Let's pasture the goats on the State House lawn!
December 16, 2010 6:43 AM Subscribe
His radio station was shut down. His medical license was revoked. So he ran for Governor. (
Time, 1932), and almost won. Twice. "Dr".
John R. Brinkley, the goat gland doctor, (
previously on Metafilter) had six weeks. He also had a plane, a huckster's skills, a staff skilled in promotion, and lots of chutzpah.
Kansas in the 1930s was hit hard by the Great Depression and the Dustbowl, and the mainstream parties got a judge to say that only one correct spelling ("John R. Brinkley" Not Doc Brinkley. Not J. R. Brinkley. Not Brinkly.) would be accepted on write-in votes. He lost by only 30,000 votes. When he was actually on the ballot 2 years later, he lost by a similar margin. Meanwhile, he set up the first Border Blaster radio station on the Mexican border and introduced a big chunk of the United States to everyone from the Carter Family to Wolfman Jack. Oh, and beamed a steady stream of dubious medical advice, self-aggrandizing sermons and lectures, rants about the AMA and FCC, and even prescribed medicine over the air.
This Goat Glands and Sunshine 1931
Time profile outlines his strong grasp on public relations and spin, of salesmanship and the magic of new technology. Kansas Memory has a wonderful collection of his brochures, advertisements, photographs (including that of Ammunition #1 and the plane he barnstormed the state with), and even a few sermons and lectures in mp3 form.
posted by julen (10 comments total)
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posted by mightygodking at 6:47 AM on December 16, 2010 [3 favorites]