Judge, 1918-04-20 · page 11 of 36
Judge — April 20, 1918 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces of satire: **Top narrative & cartoons:** A romantic comedy about a man proposing to a woman, only to discover she's already engaged (evidenced by her diamond ring). The joke hinges on his obliviousness and her deliberately ambiguous response ("Yes... but on the other hand"). The humor satirizes male presumption in courtship and female duplicity. **"The Freak" poem (by Jane Burr):** This satirizes early 1950s fashion and gender standards. The "freak" is a woman who dresses practically and modestly—with a neat skirt, uncurled hair, and natural complexion—rather than conforming to contemporary glamorous styling. The poem's tone suggests society views natural, functional femininity as aberrant, mocking both the woman's practicality and the era's beauty obsession. **"In Hock" joke:** A brief quip about poverty: a man can't afford to wear jewelry and a dress suit simultaneously, implying financial desperation. The page satirizes courtship pretense, gendered beauty standards, and economic inequality.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Somehow, he found himself on his knees, whispering earnest words of love as he gripped her gentle hand with his two perspiring ones. He did not know what he said, for he was excited to the point of mania and as feverish as a man with a blood-pressure of 300. But she got it, every word, and hungered for more. As he halted for breath, pop- eyed, she closed the gap with a remark that seemed unnecessary, at least it was ambiguous, puzzling. “Yes .. . but on the other hand——” she said. What did she mean? He debated the words wonderingly. Then, as their intended meaning filtered feebly through his head, he experi- enced a dank, clammy suspicion that somebody was making a bum out of him. “On the other—.” Rudely he caught up her other hand, the left one, and glared at it menacingly. On the third finger a two-cylinder diamond gleamed mockingly, reflecting the amazement in his eyes. He climbed to his feet stiffly. Her hands dropped noiselessly to her sides. “So you are . . . engaged?” he questioned inanely. Demurely she looked down the sides of her nose. “ You’re talking heavy,” she conceded. “Yes . . . he is a super-yeoman in the Navy —formerly a ball-player. But, forgive me,” she pleaded. She heard the squeak of his shoes as he went down the hall, then the creak from his hat as he pulled it down over his ears. The door slammed resoundingly, and the concussion from it threw her, kicking, into a corner. In 1950 “What is this queer spiral instrument? I'll bet prehistoric women used that for curling their hair. “No, that is a corkscrew, explained an old savant. Drawn by R.B. Foren Nicutmare or a Motorsoat Fiexp Arter Reapixc or THe Movement to Raise Wares ror Foon 1 Draten by Antu’ . Merrick alte Tue Dream or tue Crty Back-Yarpo Faruer The Freak By Jaxe: Burr Her skirt, full wide, unslit and neat; Her hat pushed back so she can see. Her coat, no bulgy sack of meal, Reveals the outline of her shape; Her frank expression makes you feel She’s more of woman—less of ape. he shape of human feet; ine where a waist should be; Her own brown hair—uncurled and loose, The rouge of fresh air on her cheek; As graceful as a sweet excuse— In Hock Hokus—Harduppe says it isn’t good form to wear jewelry with a dress suit. Pokus—Well, Harduppe never has his jewelry and his dress suit at the same time. She walks among the crowd—a freak. comicbooks.com