[Ads-l] Antedating of "Eye Candy"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Intriguing topic, Fred. Here is the OED definition for "eye candy".

[Begin OED excerpt]
eye candy noun colloquial.
Something (originally a feature of a television programme) considered
as conferring visual appeal, esp. if also thought to lack substance;
(later also) an exceptionally attractive person; cf. ear candy n., arm
candy n.
[End OED excerpt]

The OED lists a 1978 citation and Fred gives a 1977 citation.
Here is an instance in 1965 within an advertisement published by a
movie theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "Eye-candy" is applied to TV
programs which lack substance when compared to serious films.

Date: October 19, 1965
Newspaper: The Grand Rapids Press
Newspaper Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Article: (Advertisement for the movie The Pawnbroker starring Rod
Steiger at Wealthy Theatre)
Quote Page 18, Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1115252734/

[Begin excerpt]
Notice -- "The Pawnbroker" is strong medicine! If you are satisfied
with "Petticoat Junction", Peyton Place", "Bonanza" and similar
eye-candy, please do not come to see "The Pawnbroker". It is for
adult, thinking people.
[End excerpt]

In 1966 the same movie theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan used
"eye-candy" again to refer to TV programs and movies which were not
substantive.

Date: April 1, 1966
Newspaper: The Grand Rapids Press
Newspaper Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Article: (Advertisement for the movie Ship of Fools at Wealthy Theatre)
Quote Page 38, Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1114431005/

[Begin excerpt]
What has happened to the thousands of people in Grand Rapids who have
expressed their desire to see entertainment on a higher level than TV
"eye-candy" and movies that are little more? Last fall we ran SHIP OF
FOOLS at the Eastown theatre. At that time we tried very hard to tell
you about this fine motion picture. From the results, either you
didn't believe us or you really don't care.
[End excerpt]

In October 1967 a columnist in  "The Hartford Courant" of Connecticut
applied "eye-candy" to elaborate song and dance numbers in musicals.

Date: October 8, 1967
Newspaper: The Hartford Courant
Newspaper Location: Hartford, Connecticut
Article: The Lively Arts: The Head on the Beer
Author: T. H. Parker
Quote Page 2B, Column 5
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/image/371329093/

[Begin excerpt]
I was thinking the other night as I sat watching the new musical "How
Now, Dow Jones," bustle about the Shubert stage in New Haven, that the
trend seems to be toward more production numbers nowadays. Perhaps it
only seems so, or perhaps it seems so because the numbers appear to be
getting longer and longer, going on and on.
. . .
Now, as I say, a lot of this eye-candy is bright and engaging enough
if it knows when to stop. But I also think that if one were to take a
lot of present-day musicals, and divide them into book versus
production sequences, one would find that book is losing out to
production.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Tue, Oct 8, 2024 at 2:31 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> eye candy (OED 1978)
>
> 1977 Newsday (Nassau Edition) 4 Oct.
>
> This collection might have been just eye-candy for stupefied "Kiss" fans.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org