Judge, 1923-07-14 · page 4 of 36
Judge — July 14, 1923 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Fall and Rise of Humor" by Cyril B. Egan This satirical article examines how humor becomes "less and less difficult to withal" as one ascends the social scale. The piece uses a running gag—the phrase "It looks like a nice day to-day"—repeated across various figures of authority (a drainman, Clerk Jones, Banker Brown, Governor Gobendobbin, and President Harding). The satire's point: even powerful leaders resort to the same banal small talk as ordinary citizens. The humor depends on readers recognizing these named officials as contemporary political figures (Harding was president 1921-1923). By showing everyone—from working-class to presidential—using identical platitudes, Egan mocks how humor and wit deteriorate across all social strata, suggesting genuine wit is actually rare among the powerful.
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Drawn by Perky Bartow. A personally conducted tour THE FALL AND RISE OF HUMOR by Cyril Ss ONE ascends the social scale, it becomes less and less difficult: to be brilliant. Mots which are ci stupidity in the mouths of the masses, mere pleasantries on the lips of the bourge: become, on the tongues of personages and celebrities, delicious fool- ing, scintillant wit, high and_ hilarious humor. At least it may be so in Newspaper- dom. Take the simple remark: “Jt looks like anice day, to-day, if it doesn't rain.” Put it in the mouth of a drainman. Let a reporter hear it, and write it into the record : “It looks like a nice day to-day,” said drainman O'Flaherty drearily—“if it doesn’t rain.” Stupid, wot? Now go up the scale. “It looks like a nice day to-day,” said hod carrier Yensen, adding with a sad attempt to be humorous—“if it doesn’t rain!” Dull, now isn’t it? Not quite so stupid B. Egan as drainman O’Flaherty’s remark; but withal, stale, flat and unprofitable. Move up another peg. “It looks,” said Clerk Jones with his usual attempt at facetiousness, “like a nice day to-day, if it doesn’t rain!” Here the remark receives promotion. At least the reporter perceives herein the glint—the intent of humor. “Tt looks like a nice day to-day,” said banker Brown facetiously—“if it doesn’t rain!” No doubt now of the levity or buoyancy of the mot. Banker Brown is clerk Jones’ boss. “It looks like a nice day to-day,” said Governor — Gobenbobbin—‘‘if’—he added with his customary drollery—‘it doesn’t rain!” Persiflage! Yea, more—droll- ery! Don’t know what it is; but there is something about Governor Gobenbobbin’s way of saying things that is funny— downright funny. “Tt looks like a nice day to-day marked President Harding—“if"—he added wittily—‘‘it doesn’t rain!” A genu- 2 ine fourteen carat witticism! Subtle, but —to the perspicacious—exquisite fooling. President Harding may not be aware of the fact, but the celebrity reporter, with his beagle bugle for humor, knows—and will let the world know—that here is superlative waggery. “Tt looks like a nice day to-day,” said the Prince of Wales— But the prince needs go no further. For the prince to say even this much, is more than sufficient. The table is in a roar. The royal reporters are suffocated with laughter, for they know that the prince cannot open his mouth without putting his wit into it. If we were embarking all over again upon a career of short humor, we would first become Prince of Wales or President of the United States; then we would get a list of all the editors who had ever ‘served time as Londof or Washington correspondents; and then we would sit down for the rest of our lives to make a million dollars a day writing jokes. soe “Congratulations, young man! We have decided to give you a raise. “Then you will have to give me tv weeks off, sir—I'm going to get married comicbooks.com