JHOON RHEE MEANS MIGHT FOR RIGHT!

Judging by the scads of bodybuilding/self-defense adverts in comic books over the years, Madison Avenue deemed that the folks in the comics-loving demographic were a weak, mouth-breathing lot, always under the looming threat of getting the ever-loving shit kicked out of them. Little Barney Fifes in dire need of certified lethal weapons. Not sure if I dispute that.

Digression time. Whenever I see a martial arts ad like the generic one above, all I can think of is the classic Jhoon Rhee commercial:

“Nobody bothers me, either.” WINK.

A fixture of local 1980s Washington, DC television, this ad long ago passed into the realm of legend (an indicator of its lasting reach is that I wasn’t living in the area when it aired, but even I know it by heart), and said legend includes a codicil about the apparently unstoppable Rhee being mugged and beaten at various points in his career.

Not sure if Mr. Rhee, a true, honest to goodness martial arts legend, had a money back guarantee with his course.