Judge, 1908-09-12 · page 13 of 16
Judge — September 12, 1908 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **beer advertisement**, not political satire. It uses Shakespeare as a marketing hook, drawing a parallel between the playwright's literary genius and Budweiser's claimed superiority. The ad describes Shakespeare's brilliance and his habit of frequenting London's Falcon Tavern, where he and other Elizabethan literary figures (Ben Jonson, Marlowe, Raleigh) discussed important topics "over foaming tankards of beer." This establishes drinking as compatible with intellectual achievement. The right side then pivots to Budweiser, calling it "THE KING OF ALL BOTTLED BEERS" and describing it in elevated language mirroring Shakespeare's genius—"sparkles with life," "solid nutriment," "health-bringing." The implicit message: quality beer belongs alongside quality literature and accomplished people. The advertisement is clearly pre-Prohibition (Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis) and uses cultural prestige and historical association to sell a consumer product.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Shakespeare | P |ossBsse the highest type of literary genius. It is more than two FRE centuries since he ceased to write, but when shall he cease to be read? He grasped all things. He saw into the profoundest depths of human nature. Thoughts illimitable were at the point of his pen. His personages lived and moved as if they had just come from the hand of a creator. He was not a man of one idea, but part of the intense life of flesh and blood that seethed around him. lExuberant vitality of mind, body and soul was his supreme characteristic. Personally he was a handsome, well- shaped man, of a merry temperament, abounding in energy and overflowing with health. His favorite eating place in London was the celebrated Falcon tavern. Here men like Ben Johnson, Marlowe, Ford, Fletcher, Herrick, Raleigh, etc., met him daily. These literary giants of the heroic Eliza- bethan age were in the habit of discussing the burning topics of their time (which included the colonization of America) over foaming tankards of beer. “Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner; come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink dowa all uakind- Bess."—Act 1 “Scene 3—The Merry Wives of Windsor. Budweiser |S |PARKLES with life. It HE has a brilliant glow—is full of solid nutriment— snappy and inviting to the palate—the combined soul of malt and hops—the cream of the harvest fields—the health-bringing home beer. THE KING OF ALL BOTTLED BEERS Bottled Only at the ANHEUSER-BUSCH BREWERY St. Louis, Mo., U. S. A. Corked or with Crown Caps For Sale at All Hotels, Clubs and Bars comicbooks.com