Judge, 1910-11-26 · page 7 of 24
Judge — November 26, 1910 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Judge satirizes early-1900s consumer culture and installment buying. The top cartoon mocks women's self-perception—a homely woman criticizes another's appearance, the joke being we don't see ourselves as others do. The main article parodies a Chicago phonograph company's "nothing down" payment scheme by proposing absurd extensions: buy a stove but pay only for lids, a suit but only buttons first, a piano but only the stool initially. The satire targets both aggressive marketing tactics and consumer gullibility during an era of expanding credit. Secondary jokes include workplace absurdities (a cook leaving without notice) and customer exploitation (porters deliberately mislabeling luggage to Shanghai). The bottom cartoon mocks emerging automobile culture by showing a crow family using a "motor bird"—visual humor about the novelty of motorized transportation. Overall, Judge critiques modern commercialism, easy-credit culture, and the transformation of daily life by new technologies and marketing schemes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“lM THANKFUL 1'M NOT SO HOMELY AS SHE IS." How surprised we would be if we saw ourselves as others see us, Advertising Possibilities. By WILLIAM J. BURTSCHER. CHICAGO firm announces, ** Nothing down on phonographs. Pay only for records and begin to pay for the machine a month later.’ This wonderful discovery offers the following possibilities in the ad- vertising field: Get married and buy a stove. Pay only for the lids, and don’t worry about the stove until after the honeymoon. Need anew suit? Getone of ours before they are out of date. Pay only for the buttons, and make your first payment on the suit when it begins to wear on the seat and elbows. Don't walk. Ride in an automobile. Pay only for the horn, and don’t pay a dollar on the machine until after it needs repairing. Better get that piano now. Pay only for the stool, and begin to think about be- ginning to pay for the piano when the neighbors show signs of dissatisfaction. THE SAME THE WORLD OVER. Sailor—""The cook has just been swept over- board, captain!" Captarx—"‘Jast like a cook, to leave without giving notice."” Buy a pair of our shoes. Pay only for the strings—the shoes when they need half- soling. Are you tired of paying rent? Don’t blame you. Buy a house and lot. Pay only for the door-mat, and begin payments on the home when you get ready. ‘Throw your pen and ink away and buy a typewriter. Pay only for the ribbon—begin payments on the machine when the sten- ographer gets married. But Now Out of Sight. 66P)ID YOU see anyt of Jones to-da; him a while ago with my auto. “Yes; I ran acros: The Truth for Once. Maid—‘How did papa act when you asked for my hand 2” Man—*‘He acted as if he were scared to death."’ Followed Instructions. Gunner—*You can’t get the best of those railway por- ters who bang your things about. I labeled my trunks ‘China,’ and thought they would handle them with un- usual care."’ Guyer—“And did they?” Gunner—‘No; but blamed if they didn’t ship ‘em all the way to Shanghai, and I haven't seen ‘em since.’” Anout the only kind of a mark some people ever make in this world is an easy mark. The Raven's Refrain. OE IS in the Hall of Fame. Opens wide the door! And the Raven, since he came, Hollers, “Evermore!” “Tears, Idle Tears.’’ 66\7OU CRUEL man, my tears have no effect on you at all!” “Well, drop them, dear.”” “OH LOOK. MOTHER! MR. CROW IS TAKING HIS FAMILY FOR AN OUTING WITH HIS NEW MOTOR BIRD.” comicbooks.com