Degrading Jokes, Songs, and Cartoons
By T.
There is much discussion of the divorce evil and what may be done to abate it. In seeking for the causes of the rapidly increasing number of divorces, we should not overlook the class of songs that are being sung by the people of this time, and particularly of the jokes and cartoons that make light of the marriage relation. The papers greet us every day with their jokes about men going out with young girls or other women, and about the absurd tangles they get into while trying to avoid being caught by their lawful wives. In like manner the cartoonist makes a huge joke of the marriage relation, and gives one the impression that there is nothing serious about matrimonial infidelity. It is nothing more than something very funny and to make one laugh. Young men read these things continually, and it makes an impression on their minds. They imbibe the sentiment that it is not so bad for a young married man still to flirt with other women, and so he goes ahead doing it, and soon finds himself in a divorce court. There is another side to this joking and cartooning the marriage contract that should be seriously thought of. The cartoonist and the joker would not keep matrimony in the lime-light of ridicule if there were not an indifference in popular sentiment exists to support the thing, it will go on doing its baleful work in the education that degrades. The marriage relation is one of the most sacred, and the well-being of society depends upon its being properly regarded. Moral people everywhere should frown upon the maudlin “popular songs” that are sung by so many; they should frown upon the immoral jokes concerning the marriage relation that afflict so many of the papers and magazines of the time; and they should frown with emphasis upon the miserable cartoons, making light of the sacred relation of husband and wife, that are coming to occupy so much prominent space in nearly all the daily papers. The editorials in many of these papers speak in very commendable terms of the sacredness of the home and the importance of safeguarding the marriage relation. But by their cartoons on other pages they are teaching in an opposite direction far more effectively than in their editorials. The cartoons are read and absorbed by thousands who never look at the editorial pages. Men who prostitute their splendid powers to making such foolish and degrading cartoons will have to answer at the bar of the Eternal for a large share of the indecency of this time. And editors who permit such stuff to find a place in their columns will have to share the responsibility. True wit and humor is refining as well as enjoyable. But this stuff called “joke” and “song” and “cartoon” is doing a large part of the degrading work that has created the diabolical demand for the “white slave” trade, as well as to separate husbands and wives and drive them into the divorce courts. T.