'Dig' This Crazy Humor!
A beboppcr walked into a restaurant and asked the waitress
for a piece of apple pie. “The pie is gone,” the waitress said.
“Oh, that crazy pie,” the beboppcr replied, “I’ll take two
pieces.”
That's a bebop joke. According to the National Association
of Gag-writers bebop jokes are the latest thing, drawing big
ger laughs than gags about chlorophyll, King Farouk, Pres
ident Truman and raids.
United Press writer Jay Breen describes the bebop lingo:
“ ... to ‘dig,’ meaning to understand bebop humor, you have
to know that the gags are based on an invariable cast of two
boppers who are ‘high,’ that is ‘out of this world’ or ‘gone’. ’
Here are a couple of sample jokes listed by Breen:
Two beboppers were driving a car through the Lincoln Tun
nel, between New York and New Jersey, for the first time.
One gazed in wonder at the miles of gleaming white tile on
both sides and the roof of the tunnel, then nudged his partner
and said, “Man, dig this crazy washroom.”
The same pair of boppers visited an art museum. They halted
before a statue of Julius Caesar and the better educated of the
two explains who is depicted, adding, “He’s been gone for
2,000 years.”
“Man.” replied companion, “those Romans sure knew how
to live.”
And then there are the space jokes about the young couple
on the moon sitting in a car necking by the light of the earth
or the science-fiction sweethearts who liked to sit by the fire
and reminisce about the future.
Bebop jokes are probably nothing new to the jazz crowd but
they apparently haven’t reached much further. \Ye tried one
out on our mother and she thought we were crazy. It seems
doubtful that bebop gags will replace mother-in-law exper
iences. They will probably go the way of shaggy dog stories
and moron jokes. But while they last, a bebop rendition can
get you “hep”in the right circles.
Could This Be Oregon?
“At home for two weeks of Christmas vacation—you’d think they
didn’t have a smoke th’ whole time.”
Orman Daily
EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald published Monday through Friday during the college year
except Jan. 5; Mar. 9, 10 and 11; Mar. 13 through 30; June 1, 2 and 3 by the Student Publi
cations Board of the University of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office,
Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per school year; $2 per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer and do not pretend to
represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written by
•editorial staff members. Unsigned editorials are written by the editor.
Larry Hobart, Editor
Sally Thurston, Business Manager
Helen Jones, Bill Gurney, Associate Editors
Jim Haycox, Editorial Assistant
Al Karr, Managing Editor
News Editor: Kitty Fraser
Asst. Managing Editors: Judy McLoughlin
Paul Keefe
Sports Editor: Larry Lavelle
Asst. News Editors : Laura Sturges, Jackie
Wardell, Len Calvert.
Wire Editors: Lorna Davis, Andy Salmins,
Virginia Dailey, Valera Vierra
Nat’l Advertising Manager: Carolyn Silva
Advertising Manager: Sally Thurston
Classified Advertising Manager: Beverly
DeMott
Layout Manager: Jim Soliduxs
Notes to the Editor
As is, motor traffic through the
campus of this University is more
distracting to the eye and car
than most of us realize. In rooms
301 Condon and 105 Ffiendly I
personally noticed that students
miss certain points in lectures
due to motor noise interferring
with professorial (noise) speak
ing. This often happens when the
wind carries in the right (wrong)
direction or when other class
members add to the din by shuf
fling their papers or feet or by
whispering, etc.
The situation is of course worst
for people in the back rows. Un
der the usual, complicated condi
tions all of the noise producing
factors arc additive, I realize, but
I seriously suggest that both
hearing and understanding of lec
tures would be much better if
trucks, buses, and hot-rods were
not stopping, accelerating, and
whizzing through our campus.
A Constant Reminder
Apparently the only contrap
tion forbidden passage is the fa
miliair logging lorry. Must we
have vehicles rolling through our
campus to continually remind us
that we are living in a motor
age?
I suggest that 13th avenue be
closed to public traffic. It should
be made a private driveway—pri
vate for faculty and student cars.
To boot, I suggest that more
parking space be provided for
student cars, if this seems desir
able.
“Take a Look”
To* those who think I'm over
sensitive or fantastic in this idea,
I samply suggest, "Take a look
at some other campuses.” North
of us at Seattle is the University
of Washington campus with
classrooms serene and to the
South I set as an example UCLA
with its gates and gatekeepers
and its spacious parking lots.
Diversion of traffic from 13th
to 18th or 19th street and to the
highway would meet with the
general approval of rational ,
minds, although naturally it is to <
be expected that every person
operating a business establish
ment to the west of the campus
on 13th would pull strings to
prevent the diversion if he could.
No Worry
However, we need not worry;
business will follow traffic in a
short space of time.
The normal (at present )traf
fic distraction is certainly not be
fitting to a study of the classics
nor does it enhance the powers of
concentration for students of sci
ence or arts. Closing the ifcrough
street is my first and foremost
advice for the improvement of
our campus.
Incidentally, the rampart jay
walking of nowadays would be
overcome by the technicality of
making a city street into a cam
pus driveway.
Second Consideration
In second consideration, I de
clar ethat the biggest snortin’est
artery of diesel-powered traffic
in the state forms the edge of
our campus. We may eventually
see this highway moved over next
to the railroad. That’s the second
big improvement I suggest.
It may seem awfully farfetched
now, but reader think—not so
many years ago trains whistled
right past old Villard (until the
tracks were moved over the Mill
race).
Here is the first time I suggest
doing away with a dear old land
mark: Since the national high
way was curved south of Glen
wood to the cliff last year, maybe
hope grows that the State of Ore
gon and the United States can
make a deal that will curve it
over the millrace from the cliff
to the corner. Who can tell—
things do change (when they are
changed).
