Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Saturday, July 17, 2021

SIDEWALK ROMANCE (1950)

 Here's an odd little item:  an eight-page color comic book give-away about venereal disease -- told in atrocious rhyme.

Joe has a "sidewalk romance" and now he thinks he might have VD.  "Joe met a dame under the moon/His hard luck as he found out soon."

His friend tells him he'd better see his doctor.  The doc gives him the bad news:  "To be exact the trouble's this:/ -- The disease you have is syphillis."

So Joe goes off to a clinic for several days of "recreation, good food, and a nice clean bed," as well as some friendly doctors and nurses.

Now cured, Joe spends him time warning others of the dangers of a "Sidewalk Romance."

WTF?

Not a word about the symptoms, the dangers, or the exact treatment for the disease other than fun, food, and a clean bed.  As for catching the disease, you get it through a "spree" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) and that's all the information you need.  Somehow the reader comes away with the impression that all women (with the possible exception of your mother, your sister, and your future bride) are walking pools of syphillis.  One wonders if there's an eight-page color comic book warning women about VD, possibly explaining that all women (with the three possible exceptions noted above) are born with the disease.

Give me a break.

Not as frightening as an Army training film but just as effective, methinks.


https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=78955&comicpage=&b=i

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