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Labor's Joke Book
A wonderful analytical history of the weapon of humor in the labor movement and labor struggles. Of course, its profusely illustrated with comics, cartoons, song lyrics, posters and more, with everyone from Woody Guthrie to R Crumb. This is the original edition from 1985. At a laughable almost 1985 price. Get it while you can.
65 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
23 people want to read
About the author
Paul M. Buhle
74 books62 followersNow retired as Senior Lecturer at Brown University, Paul Merlyn Buhle is the author or editor of 35 volumes including histories of radicalism in the United States and the Caribbean, studies of popular culture, and a series of nonfiction comic art volumes.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 14, 2025
Before reading this slim volume, all I knew about labor-movement humor of ages past was that -- according to Whittaker Chambers, nemesis of Alger Hiss and patron saint of the pre-Trump right -- the cartoonists at the Daily Worker in the 1930s were required to draw members of the "vested interests" as wearing actual vests. Not much to go on! But having plumbed "Labor's Joke Book," I know now that none of it was funny.
Why? For a lot of comedians, making fun of the system is the job description. George Carlin said in his autobiography "Last Words," that after he became politicized, he got a lot of ideas flipping through his copies of the Nation (a magazine never before, or after, associated with a sense of humor). Why are the cartoons, poems and "jokes" in this collection so desperately lame?
Paul Buhle, the academic who apparently put the book together, clearly believes it's a laff riot, but every page proves he's wrong. This daffynition by W.E. Reynolds, published in the Worker in 1922, is representative:
If Ambrose Bierce wasn't dead yet, that probably killed him.
UPDATE: I tried to avoid typing out this anonymous 1923 confection in the Industrial Workers of the World's magazine Industrial Pioneer, but it seems necessary.
Wow! Elmer Fudd wept.
Why? For a lot of comedians, making fun of the system is the job description. George Carlin said in his autobiography "Last Words," that after he became politicized, he got a lot of ideas flipping through his copies of the Nation (a magazine never before, or after, associated with a sense of humor). Why are the cartoons, poems and "jokes" in this collection so desperately lame?
Paul Buhle, the academic who apparently put the book together, clearly believes it's a laff riot, but every page proves he's wrong. This daffynition by W.E. Reynolds, published in the Worker in 1922, is representative:
Alarm clock -- A small machine made by a wage-slave for the purpose of calling slaves so they will get busy producing more for the master class.
If Ambrose Bierce wasn't dead yet, that probably killed him.
UPDATE: I tried to avoid typing out this anonymous 1923 confection in the Industrial Workers of the World's magazine Industrial Pioneer, but it seems necessary.
Why War? Wobblies Wonder
Wandering wayfarers wending with waddling wagons. Who, winson wights [sic], wavering witches! Wantonly we wished wallets while wizened, wheedling women whimpered. Why will wolves whine when war's whirt [sic] wrecks wealth wholesale?
Wretched widows wistfully weeping, welkin woke with wan waifs' wailing. Who will winnow withering wheat? Workshops' whistles wheeze while wealthy wirepullers wink wittingly. Who will whir wheel, wrenches? When will weary workers warn world's wastrels? We won't work while war wastes wealth without.
Wow! Elmer Fudd wept.
Displaying 1 of 1 review