Judge, 1918-08-10 · page 5 of 32
Judge — August 10, 1918 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Tunisian Tid-Bit" - Judge Magazine, August 12, 1918 This satirical poem by Harvey Peake mocks Jazz-el-Jazz, the Dey (ruler) of Tunis, through mock-heroic verse. The narrative describes Jazz as a self-aggrandizing official who appointed himself to numerous positions despite being refused legitimate ones. The humor centers on his creation of absurd titles (Chief Buzzer of the Busy Bees, Colonel of the Young Nuts Society) to compensate for his exclusion from real power. The climax involves a rival named Kuttup, excluded from the Sock Knitters' Sodality, who exacts revenge by literally "swinging against his turban"—a physical comeuppance for Jazz's pretension. The cartoon satirizes autocratic self-importance and petty bureaucratic rivalries, likely reflecting American attitudes toward North African colonial figures during WWI.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“THE NATION'S PERPETUAL SMILEAGE BOOK” Oxe or Tuem Fett Sometuinc Swinc Acainst His Tursan A Tunisian Tid-Bit By Harvey PEAKE Illustrations by Witrrep Jones AZZ-EL-JAZZ was Dey of Tunis. He was a goodly man, Beloved of all his subjects except,— But that will come later. And just to show his humbleness And desire to be a partaker In all good works, He had himself appointed Chief singer of the church choir, Superintendent of the Sunday school, Secretary of the Home-Uplifters, Master of the Boy Scouts, Colonel of the Young Nuts Society, And Chief Buzzer of the Busy Bees. And here is where The above mentioned exception comes in; There was among the Dey’s subjects A certain party named Kuttup, Who was also trying to get A corner on Goodness, And who had been refused all the offices Jazz had thrust upon himself. He was naturally sore at the Dey, And called him A monopoly in restraint of trade. So When the Sock Knitters’ Sodality was formed And Jazz had himself elected President, In spite of the fact that Kuttup Was an applicant for the place, The latter declared it the last straw And swore revenge. * * * * * Two days later, A half dozen citizens of Tunis, Returning from an all-night poker session, Were passing the Dey’s Palace, In the early hours of the morning, Of a sudden one of them Felt something swing against his turban. comicbooks.com EEE ____aEaeEeeVOO