Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-09
"COM|C" VALENTINES
They Are Merely Anonymous
Letters in Another Form.
DECIDEDLY COARSE HUMOR
instruments of MULTIPLICATION and
Humiliation.
NOBODY EXEMPT FROM THEM
Grotesque Pictures Call Attention to
Physical, Mental or Tempera-
mental Defects.
DECIDEDLY COARSE HUMOR
NOBODY EXEMPT FROM THEM
why is the comic valentine?

Why is the comic" valentine?
It isn't comic for one thing. The mind
SO primitive or distorted as to be capable
Of discovering anything remotely approx
mating humor in the so-called comic valen-
tine Is the same mind that would enjoy the
spectacle of a dumb animal under torture
or extract delight from a contemplation
Of the knoutish activities of a Siberian
prison pen.
Study the grown folk who stink into
store and purchase these contemplate Slip
let's of illustrated doggereL You will OBJ
serve that they are fox-like, furtive folk.
Watch the group of groundlings standing
in front Of a window in which a line of
comic valentines Is displayed and guffawing
over the vileness of the verse. You will
probably perceive the imprint of unkind-
ness placarded all over them
Time was when children. and children
only, supported the traffic in comic valen-
tines. 1t was curiously debasing instru-
ment in the hands of children, the comic
valentine. 1t might be fair to presume that
considerable percentage of the children
who mailed their friends comic valentines
In that other day are the anonymous letter
writers of today. For a comic valentine is
nothing more nor less than an anonymous
letter in another form.
Nothing changes so infallibly with the
progressing years as the American idea of
humor. 1t is not only conceivable, but be-
hevable, that the generation which first
espied comic valentines and used them for
the modification or humiliation of their
friends esteemed them funny. But the
standard and accepted humor of that con-
temporaneous day was coarse work. 1t
would not be tolerated, much less read and
applauded. today. 1t was the sort Of humor
that depended wholly for its nub upon the
faI,t to- ~ 49, H. A.
ening Of some hapless victim. 1t was a
Smart-Aleck. bullying sort of humor. based
upon the conception that the infliction OF
pain upon others Is fun. The comic valen-
that brutal Interpretation of the meaning
of humor. Genuine American humor has
far Outlived that ancient model but its
meanest fungus, the comic valentine, sur
wives.
The Answer.
Why? This Is no very great riddle. The
comic valentine continues to exist as a
rather fourishing leftover because 1t Is a
potential. If vulgar, instrument in the hands
Of the cowardly and the mean-minded for
the infection of momentary pain upon per-
sons whom they do not like. 1 say mo-
mentary, for the reason that no level-head-
ed, self-respecting man or woman Of sound
composition ever succumbs to more than a
moments genuine irritation or mortifica-
ton over the receipt Of a comic valentine.
The late Tom Reed had way of COM
pressing very keen thoughts within ex-
ceedfngiy short sentences. l happened to
be In the neighborhood once when Mr.. Reed
received a comic valentine. 1t was at the
time when the force bill was big issue.
The comic valentine showed a gigantic
windbag of man. with a block head on
his shoulders. Windbag and blockhead-if
Tom Reed was either Of these, he was
Polynesian or a Lascar. and everybody
knows that he hailed from Maine
Reed spread out and gazed at the thing
for little while. and then he laughed
dryly and crumpled it in his hand.
II feel sorry for the skunk who sent me
this" he said. 1.-THE aroma of his exuda-
lions must be a sad offense and affront to
people anchored in his vicinage."
II wasn't aware that the Americans
Polecatis had any friends" observed an
other noted representative of that period.
who was present.
"Then this skunk must be a sad burden
upon himself" replied Reed.
Thus he expressed the idea, which must
be instantly obvious to people who think.
that the individual who sends out q bunch
of comic valentines with the idea of get
ting hunk" with persons whom he doesn't
like really does himself a whole lot more
actual harm than he inflicts upon the VIC
Tins whom he selects. He stabs in the
dark. He strikes from behind. He doesn't
take a mans chance on losing. He doesn't
play the game, He cheats. No human be-
ing ever yet adopted and practiced this
mode of revenge or retaliation without de-
grading himself and shriveling the remnant
of his soul to the hardness of q leather
liver.
Doesn't Intend to "Poke Fun"
The sender of the comic valentine doesn't
mean to poke fun" His idea is to hurt.
He means the barb to stick. He gloats
over the contemplation of the discontinue
of the recipient of the shot. His one re-
greet Is that the recipient can have no
means of knowing who sent the thing. He
fairly itches to sign his name to the wound
ing bit of paper, but he never yields to this
itching, for he is a coward. The last thing
He Is bird Of the shadows. sure-thing
player. He breads the open spaces as
bat does the day. His idea Of give-and-
take is all giving, and giving behind
screen. His notion Of combat Is the poison
ed arrow, delivered from behind a shelter
ing clump.
There isn't a human being on earth who
is not open to some sort of vulgarly exag-
gerated and emphasized description by
these gross comic valentines. Every one
of US has some little kink, physical or
mental, which, happily, Is tolerated by our
friends and condOned by the generosity OF
a world that, in general, Is increasing In
kindness.
We're fat. We're lean. We've a snub
nose or an unduly long one. Our eyes are
not exact mates, or they are at cross pur-
poses. We hold ourselves too straight, or
we SLOUGH along with our shoulders too
far forward. We are bit bow-legged or
mayhap somewhat knock-kneed. We dress
carelessly, or perhaps bit too ornately
Maybe we have a cauliflower ear or
hair-lip We are somewhat too uppiSh