Judge — November 16, 1912 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Man Who Doesn't Read Advertising" This is a satirical talk by Gilman Ostrander promoting advertising's cultural value. The piece argues that reading advertisements is essential to modern progress and staying informed about consumer innovations (vacuum cleaners, thermoses, etc.). The small cartoon shows a primitive "cave man" figure, illustrating the article's central conceit: those who ignore advertising are intellectually backward, "dead" to modern civilization. The satire is tongue-in-cheek—Ostrander makes exaggerated claims that advertising is "a living force" and essential to quality living, gently mocking both advertising's self-importance and consumers' susceptibility to its messaging. This reflects early 20th-century optimism about consumer culture and technological progress as markers of civilization itself.