Judge, 1900-03-03 · page 16 of 16
Judge — March 3, 1900 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1900 Judge cartoon satirizes Victorian-era gender hypocrisy regarding physical activity for women. **The Setup:** A young brother enthusiastically boasts to Mr. Goodkatch about his sister Clarisse's impressive physical abilities—she can perform acrobatic feats like contortions, splits, and backbends. **The Joke:** In panel 6, when Goodkatch later proposes to Clarisse, she primly refuses, declaring that riding a bicycle is "exceedingly vulgar" and "indelicate" for young ladies—too undignified and immodest. **The Satire:** The cartoon mocks the contradictory standards imposed on women. Clarisse's family celebrates her ability to perform elaborate physical contortions (which would require exposing her legs and body), yet she claims a bicycle—a practical activity—is too improper. The brother's well-intentioned boasting actually undermines her pretense of delicate propriety, exposing the absurdity of these arbitrary social rules. The cartoon critiques how Victorian society simultaneously demanded women be athletic enough to perform for entertainment while claiming they were too fragile for independent activities like cycling.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1, Mx. Goopxatcr—"* Your sister Clarisse is a remarkably fine 2, —she can stand on one leg and put her other leg up around her girl, Robert.” neck, like this. - And—— - Younc BrotHeR—*' You just bet she is! Why, you don't know half what Sis can do, Why—— 8, ——she can twist herself over backwards and stick her head through her legs, like this. And — 6. Crarisse (five minutes later)— ‘No, Mr. Goodicatch ; I do not ride the bicycle. ° I consider it an exceedingly vulgar form of physical exercise for young ladies. It is so undignified and unladylike, not to say indelicate and immodest—— But what is the matter with you, Mr. Goodkatch—are COPYRIGHT 1900 BY JUDGE COMPANY OF NEW YORK. you lz 5, —she can do the split, like this. Oh, you bet she's all right !" ‘Sackett & Withelms Litho & Pry Co Rew York THE YOUNGER BROTHER, AND HOW HE PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR HIS SISTER. comicbooks.com