The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-15
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
Shady Talk
OfMarYiage
Is DebaSing
BY MARTHA LEE

Broad -mindednesS is a noble
thing as long as it is as high as it is
broad. But when it fattens itself
until it is the thickness of a restaur-
ant pancake, it often is more in
furious to the sensibilities than such
a pancake is to the digestion.
I suppose insinuating remarks and
shady innuendoS always have been
tossed off indiscrete tongues. But
somehow the moderns seem to lack
the good sense to know just where
such things will be received with
the laugh they are expected to get,
and where they will be so offensive
as to be Earring.
One hears such things on the
stage constantly. One reads them
on the screen. But when it comes
to hearing them from friends, and
at intimate social gatherings, it does
get bit thick.
Bad Taste
There still are people whose ideals
and thoughts are keyed quite a bit
above the sewer type of wit. These
people are not prudes, either. They
merely are conscious of the fact that
there are things in life that are not
particularly good subjects for jokes.
To them it is just awfully bad taste.
A young married man, who has
been particularly harassed, has
written to see if something can't be
done about the growing habit.
Dear Miss Lee-I have been married
about three months to a lovely girl. Dur
ing our engagement and previous to it.,
we ran around with a young married
crowd, most of them school chums Of ours.
They are fine people for the most part,
and I always have admired them and en-
joyed being with them.
But since we got back from our honey
moon we have been busy getting our home
Strengthened and furniture bought and
haven't had much time to be running
around.
Conversation Shocking
Several weeks ago we went out with
them. expected to have few re-
marks passed, but the conversation was
absolutely shocking. Since then we have
been around with several other groups of
people, and 1t has been the same thing.
suppose it is meant to 'kid' us, but
1t is just about more than can stand.
I am not writing for advice, only to
say how degrading such a conversation
can be and how cheapening. I don't see
how those women could love their hus-
bands for making light of marriage the
way they do. And how the men can have
any respect for wives who speak in such
terms is utterly beyond my imaginings.
BENEDICT.
II more men would express them
selves so upon this subject, there
would be less of it to contend with.
The only thing I am sorry for is
that you did not express yourself
little more forcibly, by popping"
on the nose the first man who
passed remarks of this kind. OF
course it would have broken up the
little gathering, but also it would
have made a deep impression upon
all the others present.
Respect for Sex
Hearing things of this sort from
men is debasing enough. But to
hear them from women, whose forte
in life is marriage, is too much to
stand. If women do not maintain
a high order of respect for sex as it
is practiced in marriage, who in the
whole world will?
If women contribute to the cheap
ening of what should be maintained
on a high level of idealism, by list
ening to ribald jokes, how can they
anticipate respect and fidelity and
honorable treatment from their
husbands? And if they contribute
to the extent of telling such stories
and repeating such remarks, they
are tearing down all the walls of
protection that have been built
around them for centuries.
1t is not broad minded to listen
to such things. It is feeble-minded.
1t is not being a good sport" to sit
back and allow people to say such
things in the presence Of some one
whom you have a right to protect
and whom you know objects strenu-
ously to remarks OF this nature. I
hope you never become initiated"
into the society that condones such
conversations.