Judge — August 3, 1901 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two satirical comics exploiting racist stereotypes common to early 20th-century American humor. **Top cartoon ("They Were Naturally Blue"):** Two Black women discuss a third woman's claim to "blue blood" (aristocratic ancestry). The joke relies on a pun: one character suggests the woman's family legitimately has blue blood because they've worked in laundry washing clothes with "washing blue" (a commercial laundry product) for generations. The satire mocks both pretensions to gentility and stereotypes Black people as domestic servants. **Bottom cartoon ("A Bad Break"):** Two men discuss a mishap involving someone named Frayed Perkins, who changed out of red winter flannels in a field where a bull was present. The bull apparently attacked him (likely assuming the red cloth was a threat), resulting in torn clothing. The joke plays on the phrase "a bad break" and rustic foolishness. Both comics exemplify Judge's reliance on racial caricature and slapstick humor typical of the era.