Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, October 1921 · page 31 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #25 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several brief humor pieces typical of 1920s American satirical magazines: **Metropolitan Opera anecdote**: References a shy singer at the Met who had to be coaxed onto stage—a brief joke about performance anxiety. **Ziegfeld Follies jab**: Mocks the famous chorus girls' defensive "club" denying wild behavior, using heavy sarcasm. The author claims to believe they spent time on wholesome domestic activities like reading dictionaries and doing needlework—clearly false and satirical commentary on the girls' actual reputation for partying. **"A Gimme For Fair"**: A short verse about a woman being romantically ghosted ("given the air") after providing kisses, hugs, and a lock of hair—playing on 1920s slang where "gimme" meant a con artist or someone taking without reciprocating. **"Getting the Sheckels"**: Brief wisdom about seizing money ("sheckels") while young. **Prunell/Raisenell**: A weak pun about Italian and American liqueurs, likely referencing Prohibition-era drinking.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang 29 thought it was just shyness and modesty that kept him back and tried to drag him along. Just in time, one of the other singers, explained the situation and the Metropolitan audience lost a chance for a comic thrill. And now, brethren, that will be about all for today, except that the press agent of the Zieg- field Follies has announced with heat of excite- ment that the girls have formed a club to prosecute and reply to those who say they go to rough parties and live wild lives. Cross my heart, I have always believed that the Ziegfield girls spent all their spare time reading dic- tionaries and doing tatting work and helping mother with the dishes. So they can't get any- thing on me, b' gosh. * * * A Gimme For Fair First he said “Gimme a kiss,” Then he said “Gimme a hug,” Then he wanted “A lock of my hair.” I filled these requests with glee. Then to prove truly that he was a “gimme” The brute, he gave me “the air.” ('Tis tuff, sister, 'tis tuff.) * * * Getting the Sheckels Why wait until you're old and bent? The wise bird took 'em as he went. * * * Over in Italy they have a new drink, made out of prunes. They call it Prunell. That's nothing. Over here they have a new drink made out of raisins. They call it Raisenell.