Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, January 1922 · page 28 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #29 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a dialect humor piece from *Captain Billy's Whiz Bang*, a post-WWI American satirical magazine. The joke relies on ethnic stereotyping common to that era. The sketch features a father and son ("Papa" and "Ikey") speaking in exaggerated Yiddish-influenced English ("cannot vas," "goil" for "girl," "vat" for "what"). Ikey repeatedly announces he's "in love" with suitable women—praising their appearance, domestic skills, and wealthy fathers. However, Papa repeatedly forbids each match, eventually revealing he has a hidden past: he was previously married to the mother of Ikey's intended brides, making them his half-sisters. The humor targets Jewish immigrant communities, mocking both their accent and implying moral/family complications. The satire reflects 1920s American attitudes toward recent Jewish immigrants, presenting them as figures of ridicule through caricature and linguistic exaggeration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
26 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang It Cannot Vas Ikey—Papa I'm in lof. Ain't it a fine feel- ings? Papa—Dat's nice, Ikey; who is de goil? Ikey—Ah papa, she's a peaches and cream. She's good looking, she's a good housekeeper, her papa's got lots of money and— Papa—Vat's her name, Ikey? Ikey—Alma Rosenbloom, ain't she a daisy? Papa—You mean de clothing man's daugh- tair? Ikey—Dat's de goil, papa. How do you like it? Papa—Ikey, I'm very sorry but it cannot vas. Ikey—It cannot vas, papa, for why? Papa—You see, Ikey, ven I vas a young man I was married before and Alma Rosenbloom iss your sistair. After a lapse of time Ikey comes in again, all smiles and joyfully greets his father with the announcement— Papa, I'm in lof again. Papa (anxiously)—Who iss de goil dis time? Ikey—Ah she's a fine buxoms, she's a good musician, she can cook, she's good looking, her papa's got lots of money, and— Papa—Ikey, tell your papa, who is de goil? Ikey—It's Rosa Lipshuts. Papa—You mean de pawnbroker's daugh- tair? Ikey—Dat's de baby, ain't she a fine catches?