Judge — December 20, 1902 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes wealth inequality during the Gilded Age. Miss Swetloon, an American woman, complains that rich people are "money mad." Count Norasouski, a European nobleman, responds with worldly cynicism: the poor are even *more* obsessed with money than the wealthy—they're desperate to acquire it. The joke deflates American moral superiority about wealth. Rather than endorsing Miss Swetloon's criticism, the Count suggests that desire for money is universal and perhaps more frantic among those lacking it. The ornate dinner setting, expensive objects (flowers, champagne glasses), and the woman's jewelry underscore the irony: they're discussing greed while surrounded by luxury. This reflects Judge's typical target audience: wealthy, educated readers who could appreciate sardonic commentary on their own class anxieties and pretensions.