education is suggested by everybody, but alcohol education is all but nonexistent, apart from the “just say no” variety, which does no good whatsoever. In some states, it’s actually illegal to teach children about alcohol, even by their own parents. Changing the age from 21 back to 18, along with allowing parents (or others) to give teens real information about alcohol and its effects might go a long way toward reducing binge drinking in college, though I suspect it would have only a minimal effect on sexual assault. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try it, or at least just talk about it.
According to RAINN (The Rape, Assault, Incest National Network), in 30% of sexual assaults the perpetrator was intoxicated with alcohol. That also means in 70% of cases, the rapist was not drunk. I accept that it’s possible that the figure is higher among assaults on college campuses. I’m not trying to downplay the crime here; just the opposite in fact. The point I’m trying to make is that the drinking should be beside the point. It should definitely not be the focus, because it simply shouldn’t matter if either victim or rapist was drinking, or drunk. And that’s what pisses me off about Alcohol Justice. In their rush to highlight anything negative about alcohol, they’re shamelessly blaming alcohol for rapes on college campuses, when it’s clear that bad people are are responsible for them. Good people don’t turn into rapists by drinking too much. Bad people are already bad, whether they drink alcohol or give it to their victims. I just wish Alcohol Justice, and the other prohibitionists, would stop blaming alcohol for every problem facing society.
Film History: Old Man Drinking A Beer
Here’s a curious piece of film (and beer) history. I don’t know if it’s the first time someone was filmed drinking a beer, but I imagine it has to be one of the first. The film is from 1898 (or 1897), and is known as Old Man Drinking a Glass of Beer, though it’s also sometimes known as Comic Face. Frankly, he doesn’t look that old to me.
It was made by legendary British filmmaker George Albert Smith and features a close-up of comedian Tom Green drinking a beer and making faces. Green was a local Brighton comedian and was known for his “pantomime harlequinades at the Brighton Aquarium.” He went on to appear in many subsequent films made by Smith.
This was apparently a groundbreaking development in film, showing the actor close up making changing facial expressions and this type of film became known as a “facial,” defined as “a work showing a variety of facial expressions to the audience.” According to one source, “the ability to get close up to the star was a great advantage that film had over the stage and early filmmakers were keen to exploit it,” and in this one Green is shown in a single shot “drinking a glass of beer whose face and hands become increasingly lively as a result.”
Here you watch the entire 38-second silent film:
Beer In Ads #1237: Schooner Ahoy!
Sunday’s ad is for Oland’s Schooner Beer. The Oland Brewery is from Nova Scotia, Canada, though today it’s owned by Labatt Brewing, and ultimately ABI. They still make this beer today, though it’s now known as Schooner Lager. This ad, I think, looks like it’s from the 1950s.
Beer In Ads #1236: A Doctor’s Reasons
Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1904. It’s an unthinkable ad in today’s world, where health claims are strictly forbidden in beer advertising, even if they’re true. In a fictional, or hypothetical at best, conversation between a doctor and his patient, the physician unequivocally endorses Schlitz beer because it’s so pure. How does he know? Because he’s seen it being brewed, which of course makes no sense. But my favorite advice the doc gives is about why pure beer is good for you. “The hops form a tonic; the barley a food. The trifle of alcohol os an aid to digestion. And the custom of drinking beer supplies the body with fluid to wash out the waste. People who don’t drink beer seldom drink enough fluid of any kind. A great deal of ill-health is caused by the lack of it.” And no, it doesn’t cause biliousness, which is a “term used in the 18th and 19th centuries pertaining to bad digestion, stomach pains, constipation, and excessive flatulence.” Whew, dodged a bullet there.
Beer In Ads #1235: Goodbye Hug
Friday’s ad is for the U.S. Brewers Industry Foundation, from the 1940s, sometime during World War II. This is from the brewing industry’s “Morale is a Lot of Little Things,” their award-winning campaign that talks about the little things that help people’s morale during the war. Not surprisingly, beer is usually one of them.
