Judge — April 1, 1916 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Passing the Century Theatre, New York This cartoon by Robeart Ball depicts a street scene outside New York's Century Theatre. Two men in period dress observe the building, with one (Edith) asking the other (Nathaniel) about the Russian ballet. Nathaniel's response—"To tell you the truth, I never read the war news"—is the satirical point. The joke targets selective ignorance about serious current events. By claiming he doesn't follow war news, Nathaniel implies he focuses only on entertainment and cultural events like the Russian ballet. This satirizes Americans who prioritize theatrical amusements over awareness of significant historical developments, likely referencing World War I-era tensions and international conflicts that contemporary readers would have followed through newspapers.