Judge, 1932-01-30 · page 12 of 36
Judge — January 30, 1932 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Deck Chair" by Jack Cluett — Explanation This is a humorous story about a persistently demanding cruise ship passenger tormenting a steward. The passenger badgers him endlessly about obtaining a deck chair, asking nonsensical questions: Do passengers own the chairs? Can he place it anywhere? Who owns the steamer rugs? The satire targets the entitled, complaining leisure-class tourist of the early 20th century—someone obsessed with comfort and amenities while being fundamentally illogical and ungrateful. The passenger's circular complaints (confusion about "deck above" versus "deck below," wanting sun but avoiding crowds) reveal someone who cannot be satisfied regardless of accommodation. The illustrations show the steward's increasing exasperation as the passenger continues his absurd demands. The joke's point: some people will never stop complaining, no matter what service is provided. It's social commentary on cruise culture and passenger entitlement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE The Deck Chair By Jack Cluett “I seprose you're the Steward. Well, it's a wonder! I've asked everyone on board for a deck chair including the captain and the doctor. How am I supposed to know a deck steward when I se 2... Anyway I want a deck chair. Do you bus them or rent them or what? I see name tags on most of them. Do those people own them? Oh, T see—tirst come first served; and when the cruise Pa | said, do the people whose names are on the chairs give them back to you after the ship docks? ... I see; then you is over you get the chairs bac tear up the tags and sell them over again Do the passengers own those steamer rugs that are on the chairs? ... Oh, you rent those, too. Are they y the comp, irs or do they belong to - I said, are they your own personal steamer rugs or— that's what I thought... . You have to pass broth in the morning, too, don’t you? I mean, you are the man who passes broth, aren't you? ... And tea in the afternoon? “Well, about this deck chair busi- I'd like one on the deck up- . Well, I don’t see why not! ay stairs. “1 saw the nicest fur coat yesterday afternoon.” If T rent a chair [ guess it’s mine to put wherever I like. Besides, there isn’t any room here. ... On the port side? What's that? 2. . Show me where. 2... There's no sun here, stew- ard... . Well, I don’t care for the morning sun—I want the afternoon sun... T said, who wants morning sun... Yes, IT know. but Pl get bumped into by all those shuffleboard things. . . . Here are seven chairs marked ‘Middlebrook.’ of their places. . . Give me one . I know, but they won't all be sitting there at once... . No, I don’t like that place, it’s right next to those two old men. Anyway, it’s too near tie bar... . T said. I don't want to spend twelve days sitting out- side a barroom next to two old men. ... Well, old ladies, then—what's the difference... . T wish now that I'd brought my own deck chair and rug along with me. [ll know better next time. ... How about over there? .. . Well. good cious, let them hold their horse races some place ¢ “How about the deck below? .. . No deck below! Of course there’s a deck below—I was just down there. Come along. Bring my chair, and I'l show you... . Oh, no—you're right. I was thinking there was a deck below but it’s the deck above which is below the one above that, that I thought was the deck below... . I said, I was un der the impression that there was a deck below because I had been on the top deck and had come down to a deck below but it’s not down here, after all—it’s the deck above. I want to get some place “W where I can have the sun all day long. . . . Does this place have morn- Abin comicbooks.com