Judge, 1883-06-30 · page 16 of 16
Judge — June 30, 1883 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon mocks religious leaders ("City Divines"—clergy) for their moral panic about modern dancing. The central image shows a dancer performing what appears to be a scandalous high-kick or can-can style dance, while shocked onlookers (representing clergy and moral authorities) react with horror from a theater box. The surrounding vignettes exaggerate the clergy's fears: children dancing "immorally," adults dancing inappropriately, and a couple dancing together in public. The satire suggests these religious figures are overreacting to ordinary social dancing and seeing wickedness everywhere. This reflects early 20th-century debates about changing social mores, particularly jazz-age dancing that conservatives viewed as sinful. Judge ridicules the clergy's outdated moral standards and their disconnect from modern urban culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE JUDGE Ni He! Hii: ai if) i i Ra a iad i Wo ‘| avons.” i i 1 M f i fi Very Sinful /o ares wie your ttn ded, Lurinoral Aancing ot Hs Children. } THE WICKED DANCE---As viewed by our City Divines. ei comicbooks.com