Judge — May 25, 1889 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes late 19th-century American society's obsession with horse racing. The central figure—a jockey—is depicted as more influential than President Harrison, suggesting the public cares more about racing than politics. The caption "Society Between Two Crazes" indicates the cartoon critiques how wealthy society oscillates between fashionable obsessions. The elaborate central illustration shows figures caught between competing interests or vices, represented through caricatured social types. The phrase "He could be happy with either, were t'other dear charmer away" suggests commentary on fickle social priorities—wealthy Americans devoted themselves passionately to whatever trend dominated the moment, unable to balance multiple interests rationally. The surrounding vignettes likely illustrate related social follies connected to this racing mania.