Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, July 1922 · page 62 of 67
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #35 — page 62: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **reader-submitted advice/humor column** from *Captain Billy's Whiz Bang*, a 1920s-era satirical magazine. There are no cartoons on this page—only text exchanges. The content reflects period attitudes through humorous responses to readers: - **Prison humor**: A joke about condemned inmates and patriotic music - **"Flapper" commentary**: Compares young women to matches—implying they need "rough treatment" to respond and burn out quickly; reflects 1920s anxiety about changing female independence - **Racist content**: A response containing a slur and crude joke about Black women, representing the era's casual racial prejudice - **Spousal humor**: A husband joking his wife is worse than a broken airplane - **Marriage satire**: Suggesting "Here Comes the Bride" is a "battle song" - **Name advice**: Warning against naming a child "sympathy" The column shows how mainstream publications normalized period prejudices through seemingly lighthearted banter. The humor reflects 1920s anxieties about gender roles, race, and marriage.
📄 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 61 Our Rural Mail Box Dear Captain Bill—Every time a “life termer” enters our state penitentiary, the prison band plays “The Stars and Stripes For-ever.” * * * George—A flapper is like a match—has to be treated rough to get any response, is very warm for a while, and soon wears out. * * * Jassmine—No, Jazz, I have never had the pleasure of seeing a negro gal purchasing flesh colored hosiery. * * * Gladys Kanbee—I’ll agree with you, Gladys. My airplane is no good on earth. Comparing Friend Wife, however, with an airplane is not exactly fair to the plane. * * * Peggy Rejoice—I consider “Here Comes the Bride” as the greatest battle song the world has ever heard. * * * Agnes, Becky and Rachael—1. The diction-ary definition for “sympathy” is a fellow feel-ing. 2. Would not suggest naming your first child “sympathy” because of the possibility for