Jerome E. Frederick
Junior in Science
Radio Review __
Columnist Takes a Look at 1953
__by Don Collin
Now is the that time the pre
dictors dust off the crystal ball
and polish it well hoping to see
a little oiearer into this year
than last.
If the dust storm Is thick
enough and If the summaries
of 1052 are piled high enough,
the predictions of last year
will foe successfully burled by
diversion. So the predictors be
come summarlzers.
Radio men differed with the
selection of the biggest news
items tof 1052. Chronologically
CBS listed the important news
as follows:
Jan. 10: Sinking of “Flying
Enterprise" and rescue of Capt.
Kurt Carlsen.
Feb. 6: Death of King George
VI.
Feb. 11: Air crash in Eliza
beth, N. J.
Mar. 11: New Hampshire pri
mary indicates strength of Ike
and Kefauver.
Ap. 13-18: Missouri floods.
Apr. 22: Eyewitness report of
atomic tests in Nevada.
June 4: Ike in Abilene.
July 5-26: Chicago conven
tions.
Nov. 4: You guessed it.
Dec. 1-10: Ike's trip to Korea.
ABC listed the news stories
in their importance, duplicating
CBS on three accounts: The
election in first place, sinking of
“Flying Enterprise" fifth and
seventh the death of King
George. Others were:
Korean peace talks.
Dismissals of Newbold Morris
and J. Howard McGrath.
Supreme court ruling on steel
plant seizure.
Prison riots.
Abdication of King Farouk.
Killing of Arnold Schuster
who led police to the capture of
bank robber Willie Sutton.
Yankees’ defeat of the Dodg
ers.
ABC’s "Time Capsule” (KASH
Sunday’s at 7:30 p.m.) came up
with the feature stories of 1952.
P-eurto Rican delegate Romany
supplying a light touch at the
Republican convention.
The psychologists' field day
the college students pantie raids.
AI Capp’s explanation of the
marriage between Lt'l Abner and
Daisy Mue.
The Prince of Wails, Johnnie
Cr(a)y.
With the summaries complete
here’s a peak at the future:
More and more radio and TV
stars will bring their children
onto the nets. Fulton Lewis Jr.
displayed his kids even before
Crosby brought the elan forth.
Recent additions have been the
five Linkletter children and Ber
gen's daughter.
New Year’s statements will
sentimentally speak of peace
and the brotherhood of man
and the saddest comment on
Western Civilization is the
necessity to have these things
said every year.
Drew Pearson will cnnllnr
his HO plus percentage of cor
rect predictions on his Sunday
newscast — even If he has to
predict “Tomorrow will bo
Monday.” -
Walter Winchell will continue
to report that the government
is considering raising the price
of gold and if it does he will
ask the profit to go to his cancer *
fund.
The Side’s luncheon special's -
will remain the same.
Kmerald Hall will not be
painted green.
The chlorophyll fad will fade.
BOOK REVIEW
The Big Cage' by Robert Lowry
By Michael Lundy
“The Big Cage" by Robert
Lowry is convincing proof that
contemporary postwar writing is
being done which approaches
that done in America after the
first war. Published originally in
1949, the book is out in a Popu
lar Library Giant edition for 35
cents.
Robert Lowry is one of the few
writers today who tries to come
to grips with reality. “The Big
Cage” is one long search for it.
Unfortunately, one never feels
that Lowry has quite found it.
This is at least better than
most of the escapists, writing in
the postwar period, who deliber
ately destroy reality and life in
their work with perversion, bru
tality and sex. The characters in
Lowry's book are trying, con
sciously or unconsciously, to con
quer the problems of their world
today.
‘‘The Big Cage” is the first
person story of the growing up
of a writer, almost an autobiog
raphy in places, we suspect. It is
the life, thoughts, ambitions and
dreams of Dick Black, a lad who
is not the prototype of the ‘‘all
American boy” as he is usually
thought of, but who typifies the
impatience with youth and with
drawal from life of so many in
telligent but introverted young
Ijpys.
Dick Black began his escape
from living in the second grade,
when he first came into contact
with some of the unpleasantness
of life. He found a different
world inside books, and trans
posed it into stories. Later, his
writing became everything he
saw or heard of read.
The people he met, the happen
ings of his life, the emotional
jolts in his family, were only
food for the battered typewriter
his father bought him. During
the time other boys were out
playing sandlot baseball, Dick
Black was living in a second
hand world culled from other
people’s writing. His ambition
was to become a great writer. !!•
didn’t realize that first he would
have to become a human being.
When Dick Black reached his
eagerly awaited graduation from
high school, and tried to become *
the self-sustaining writer he had
dreamed of, he found that his
barren life had been dredged dry
of material, and he was incap
able of holding a common job. So
he went to college, to prove to
himself that he was a batter man
than the other students. *
But after starting a literary
magazine and becoming a noted .
campus character, he finds that
he is still not involved with life;
so he runs off with a married '
woman, headed for Tibet.
It ia only when Dick Black J
finds himself 18 years old, broke,
starving and alone in New York
City that he realizes the drama -
of everyday living which has
been surrounding him, unnoticed,
all his days. For the first time, -•
he senses the value of humanity,
and finds that all literature can
only be a pale reflection of the -
panorama of life as it is lived.
Robert Lowry’s motivation and
insight place him in the top -
ranks of up and coming new
writers. We only look forward
to a book by him which demon- '
strates more fully the under
standing of people he credited to
young Dick Black at the end of
“The Big Cage.” It is only when
a writer shows himself capable
of presenting fully a character
who is fundamentally different
from himself that he approaches
greatness.