Judge — November 8, 1913 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Satire Explanation This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes the relationship between theatrical fashion and economic prosperity. The caption "Skirts as a Barometer of Theatrical Prosperity" presents a visual argument: as you move down the three theatrical scenes, the dancers' skirts become progressively shorter and more revealing. The joke appears to be that shorter skirts correlate with theatrical success—the fuller, more populated audiences in lower panels suggest that revealing costumes drive attendance and profits. This reflects early 20th-century attitudes about theatrical entertainment, where more provocative costuming was associated with popularity and financial gain. The satire mocks both theater producers' willingness to rely on sexuality for profits and audiences' predictable appetite for such spectacle, presenting this as an actual economic indicator of the industry's health.