Judge — June 19, 1886 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge cartoon satirizes boycotts through exaggeration. The image shows a chaotic domestic scene—people arguing, furniture overturned, a megaphone prominent—depicting a "boycott" as violent household chaos rather than an organized economic protest. The caption suggests that if Judge magazine itself faced boycotting, they'd prefer it happen in this absurdly destructive manner rather than through actual organized consumer action, which would be more effective and threatening. The satire mocks both the messiness of labor disputes/boycotts (common in the era) and implies Judge finds the prospect of organized opposition laughable—better an impotent tantrum than a coordinated effort. It's simultaneously dismissive of boycott movements as disorderly and self-aware about their potential power.