In 1959, a magazine called “The Girl Watcher” hit newsstands, targeting a male audience with content focused on women. Marketed as a “Handy Handbook for Girl Watching,” it used playful language and illustrations to present itself as lighthearted and humorous. Beneath that tone, the magazine promoted stalking, predatory behavior toward women, upskirt photography, and the reduction of women to collections of body parts. The one notable exception in its pages is an interview with Earl Leaf, the photographer credited with helping launch Marilyn Monroe’s career.
Our adventure begins with an introduction to Girl Watching. The authority who provides our intro is Christopher C. Tinker, national president of AGWA (Ardent Girl Watchers’ Association). According to Tinker: “Applications for membership are pouring in by the mail bag.” Indeed, “Girl Watching Clubs are spreading like a brush fire across the nation.”
Clearly, the authors of this tome, The Girl Watcher: A Guide to Girl Watching, have their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks. That being said, while they are being lighthearted about it, this isn’t satire — this is really a read for girl-watchers. Let’s read on.
THE FLUSHER: An intrepid watcher who rises above any situation to accomplish his aims. He’s been known to feign a drunken stupor and lie in front of the YWCA for hours watching the residents come and go. THE PEEKER: He catches every passing fancy even if it means missing part of his meal. THE STALKER: Resourceful and imaginative. Just when things are darkest he comes up with a brand new technique.
THE PERCHER: Prefers overarching limbs, but has been known to climb buildings, rainpipes, and statues to gain a unique vantage point. THE SWIVEL-HEAD: Says a new twist needs a new twist. The many varieties of girl watchers: The Legman, The Hipster, The Derriere Devotee, The Booze Mouse, The Lipsophile, The Nymphlover. Which is creepiest? It’s hard to say, but for some reason, if I were a woman, I’d be most afraid of the Booze Mouse. “After years of looking, Lester concocted his own recipe for an ideal girl. He took one head of A, two cups of B, a pinch of C and two stalks of D — Ergo, a perfect specimen fit for any Girl Watcher.”
In this article we are told of a perverted girl watcher who pretends to be a millionaire and goes to an orphanage (for young nubile girls, apparently) and picks his bride from a lineup.
It’s actually a bizarre story which has nothing whatsoever to do with girl watching. It’s just about this mentally deranged teenager who shoots her sweetheart because she’s nuts.
Dear June: When my steady girl married my best friend I thought that would be the last I would have to worry about her. But whenever we meet at parties she makes a dash for me, wraps her arms around me and necks with me for the rest of the evening. Golly, it’s embarrassing. What shall I do? B.K. Dear B.K.: You’re a big boy now, Buster. If you don’t know what to do by now maybe you’d better try out for the girl’s basketball team.
If you’re tired of your surroundings, why not move to Paris? You may have a room overlooking Madame Mal de Mer’s Ballerina School and believe me, you’ve never seen anything until you get a look at a leggy lass in leotards in the seventh position.
There are all kinds of artists, including those that work at the corner drugstore.
Say what you will about this bizarre little periodical, you have to admit — there are some damn good illustrations within. Who cares if this article is about a photographer with a creepy basement studio — the artwork is worthy of a look.
As ridiculous as this is, it was intended to be ridiculous. This was a humor/satirical magazine.
Obviously it hasn’t aged well, but don’t take it seriously.
The real question to me is if it helped normalise creeping behavior, as the author points out in the beginning.
Because one issue with satire and parody is that there’s always going to be a segment of the populace who ignore the ‘joke’ and embrace the behavior being displayed. Not unlike how a surprisingly large block of people for years evidently took the Colbert Report seriously, which was arguably part of a general shift in embracing whatever reality that suits one, completely in the face of actual facts & reality. Plus, in terms of one’s civic responsibility to vote regularly as an educated, well-informed person, this kind of thing can actually be damaging to the health of a democracy IMO.
Now is that connecting a whole lot of dots? Sure, but I don’t think it’s hard to see how that works. That said, I agree that ‘it is what it is,’ and you just have to hope that it (and similar stuff) had a relatively minor ‘Andrew Tate’ effect.
You should not be dictating policy based on the actions of the absolute stupidest members. Society has a responsibility to call out stupidity, but too many are afraid to do so these days out of fear of offending someone.
Nobody took Colbert report seriously, it was always a joke. The only exception would be those who never saw it and only reacted to comments of others without explaining the joke. Nobody should expect Colbert to go off air because some idiots didn’t realize he was being satirical.
Obvious satire is obvious.
NuH uH tHeY LiTeRaLLy KiLLeD WoMeN fOr SpOrT UnTiL FeMiNiSm HaPpEnEd iN tHe LaSt 20 yEaRs
There is an episode of The Dollop that covers this. It’s a hilarious podcast.
Similarly, I have a 60’s book called “Looking Forward To Being Attacked,” it was similarly very tongue in cheek.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raJWuz7qQVc
They sang about girl watching as well.
My, my, my.
That wasn’t the only one!
https://youtu.be/iJkeSKdfzIg?si=tz6TftUHifVPxdck
And perhaps the pinnacle of the genre:
Andy Williams ‘Music to Watch Girls By’ (1966)
The song has a dash more equality in it, with the lyrics making it clear it’s a two-way engagement. It goes on to claim that without this activity, the world would no longer ‘go round’ – a euphemism meaning humans would no longer procreate.
https://youtu.be/-5-GD8YeObE
Y’all, I got one more for ya, from the 70s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vdfp7wFK1M