Judge — November 23, 1918 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Superfluous Male in a World of Women" This satirical comic by Merle Johnson depicts a man repeatedly displaced and overwhelmed by women in various settings. The six panels show: 1. A man ousted from positions of authority by women in formal dress 2. A man surrounded by aggressive women in domestic/social spaces 3. A man flustered while women control the household 4. Women taking over traditionally male roles and spaces 5. A man at a desk being ignored by female workers 6. A chaotic scene where women dominate militaristically The satire comments on early 20th-century anxieties about women's expanding social and economic roles—likely referencing suffrage movements and women entering the workforce. The title and visual humor suggest contemporary male fears that female empowerment rendered men "superfluous." The exaggerated, comedic tone indicates Judge magazine's skeptical, satirical view of these social changes.