Beer In Ads #1234: When Knights Were Bold
Thursday’s ad is for Anheuser-Busch, from 1945. A World War 2 ad, showing a modern soldier — a Sergeant First Class — in which he compares himself to a suit of armor, most likely while liberating a European castle. The tagline reads “When Knights were Bold .. they were not so Big.” I guess the big strapping enlisted man is taller than the knight would been, based on the armor’s size.
The Best Beers In California: 2014 California State Fair Winners
Last week, the judging took place for the 19th annual California State Fair Craft Beer Competition in West Sacramento. This year, there were 859 beers entered in 25 categories of beer plus one for hard cider were entered. I judged two of the four days for this year’s competition, but family obligations kept me from being there for the final two days of judging.
This year’s California State Fair will also include a Brewer’s Festival, which will take place on July 19 from 3-6 PM at the Miller Lite Grandstands at Cal Expo in Sacramento, where you’ll have an opportunity to try many of the winning beers. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 the day of the event. Check out the Cal State Expo website for details.
Below are all of the award winners. 1 is a Gold medal, 2 is Silver, 3 is Bronze, and 4 is an Honorable Mention.
Category 1: Light Lager (16 entries)
- Blue Eyed Blonde, Solvang Brewing (1D: Munich Helles)
- Helles Lager, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery (1D: Munich Helles)
- Buxom Blonde Pilsner, Loomis Basin Brewing (1C: Premium American Lager)
Category 2: Pilsner (22 entries)
- Czech Pilsner, Rubicon Brewing (2B: Bohemian Pilsener)
- Northern Pilsner, Sudwerk Brewing (2A: German Pilsner (Pils))
- Elemental Pilsner, Lightning Brewery (2A: German Pilsner (Pils))
Category 3: European Amber Lager (5 entries)
- Zen Amber Lager, Sudwerk Brewing (3B: Oktoberfest/Marzen)
- Ballast Point Oktoberfest, Ballast Point Brewing (3B: Oktoberfest/Marzen)
- Una Mas, Left Coast Brewing (3A: Vienna Lager)
Category 4: Dark Lager (5 entries)
- Terminal Island Black Lager, San Pedro Brewing (4C: Schwarzbier)
- Black Lager, Ol’ Republic Brewery (4C: Schwarzbier)
- Dunkel Bock, Ol’ Republic Brewery (4B: Munich Dunkel)
Category 5: Bock (13 entries)
- Doppel Down Doppelbock, Feather Falls Casino Brewing (5C: Doppelbock)
- Wild Bill Winter Bock, Feather Falls Casino Brewing (5B: Traditional Bock)
- Ultimator Dopplebock, Sudwerk Brewing (5C: Doppelbock)
Category 6: Light Hybrid Beer (69 entries)
- Bruin Blonde, San Pedro Brewing (6B: Blonde Ale)
- Castle Beach Kolsch, Santa Cruz Ale Works (6C: Kolsch)
- American, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery (6A: Cream Ale)
Category 7: Amber Hybrid Beer (10 entries)
- California Common, Ol’ Republic Brewery (7B: California Common Beer)
- Anaheim 1888, Anaheim Brewery (7B: California Common Beer)
- Sticke Alt, Dust Bowl Brewing (7C: Dusseldorf Altbier)
Category 8: English Pale Ale (19 entries)
- DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing (8A: Standard/Ordinary Bitter)
- E.S.B., Ol’ Republic Brewery (8C: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale))
- What The Fuggle ESB, Anacapa Brewing (8C: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale))
Category 9: Scottish/Irish Ale (22 entries)
- Marauder, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery (9E: Strong Scotch Ale)
- Maltopia, Hermitage Brewing (9B: Scottish Heavy 70/-)
- Clan Ross Scotch Ale, Legacy Brewing (9E: Strong Scotch Ale)
Category 10: American Ale (101 entries)
- Woodenhead Amber Ale, River City Brewing (10B: American Amber Ale)
- Hoppy Palm Pale Ale, Track 7 Brewing (10A: American Pale Ale)
