Judge — November 28, 1908 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Going to the Devil" - Judge Magazine, November 28, 1908 This satirical image depicts a nighttime theater district (likely Broadway), with illuminated marquees advertising "The Devil" as a popular entertainment attraction. Crowds gather outside theaters showing what appears to be a play or film titled "The Devil." The caption's joke—"I seem to be quite popular!"—is a personified Devil commenting on the theatrical success of devil-themed entertainment. The satire critiques either: 1. The public's fascination with sensational, morally questionable entertainment, or 2. Contemporary religious anxieties about commercial theater promoting vice and immorality. The crowded, glittering theater district suggests Americans are literally "going to the devil" by patronizing such shows—a common Progressive-era concern about urban entertainment and moral decline.