Kudos to those hardworking individuals who can ensure that their families are well-taken care of. Daniel H. Borinsky has done his homework on the subject, rounding up the appearances of such successful wage earners in New Yorker cartoons through the years. He notes specifically that over the course of three decades, from 1952 to 1982, The New Yorker published at least six cartoons where a woman referred to her spouse as a "good provider." How then did New Yorker cartoonists handle this lucrative subject?
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| "One thing I'll say for him—he's always been a good provider." Charles Addams The New Yorker, February 23, 1952, page 25 |
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| "I'll say this for Harry. He's a good provider, he doesn't run around, and he's never struck me except in self-defense." George Price The New Yorker, March 14, 1953, page 26 |
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| "I'll say this for him—he's a good provider." Robert Day The New Yorker, November 20, 1965, page 47 |
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| "Ed's always been a good provider." George Price The New Yorker, September 15, 1980, page 45 |
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| "Not the easiest man in the kingdom to live with, needless to say, but a damned good provider." Edward Frascino The New Yorker, May 17, 1982, page 40 |
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| "I must say, Nelson, you've always been a good provider." Barney Tobey The New Yorker, June 25, 1984, page 30 |
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| "I'll say this much for her—she's always been a good provider." William Hamilton The New Yorker, April 17, 1989, page 117 |
However, the seventh cartoon of this kind, in 1989, reversed the premise—this time it was the man who praised his wife as a “good provider." The first six appearances of “good provider” were clichés about the then-general dependence of a wife on her husband’s earnings. But the reversal in 1989 was a reflection of the growing financial status of women in American society.
Right you are, Dan. I would only add that our tennis-playing friend seems to be quite at ease with his role in this social upheaval.
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| Spot by Judith Shahn and cartoon by Robert Day |
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| Spot by Henry Martin and cartoon by George Price |
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| Cartoons by Edward Frascino and Charles Barsotti |
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| Cartoons by Barney Tobey and Michael Crawford |
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| Cartoon by William Hamilton |
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