Judge — November 30, 1901 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

These two cartoons use Irish-American immigrant characters (identified by their dialect and names like O'Hearn, Kelly, and Riley) as vehicles for humor. **"A Lack of Forethought"** satirizes Irish-American working-class violence. Two Irishmen regret beating an Englishman because his bruises are turning green—making the injuries patriotically symbolic of Ireland, thus accidentally honoring rather than insulting their English victim. The joke mocks both Irish pugnacity and their contradictory feelings about nationality. **"Close Calculation"** depicts two poor Irish characters haggling over sharing an apple, with one warning the other must eat from the side where he's missing teeth. It's a crude joke about poverty and dental neglect among Irish immigrants. Both reflect how Judge's middle-class audience viewed Irish immigrants: as violent, poor, dialect-speaking "others," using exaggerated caricature and broken English for comedic effect. This was standard ethnic humor of the early 20th century.