Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, August 1921 · page 26 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #23 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate jokes typical of 1920s men's humor magazines: 1. **"Drummers, Front and Center"**: A joke about "traveling men" (sales representatives who visited towns regularly). The punchline is that "bad girls" go to the depot to meet these men—implying loose morality and flirtation. 2. **"Justification"**: A Marlowe quote arguing that things should be "used" and "exercised"—a thin pretext for suggesting women should be sexually active rather than remain chaste. 3. **"Starting the Day Right"**: A stenographer newly transferred jokes that she needs the boss to kiss her "to start working"—likely a double entendre suggesting sexual favors were routine office practice. All three jokes normalize sexual harassment and presumed female promiscuity as entertainment for male readers. They reflect workplace power dynamics and gender attitudes of the era that would be immediately recognized as offensive today.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
24 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Drummers, Front and Center, March! The Sunday School teacher had been tell- ing her class about the benefits of being good. At the end of her discourse, she turned to a bright-eyed little miss and asked: “Where do good little girls go when they die?” “To heaven,” was the prompt reply. “And where do the bad girls go?” “To the depot to see the traveling men come in.” * * * Justification “Brass shines with use; good garments would be worn; Houses not dwelt in, are in dust forlorn. Beauty not exercised, with age is spent— Nor one or two men are sufficient!” —Marlowe. * * * Starting the Day Right A pretty stenographer had been transferred by the firm to another city. The first morning after the change had been made, she came into her new office, hung her hat and coat on the rack and meandered leisurely to the boss’ desk. “Well,” she said, “I suppose you start in the day here the same as we do in Blanktown?” “Why, yes, I suppose so,” replied the boss. “Well, come on, then, kiss me so I can start working.”