"THE MISERY CLUB"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 51, 14 June 1940, Page 47

"THE MISERY CLUB"

New ZB Feature For Mere Men T is hoped that "The Misery Club" will mark another step in the liberation and evolution of man. "We all have our troubles, lots of them," says the President of the Misery Club, "but generally speaking, we get little or no opportunity to air them. Everybody has a grouch, particularly the men folk. We are naturally suppressed. While we are single, we are hunted, and when we are married, we are henpecked. We earn money-but what is left after paying taxes, somebody else spends." It was decided by the Misery Club organisers, that as the women have their Happiness Clubs, so men ought to have a Misery Club to enable them to air their grievances. Heard from ZB stations on Mondays and Wednesdays, at 7.15 p.m., this session is fast increasing in popularity. This is the type of letter that "Rod" is receiving from heavy-burdened listeners: Dear Rod: I have often had the idea of dropping you a line, to let you know how stiff I am. 1 always seem to miss the ’bus some way or another, but last Saturday was the limit, so I couldn’t help sitting down and telling you about it.

First of all I am married, not that 1 blame anyone but myself for that, but you know how it is. I’ve always been keen on the races, and like to have a bit on when I can afford it. Well, last Saturday week I got a red hot tip from a fellow whose sister is going out with a cobber of bers who knows @ jockey. This thing was a real stone moral, and 1 determined to have a bet on it even if 1 burst my boiler. | drew my chips on Friday, and started off home, and, you know how it is Rod, on the way I met a few of the boys, had a few pots, and somehow or other got short changed. That was bad enough, but as soon as I got in the home, the wife pounced on me and told me that the landlord had delivered an ultimatum and that we had to pay off some back rent, Then the youngest kid came in-I’ve seven you know-and he'd torn the seat clean out of his pants, and had to have a new pair for school on Monday. Two of the electric light bulbs burnt out that night, and another of my kids threw a ball through the neighbour’ window. By the next morning, 1 had 25/- to carry on the rest of the week, and couldn’t afford anything for a bet. On Saturday night I looked at the paper, and saw that my borse had come in! On Monday, a cobber told me that it had paid thirty-one quid! You could have knocked me down with a hammer. Yours in misery, "J.J.M." (Hamilton.) Broadcasts have begun in which men come in to the Studio to tell their troubles over the air-and they have the sympathetic attention of men all over New Zealand. "The Misery Club," a session for men, is broadcast from all ‘ZB Station, at 7.15 Monday and Wednesday evenings. Tune in to this novel sessi .