Saturday, September 24, 2011

What? WHAT?!?



I've been working my way through the mid-1960s issues of The New Yorker looking for any last new Willie the Whaler ads. I don't have much hope of finding any so I haven't put much time and effort into the task. But it's still interesting whenever I finally do get around to looking, because old New Yorkers are fascinating time capsules.

For the most part the cartoons are pretty easy to get in spite of being almost 50 years old, but the one at the top of this post I just can't figure out. WHY is the man - presumably the husband, pointing at his wife and yelling "Come on, Gloria, for heaven's sake!" I mean, she's sitting there reading and smoking. Didn't people smoke all the time back then? In their homes, in their cars, at work, at the hospital. Is that little mark on the page supposed to be cigarette ash? Is that what he's pointing at? But then what's the joke? She's being sloppy and he's objecting - why would that be the subject of a cartoon?

No, it just doesn't make any sense.