A boy who wants to make the news,
Aspires to fill his father's shoes;
His sister aims for something better-
She wants to fill her mother's sweater.
* * *
"What happened to that girl you used to take out? I thought she had a figure as trim and sleek as a ship."
"She did, but her cargo shifted."
* * *
Says one sailor: "I haven't talked to my wife in two weeks. I hate to interrupt her."
Analysis:
These three blurbs all objectify women in different ways:
The first article states a clear gendered dichotomy in life goals. The boy wants to fill his father's shoes, presumably as head of the household and primary breadwinner. The girl, meanwhile, aims to grow into the sexual being that her mother is, presumably to earn herself a breadwinning husband.
The second blurb objectifies women as sexual objects, implying that the girl in question is no longer wanted because she is no longer physically attractive.
The final joke belittles women by portraying the sailor's wife as nagging and an unneeded annoyance in his life.
Source: Powder Keg, September 15th, 1944, Pg 8
