There was never any real plan to do a dissertation on the history of wardrobe malfunctions in art, even just in postcard art. However, the possibilities of revealing accidents are limitless, and it is a fear common to most of us, regardless of class or gender. As a mighty philosopher once stated, “Everybody’s got a naked.”
In previous installments, we have considered mischievous breezes and impudent props. But these did not cover, or uncover, the results of more serious accidents, a theme which does take us back to the Golden Age of postcards.
This is about as serious as the accidents get. I hate to be THAT blogger, but this card, neatly as it depicts the scene, does not use the best version of the limerick in question, which specified that the lady from St. Paul WAS wearing a Newspaper Dress and asked us to commiserate with someone who burned her entire Sporting Section. Maybe the verse as originally written didn’t fit on the card.
Clothes which got torn (or in this case, chewed off) provided another theme common to all ages and levels of society. THIS lady is a very intent artist, or the goat is working very quickly. She also teaches us an important lesson, which is that we must not forget our underdrawers when going on a photographic safari. (Not sure how this got past the editors; a lot of wardrobe malfunction postcards show clearly where the Powers That Were said “Okay, put a thin black line right here so everyone knows she IS wearing underpants.”)
Here we have a fie example (or a ripping good case) of bygone slang providing the basis for a joke. In the United States, a “ripping good time” was a phrase used primarily among the flaming youth of the 1920s.
Except on postcards, where its life was extended another generation simply because no artist wants to give up a good gag as long as there might be SOMEBODY who still understands. (We will devote another column someday to those postcards for people who were having a “Slapping Good Time” or even a “Whacking Good Time”.)
Of course, where the wardrobe malfunction postcard is most functional is in fashion history. Correct me if I am reading too much value into cartoons and social history, but THIS particular gag wasn’t really possible in the days when bathing suits were more voluminous and less formfitting. Yes, the Edwardians had their torn swimsuit cartoons, but a lady putting on the swimsuit and realizing that, well, it has obviously shrunk over the winter belong to a later age.
And, as ever, the joke was not always on the ladies. The cartoonists of the First AND Second World Wars (at least) could never resist this particular military jargon. Although here we are left rather in doubt about just what HAPPENED to the soldier’s trousers. He is, quite properly, facing the foe, so was this friendly fire? Is the percussive shock of that bit of artillery being fired rough enough to…anyway, the cartoonist couldn’t resist the possibilities and a fine old joke is a fine old joke.
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