Life, 1922-09-21 · page 15 of 36
Life — September 21, 1922 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon depicts anthropomorphic animals—a hippo, giraffe, and monkey in formal dress—in an African savanna setting. Mrs. Hippo remarks that one character is "one of our most charming 'flappers.'" The accompanying article, "A Humor Czar: Why Not a Hughes for a Hays?" proposes creating a supreme authority figure to regulate American humor and resolve disputes between humorists. The author suggests this "Humor Dictator" should possess public confidence and keep humorists "fighting their fight" for better comedy. The cartoon appears to satirize this concept by showing animals as refined society members—likely mocking the idea that artificial authority could govern something as natural and organic as humor. The reference to "flappers" (1920s slang for modern women) dates this piece to that era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mrs. Hippo: There goes one of our most charming “flappers.” FEEL that we humorists should have a supreme head, an arbiter and a dictator. Otherwise, we shall soon find ourselves lagging behind the other industries. \e need someone who will im- prove the general character of hu- mor in this country, look after its moral tone, and straighten out quar- rels and disputes between different humorists; in short, someone who will keep the wheels of American humor oiled and running smoothly. ‘le should be someone in whom the public has confidence. He can be lacking in everything else, if he only has public confidence. If the public or a portion of it begins to feel, at any time, that humor is get- ting punk, they must be able to lean, in that extremity, on our Supreme Humor Dictator. Of course there won't be anything that he can do about it. but he will be there to lean on. "he whole point to these dictators is that they personify Righteous In- A Humor Czar Why Not a Hughes for a Hays? clination in an industry, and I think it is about time that we humorists should get our Righteous Inclination personified. There is quite a differ- ence, for example, between having the public say, “Aren't the movies awful!” and having them say, “This movie was made before Will Hays had anything to say about it!” (I am reliably informed that it will take twenty-five years to work off all the old movies made before the Hays baptism. By that time the public will be able to stand any- thing.) Now our Supreme Head should be a man in whom the public can take solace when humor isn't what it should be. When they can hardly stand our humor a minute longer they must have a feeling that they are represented among us—that there is someone who is fighting their fight for better humor. This will keep them from fighting their own fight. That is what we want, after all, and it ought to be worth at least $1,500,000.00 a_ year to us humorists to get it. Whom shall we have? I suggest Secretary of State Hughes, provided he isn’t snapped up as Supreme Head of the Milliners or of the Taxidermists or some other group by the time this article is pub- lished. D. A. Echo F sweet companions, mine, for choice, Is Echo of the dulcet voice Who carols rounds and glees with me And thoroughly agrees with me. And though she takes the final word, As ladies will, I’ve never heard Her claim undue priority Or prate without authority. Among the hills the pleasant minx Observes a custom which, methinks, All flappers should be broken to— She only speaks when spoken to. A. G, comicbooks.com