There Are Many Gross Diamond Ads, but This Is the Grossest

"Thank you, honey, for ignoring my infidelity, here's a diamond."

There's something about diamonds that brings out the worst in ad makers. Perhaps it's the subtle implication in almost all diamond ads that you must purchase jewels for women in order to secure their love. A bit chattely for my taste.

But journalist Ruth Graham dug up an especially disturbing ad from a 1971 Life magazine (above). "Your Henry VIII, with the wandering eye," we read. The suggestion, it would appear, is: thank you, honey, for ignoring my infidelity, here's a diamond. Woof. As Graham told me, "42 years later and I'm feeling so sad for the imaginary woman in this marriage."