Judge, 1916-05-13 · page 7 of 28
Judge — May 13, 1916 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical story about Clarissa, a spoiled sixteen-year-old obsessed with finding an exceptionally tall man. Her indulgent parents—described as her "abject slaves"—consult specialists and even attempt to organize an "army of six-footers" to satisfy her demands. The satire mocks wealthy, pampered young women of the era whose unrealistic standards were enabled by doting parents. It ridicules both parental indulgence and the pseudo-scientific "specialists" who claimed to solve such problems with plausible-sounding arguments. The punchline: after years of rejecting every suitor, Clarissa eventually becomes disgusted by the very trait she demanded, rejecting "elephantine proportions." The cartoon illustrates society's satirical view of frivolous upper-class women and the absurdity of their entitled expectations.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE age of sixteen Clarissa was ob- sessed by one idea: She admired large Her ideal was the tall and brawny, and no other could ever possibly ap- peal to Clar- issa. Ifasmall man, were he as handsome as Apollo, or wise as Solo- mon, cast a glance at Clarissa, she actually turned up her small nos Clarissa was rich and from infancy had done as she pleased, including turning up her nose. Clarissa had two abject slaves: her father and her mother. There were matutinal and midnight conferences as to the supplying of Clarissa’s demand for a large—when Clarissa wa: arm she used the word powerlul—man! The mother declared it was a psychological thing; the father that it was physiological, and both manner of specialists were consulted. Specialists who are well known to cover the ground with some plausible argument failed, in the case of Clarissa, to prove satis- A! men. physically SIGNS OF SPRING peers pewoaun nse CLARISSA’ S IDEAL BY G. VERE TYLER fying. And all the while Clarissa’s demand became more urgent. “Let us,” cried her father in dismay, “like Frederick the Great, gather together for Clarissa an army of six-footers!”” “Not war!” cried mother of Clarissa. ” and Clarissa’s father showed plainly his con- tempt for feminine obtuseness. “that our daughter may be served with the opportunity to choos And for Clari under six feet was invited. But not one suited Clarissa, Either he had smallish hands, or smallish feet, or a smallish head, or a smallish w a small Year after year Cla was served with her oppor- tunity to choose. Year after the “T take off my hat to our rooster. until they put his statue up on the sa was not suited. Sodisappoint- ing had been her own endeavors and those of her parents in her behalf, and so many large—some even gross, for in desperation class had finally been to an extent ignored -men had failed to inspire the admiration of Clarissa, that she herself began first to weary, and finally revolt at elephantine proportions. IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE He's crowed about himselt comicbooks.com