- 1500, Drake’s Brewery (10A: American Pale Ale)
Category 11: English Brown Ale (14 entries)
- Ironwood Dark, Tied House Brewing (11C: Northern English Brown Ale)
- Barrel Harbor Brown Ale, Barrel Harbor Brewing (11C: Northern English Brown Ale)
- Downtown Brown, Lost Coast Brewery (11C: Northern English Brown Ale)
Category 12: Porter (32 entries)
- Brown Bear Porter, Feather Falls Casino Brewing (12A: Brown Porter)
- Black Robusto Porter, Drake’s Brewery (12B: Robust Porter)
- Party Foul Porter, Lazy Daze Brewery at Mary’s Pizza Shack (12B: Robust Porter)
Category 13: Stout (58 entries)
- Ale Of The 2 Tun, Hermitage Brewing (13D: Foreign Extra Stout)
- Imperial Stout, Mendocino Brewing (13F: Imperial Stout)
- Big Bear Black Stout, Bear Republic Brewing (13E: American Stout)
Category 14: India Pale Ale (178 entries)
- Panic IPA, Track 7 Brewing (14B: American IPA)
- Evil Twin, Heretic Brewing (14D: Other IPA)
- Kermit The Hop, Bison Organic Beer (14B: American IPA)
- Honorable Mention: Hop Rod Rye, Bear Republic Brewing (14D: Other IPA)
Category 15: German Wheat/Rye Beer (27 entries)
- Hefeweizen, Faultline Brewing (15A: Weizen/Weissbier)
- Riverbend Hefeweizen, American River Brewing (15A: Weizen/Weissbier)
- Windansea Wheat, Karl Strauss Brewing (15A: Weizen/Weissbier)
Category 16: Belgian and French Ale (46 entries)
- Rhinoceros, Telegraph Brewing (16E: Belgian Specialty Ale)
- Fullsuit Belgian Brown Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing (16E: Belgian Specialty Ale)
- Silent Partner Saison, Telegraph Brewing (16C: Saison)
Category 17: Sour Ale (9 entries)
- Flander Red, Mraz Brewing (17B: Flanders Red Ale)
- Sour Farmhouse, Woodfour Brewing (17E: Gueuze)
- Cuvee, Boulder Creek Brewery (17B: Flanders Red Ale)
Category 18: Belgian Strong Ale (30 entries)
- Window Of Opportunity, Mraz Brewing (18C: Belgian Tripel)
- Axiom, Valiant Brewing (18E: Belgian Dark Strong Ale)
- Brother Thelonious, North Coast Brewing (18B: Belgian Dubbel)
Category 19: Strong Ale (30 entries)
- Old Diablo, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery (19B: English Barleywine)
- Stentorian, Valiant Brewing (19B: English Barleywine)
- Old Stock, North Coast Brewing (19A: Old Ale)
Category 20: Fruit Beer (22 entries)
- Rosie”s Strawberry Wheat, Six Rivers Brewery (20A: Fruit Beer)
- Flatbed Blueberry Cream, Garage Brewing (20A: Fruit Beer)
- Tangerine Wheat, Lost Coast Brewery (20A: Fruit Beer)
Category 21: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer (16 entries)
- Gourdgeous, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery (21A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
- Wreck Alley Imperial Stout, Karl Strauss Brewing (21A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
- Mo’ Tcho Risin’, 21st Amendment Brewery (21A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
Category 22: Smoke-Flavored/Wood-Aged Beer (30 entries)
- Barrel Aged Great Impression, Dust Bowl Brewing (22C: Wood-Aged Beer)
- Barrel-Aged Good Faith, Discretion Brewing (22C: Wood-Aged Beer)
- Jacked Again, Loomis Basin Brewing (22C: Wood-Aged Beer)
- Honorable Mention: Barrel Aged Vanilla Bean Wreck Alley Imperial Stout, Karl Strauss Brewing (22C: Wood-Aged Beer)
Category 23: Specialty Beer (30 entries)
- Campfire Stout, High Water Brewing (23A: Specialty Beer)
- NightTime Ale, Lagunitas Brewing (23A: Specialty Beer)
- 3 Best Friends, Sudwerk Brewing (23A: Specialty Beer)
- Honorable Mention: Great Ape Nectar, Monkey Paw Brewing (23A: Specialty Beer)
Category 27: Standard Cider and Perry (8 entries)
- None awarded
- Pacific Coast Ciders, Hard Apple Cider, Cider Brothers (27A: Common Cider)
- None awarded
Category 28: Specialty Cider and Perry (4 entries)
