Judge — May 6, 1905 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This six-panel comic strip features "Newsy Nat," a gossipy character in a top hat who visits a doctor. The satire mocks both sensationalist journalism and medical quackery of the era. Nat attempts to trade gossip and scandal for medical services, claiming his "news" is valuable currency. The doctor repeatedly refuses, ultimately threatening to throw him out. The joke targets: 1. **Yellow journalism**: Nat treats rumors and social gossip as legitimate "news" 2. **Medical charlatans**: The doctor's exasperation suggests doctors were sometimes compensated with favors rather than fees 3. **Social climbing through scandal**: Nat's assumption that salacious stories have real worth The humor relies on the doctor's professional indignation at being offered gossip instead of payment—a recognizable type in Gilded Age America.