Judge — March 22, 1884 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon critiques oleomargarine (margarine) as a dangerous food substitute for butter. The central scene depicts chaos at a cauldron labeled "SON OF GREASE"—suggesting margarine is an inferior, greasy concoction. Exaggerated figures with ape-like features are shown manufacturing or handling the product near buildings labeled "Dairy Farm" and "Slaughter House," implying margarine comes from questionable, unsavory sources. The satire attacks margarine as: - Fraudulent food (deception replacing genuine butter) - Unhygienic/dangerous to consumers - Made from dubious animal byproducts The cartoonist defends dairy interests against margarine's market expansion. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century food safety anxieties and the butter industry's resistance to this new competitor. The degrading caricatures and chaotic imagery emphasize margarine as a threat to both health and honest commerce.