Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, July 1921 · page 32 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #22 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical advice column from *Captain Billy's Whiz Bang*, a popular early 20th-century American humor magazine. Rather than genuine advice, "Captain Billy" offers deliberately absurd, insulting, or cynical responses to readers' questions. The jokes target common romantic and social anxieties of the era: relationship conflicts, theatrical ambitions, gender dynamics (the "Woman Hater's Union"), female morality ("good girls"), and appearance standards. The humor relies on unexpected cruelty—suggesting someone recover from a fight by visiting a tailor (implying physical damage), recommending kicking a giraffe as an act, or insulting a woman's "peachy complexion" as actually being yellow and fuzzy. This reflects the satirical tone of 1920s-era humor magazines, which often used cynicism and mockery as comedy, particularly regarding romance, vanity, and social pretension. The column's appeal lay in its irreverent dismissal of earnest concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
30 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Dear Captain Billy—I had a tussle with my beau last night. How may I recover myself?—Petite Fifi. Go to a tailor. Dear Capt. Billy—I am ambitious for a career on the stage. Can you suggest an act that will be entirely new and up-to-date?—Art Gumm. Why not try kicking a giraffe in the mouth? Dear Cap—I am a member of a newly formed organization known as the “Woman Hater’s Union.” Could you suggest a motto for our association?—Fat Chance. “Oh, kill me now and call it the end of a perfect day.” Dear Skipper—When is a good girl not a good girl?—McNotty. About half the time, we’d say. Dear Captain Billy—What is the difference between a rehearsal and a show?—Plain Jane. A rehearsal is the same as a show, only nobody comes around to see it. Dear Captain Bullybeef—My fiance says I have a peachy complexion. What does he mean?—Kitty Furr. He probably infers, Kitty, that you have a yellow and orange shade with fuzz on your face.