Judge — December 18, 1909 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

These two cartoons satirize social hypocrisy and self-interest among the upper classes. **"Full to the Brim"** shows a child (Little Willie) asking grandparents and a preacher if his standing and eating during a formal meal matters to them. The humor targets how adults lecture children about propriety while being preoccupied with food and comfort themselves—the adults are clearly "full to the brim" (stuffed) and indifferent to etiquette. **"Look Out for Number One"** depicts a woman assuring her husband she'd help if he fell, but the caption reveals her actual response: she'd simply get out of his way. This satirizes the self-preservation instinct masked by performative concern—the title's pun on "number one" (oneself) underscores how people prioritize their own welfare over others, even spouses. Both cartoons mock Victorian-era pretense about morality and devotion while exposing base self-interest beneath polite society.