In 1969, the spirit of revolution was in the air. The Cold War was in full effect, relations between East and West were strained, the Vietnam War was deeply unpopular at home, and large swathes of the population were simply tired of the old way of doing things. There was an open rebellion against the establishment and conservatism, and the youth seemed to have a deeply liberal agenda on their mind. For a Government terrified of the threat of Communism, Woodstock was an issue.
Hippie ideologies often drifted along towards Marxism, and with icons like John Lennon seemingly preaching from the Communist Manifesto, the kids were listening. Woodstock was full of mini stalls like this one, offering free 'revolutionary literature' and organizing support for left wing politicians at forthcoming elections. The Socialist Workers Party were particularly popular, and Che Guevara was hailed as a hero of the Cuban Revolution. For the old guard, it felt like their entire existence was at risk.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.