pictures of young men locked in naked struggle so closely approximating Siamese twins, are the source of sensual stimulation or satisfaction. NO! It's for study, reference and mere admiration at the most. Like hell.

These publishers know precisely who buys both magazines and pictures, yet they continue their pretense of anti-fairyism so that they can continue to sell to just those customers. In a way, we have the odd situation of massive ideals of manhood with everything a male should possess being the hired boobies, jesters and playthings of those very persons for whom they profess the most contempt. Without them, they'd go promptly bankrupt. Of course, these comments are not intended in any way to curtail the pleasant art and publication of representations of the male form so long as it remains "proper," whatever that may be or become. It does intend, however, to call the proper persons puppets and perverts and hopes that one day the publishers of such magazines will publicly express gratitude to those who have given them the best of bread and the butter without a trace of oleo.

PHYSICAL CULTURE is doing a mental strip tease in a current series of articles against homosexuality. Written by a man formerly hired by the government to ferret out "perverts" in public office, the titles sound highly scientific: "Homosexuality: Stalin's Atom Bomb!" and "Homosexuals Ruin Normals." One is almost tempted to read them.

American

MERCURY

THE AMERICAN MERCURY thought it really had something when it announced a series of articles by Alfred Towne which would deal with various aspects of homosexuality. Apparently its mind got changed: after the first two (three?) articles the whole affair was dropped without explanation. Mr. Towne's ideas didn't prove overly popular. For instance, in his "The New Taste In Humor" which hit "fairy-fun" among the comics of our day, he named several names such as Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Cary Grant, Martin and Lewis, Jack Carson, William Powell, Lou Costello and "even" old Jack Benny who have leaned on pansy humor for laughs. He lists all the acts in which men frolic in women's clothes and notes that this is a sign of social decadence. We must run for cover (no, not that kind of cover). There is no hope for us when things like "Charlie's Aunt" are successful; his list of modern plays includes not only parts for men in "drag" but women singing in tuxedos a horror that seems peculiarly irritating to him. No one else has complained of Diet-

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