- Blood Orange Tangerine, Common Cider Co. (28B: Fruit Cider)
- None awarded
- Hibiscus Saison, Common Cider Co. (28D: Other Specialty Cider or Perry)
Category 32: Chili Beer (12 entries)
- French Mexican War, Highway 1 Brewing (32A: Chili Beer)
- Imperial Dragon Kiss, Stumblefoot Brewing (32A: Chili Beer)
- Where There’s Smoke, Twisted Manzanita Ales (32A: Chili Beer)
Category 33: Session Beer (31 entries)
- Mosaic Session Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing (33A: Session Beer)
- MCA Stout, 21st Amendment Brewery (33A: Session Beer)
- Easy Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing (33A: Session Beer)
A few statistics: Karl Strauss, Ol’ Republic Brewery and Sudwerk Brewing won the most medals, four apiece. Feather Falls Casino Brewing won three, and 21st Amendment, Drake’s Brewery, Dust Bowl Brewing, Firestone Walker Brewing, Hangar 24 Brewing, Loomis Basin Brewing, Lost Coast Brewery, Mraz Brewing, San Pedro Brewing, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Telegraph Brewing and Track 7 Brewing all won two medals apiece.
BEST OF SHOW
- Panic IPA, Track 7 Brewing (14B: American IPA)
- California Common, Ol’ Republic Brewery (7B: California Common Beer)
- Bruin Blonde, San Pedro Brewing (6B: Blonde Ale)
Each brewery chose 6 of their entered beers which they felt were their best. After all judging was completed, the brewery whose six beers scored best was awarded the title “Brewery of the Year.” This year, that honor went to the Antioch brewpub Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, and their brewmaster Craig Cauwels. In addition, a panel of media chose their favorite from among the “best of show” beers to receive the “Best of Show — Media Choice,” which was awarded to Ol’ Republic Brewery’s E.S.B.
Congratulations to all the winners.
Beer In Ads #1233: If You Got To Go, Go Natural
Wednesday’s ad is for Anheuser-Busch brand Natural Light, from 1996. The ad depicts a scene from the Battle of the Little Big Horn, more commonly known as “Custer’s Last Stand,” which took place today in 1876. The ad can be found, oddly enough, in the Autry Library in southern California. Anheuser-Busch apparently created a reproduction of an 1892 pamphlet with the lengthy title Authentic history of the Indian campaign which culminated in “Custer’s last battle,” June 25, 1876 : from comments by General Fry, Captain E.S. Godfrey (Seventh Cavalry, U.S.A.), (volume XLIII, the Century monthly magazine, January, 1892), Captain Charles King, Adjutant-General State of Wisconsin, Olin D. Wheeler, of the Northern Pacific Railroad, and others. The “specially numbered reprint” was done exclusively for the 23rd annual conference of the Little Big Horn Associates, July 18-21, 1996, which was held in St. Louis, Missouri, and included the “Natural History Lesson” ad. The original pamphlet was distributed with another painting, Otto Becker’s Custer’s Last Fight in 1896,” which was used to create a poster in 1896 that AB distributed to its customers and bars, making it the first example of brewery advertising. As a result, it has become one of the most highly sought after pieces of breweriana. This newer painting appears less serious in tone, and there’s no additional information I can find about who created the illustration for the Natural Light ad.
Beer In Ads #1232: Blacksmith Romance
Tuesday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale, from 1941. It’s part of a series of ads Ballantine did under the umbrella name “Early American something,” in this one, for example, it’s “Early American Interlude.” I find this one a little creepy. It reminds me more of the cover of a romance novel, with a smiling colonial babe peering in at a shirtless blacksmith.