Judge, 1913-12-27 · page 11 of 25
Judge — December 27, 1913 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous piece capturing a new father's telephone announcements about his newborn son, written from three perspectives: to his mother, to his business partner Tom, and to his mother-in-law. The satire targets the absurdity of male pride in producing a male heir. "Giddyboy" repeatedly emphasizes "it's a boy!" with almost manic excitement, contrasting sharply with his dismissive attitude toward his sister's daughter ("only a girl"). The joke satirizes paternal vanity—he obsesses over whether the baby resembles him (unfavorably comparing it to a lobster), plans to eventually bring the boy into the family business, and announces he'll "set up cigars" for colleagues. The cartoon illustration captures the newborn's perspective: rain, splashing, noise, and discomfort of the outside world versus the comfort of the mother's bed. This visual irony undercuts the father's grandiose pronouncements about the child's future importance. The humor relies on the gender politics and social expectations of early 20th-century America regarding male children as status symbols and business assets.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
EEN AID Giddyboy to His Mother: Hello, there, mother! That you? They gave me the wrong number three times, and you were so long answer- ing I thought there was no Got a bit of news for you. I thought you’d guess. No; it’s a boy! -a boy! What? My Can you guess What Oh, about half an one at home. what it is? do you think of that hour ago. The doctor says he’s a fine little chap, and the nurse says she never saw a finer bal I suppose they always say that. He looks kind of queer tome. Hope he won't always be as red as he is now, or he'll be mistaken for a bum. What? Oh, Belle is all right so far. How does it feel to be a grandmother? Come around and see him in a day or two. The doctor says he’d rather Belle didn’t see any one for a day or two, but I suppose you could see the kid any time. Queer how a youngster half an hour old can yell! Good-bye! You can ’phone around to his uncles and aunts. I may not get time. Feel sort of upset, anyhow. Giddyboy to His Partner: You there, Tom? Say, Tom, I guess I'll have to set up the cigars to-mor- row. You know why? Didn't take you long to guess. Yes, it’s a boy!: What? Does he look like me? Well, I hope I don’t look as he looks at the present time! If he kept on looking as he does now, I'd say there was a lobster somewhere in his ancestry and he “took after’’ that ancestor in his looks. Yes, everything is all right. Kind of a relief to have it over with and -ything as it should be. How much did he weigh? A little short of nine pounds. Some boy, isn't he? We'll have to let him in the firm a little later. Well, good-night! I may be a little late getting down to the office to-morrow. My son may need me—ahem! my son! I can see the look of green envy on your face, because yours only a girl. But I'll not rub it in on you because mine is a boy. Good-bye. Must run upstairs and see if my son needs me—my son! Ha, ha, ha! That you, mother? I Got something You As Tt LL Giddyboy to His Wife’s Mother: didn’t know if you’d be up this late or not, to tell: you. Better have some smelling salts handy. Ly J. L. HARBOUR Tre Rein is down ovl=Side . ning From ‘THe aK Tre Horsies Make & Pisaponny- ts Splas THey d Son’”’ you? anybody. does that sound? We didn’t have are a grandmother! Hello, granny! How Why didn’t we send for time to send for Couldn’t have had the nurse if she hadn’t been right here in the house. Kind o’ queer that she got here this after. noon, and she didn’t mean to come until to-morrow, and— Don’t get so excited! better if you were here. LLin 3 —_— A\rd Not with} i THe OT THere_ been telephoning around about it ever since. Everything is all right. Goodness, no! Sound ge <aorri q By. They 1 TROT ARovad THe coynese Ard op deregs “THe Squsre~> Tn glad Im in ny casy Bed Couldn’t be Don’t think of trying to come away over here nine miles to- night! Belle is all right, and the boy— Of course. it’s a boy! Fine, lusty little chap —most nine pounds! Belle’s got him all snuggled up to her, as if— You fully ex- pected to be here when it-happened? .I know you did, but he didn’t give either of his grannies, nor even his dad and ma’am, definite information as to the exact minute of his arrival. . But it is all right. Fine, big boy, and the doctor gone and the- house as quiet as if nothing had happened. You will be over the first thing in the morning? No need to tell me that— granny! Good- night! Nothing to worry about. Guess I'll go upstairs and have a look at my son. His Wife’s Moth- er to Hor Daughter: Give me two, three, nine, ring two! That you, Lou? What do you think? Your sister Belle has a little boy! Joe telephoned over about half an hour ago, and I have I'm glad on Joe’s account that it is a boy, although I think that Belle wouldn’t have minded if it had been a girl. the first one a boy. told me! a few minutes this But, then, it is nice to have It gave me such a start when Joe first And to think I wasn’t there! ning, and Belle was sitting at the piano, I was over to the house playing and singing as if— And the boy was born in less than I doubt if I sleep a minute to-night. You better ring up your cousin Annie and tell her about it. I got so many others to ring up, and it’s ’most eleven o’clock at twelve hours afterward! night. I’m going to ring Joe up and make him promise to send for me before morning if I am needed. Giddyboy to His Chum: Give me Oxford, ring nine. I thought maybe you'd be in bed. You must look nice! T Ned! are at the phone in your pajamas? Hello, You were? And you comicbooks.com