Judge, 1919-02-15 · page 23 of 32
Judge — February 15, 1919 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Broadway theater life, centered on performer Joseph Santley dancing with four women. The humor relies on theatrical in-jokes and social commentary typical of Judge's era: **The satire targets:** - **Gender dynamics**: "The Mechanic's Warning" mocks misogyny through exaggeration—a man warns against women while invoking Adam's rib, suggesting women are inherently troublesome. - **Vaudeville excess**: Multiple romantic entanglements and the famous line "Yes, once I missed you in Buffalo by twenty minutes" mock theatrical performers' casual, serial relationships. - **Prohibition-era concerns**: "Broadway Willie" jokes about what to do with oranges when alcohol prohibition begins—oranges were famously used to make illegal alcohol. The scattered dialogue creates a chaotic Broadway scene reflecting the moral anxieties of 1920s America: women's increasing social visibility, theatrical culture's perceived immorality, and Prohibition's impending impact. Judge presents these as absurd through exaggerated drawings and deadpan captions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Oh, My D eat! The central figute (you may have noticed the others of your own accord) is Joseph Santley. Four busy lines at once keep him dancing. This picture is entitled “The Mechanic's Warn- ing” He is a ’plane man and mutters, with a wrench: “Steer clear of women. It’s a pity Adam didn’t die with all his ribs intact.” They're dancing the chorus to “Did you miss me, dear?” something or other and we don’t “Yes, once I missed you in Buffalo like to interrupt them to ask by twenty minutes.” what it is. Broapway Wituie: What wil we do with oranges when pro- hibition begins? “Your folks must have loved children to let you grow up. But I suppose when they found you were really human, nothing else mattered.” comicbooks.com