An Esquire magazine 1938 color cartoon by E. Simms Campbell seems unusual in how tightly-cropped the image is. We are in a young woman's bedroom, evidently, as she is upright in an adjustable bed wearing—what else?—a sheer nightgown. Yet her hair is still perfect, her makeup is still on, and an expensive bracelet still adorns her wrist. Correction: we are inhabiting a male fantasy version of a young woman's bedroom. That's the point here, really. This isn't just a lewd gag about not committing rape ("fool that I am"); like many an Esquire cartoon, it's also an acknowledgement of how susceptible we men, the intended readers, are to overtly sexualized images of women, even without any sign of plausibility or female consent.
At press time, this cartoon is available for purchase on Amazon.
E. Simms Campbell
Esquire
Foolish Things
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| "All I want is your jewelry, lady—fool that I am[.]" E. Simms Campbell Esquire, October 1938 |
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| Image added March 30, 2020 https://classic.esquire.com/index.php/article/1938/10/1/all-i-want-is-your-jewelry-lady-fool-that-i-am |
Note: Fool that I am, Attempted Bloggery has been surveying the work of cartoonist E. Simms Campbell (1906-1971). Readers with access to original Campbell art can assist in this important endeavor by submitting high-resolution scans or photos.
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