Judge — September 25, 1915 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a rotund woman with a striped umbrella being pursued by a small, overheated man in a park. The humor relies on body-shaming: the joke is that the woman's substantial size provides enough shade that the desperate man follows her for relief from the heat, rather than seeking shade from trees or structures visible in the background. The satire targets both figures—the woman's vanity (implied by her indignation at being followed) and the man's desperation. It's a period piece reflecting early-to-mid 20th century attitudes, when such jokes about women's weight were considered acceptable magazine humor. The title "His Piteous Appeal" undercuts the man's dignity, emphasizing the absurdity of his situation and the casual cruelty of the joke itself.