Whitney Darrow (1909–1999)

These cartoons are for the most part dated. For instance, jokes about what clearly would be sexual harassment/assault by bosses elicit winces nowadays, rather than guffaws. However, some are timeless. For instance, the man lying in a hospital bed saying "Stop saying I'll live to be ninety, I AM ninety" is maybe funnier now than 50 years ago, given the number of 90-year olds currently alive. And the young woman coming home from a date saying "What do you know! A sexagenarian turns out to be a show more guy in his sixties." is still pretty funny. These cartoons are worthwhile both for the window into 1960s mores and for their humor. (Of course the fact that I grew up then may have something to do with my appreciation of the book.) show less

Whitney Darrow's I'M GLAD I'M A BOY; I'M GLAD I'M A GIRL! is a short little picture book about fixed gender roles and the stereotypical ways boys and girls are expected to act or what they are expected to be. For example, boys eat and girls do the cooking; boys invent things and girls use what they invent; boys fix the things girls need fixed; the list goes on and on. This book is very old, as is evident through what the text says and the illustrations - which are simple, black and white show more pencil sketches with splashes of red color - and it's ideals no longer align with society. I would not recommend the use of this book in a classroom, except perhaps to teach students about the issues with gender stereotyping. show less

I’m Glad I’m a Boy; I’m Glad I’m a Girl is a story about gender roles, and according to society, how each gender should act. This book is repetitive in a way that it has boys on the left side, and girls on the right side. Each picture of the characters is something they are “supposed” to do. For instance, boy can be police officers, they can eat food, they are tough, they fight things, and more. Whereas the girls are “metermaids”, they cook the food that men eat, and they are show more dainty. Some of these comparisons were a little hysterical, but frustrating to see. The illustrations show the girl in a very short skirt, and the boy is wearing shorts and a t-shirt most of the time. Kids can be whoever they want to be, and can be interested in all sorts of activities. This book does a horrible job or presenting that to children. In the end the characters realize they need each other to survive, which obviously always true. show less

These cartoons by Whitney Darrow were published in the New Yorker magazine in the 1950s and 1960s. They are well drawn but now only mildly amusing. They clearly reflect their time frame and the perspective of upper middle class white culture. At this point, they are mainly cultural artifacts, portraying corporate executives, stay-at-home housewives, mischievious kids, teenagers, policemen, beatniks, Boy Scouts, martinis, college graduations, weddings, baseball games, burlesque clubs, and show more ban-the-bomb rallys. (This one won't stay in the permanent home library.) show less