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Judge, 1920-05-15 · page 12 of 36

Judge — May 15, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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Judge — May 15, 1920 — page 12: Judge, 1920-05-15

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# "Arches, Not of Victory, But of Defeat" This satirical essay by Oswin Lowell mocks a character named Firkins who obsessively discusses his foot problems and theories about racial foot structure. Firkins claims different races have naturally different foot postures—Ethiopians "flat-foot," Mongolians "straight-ahead," Americans "toe-in"—and theorizes that Black Americans' social troubles stem from their foot positioning rather than systemic factors. Lowell's satire exposes the absurdity of such pseudo-scientific racial theories by having Firkins apply them everywhere: he claims the "Black Crook" dancers' success came from their toe-out posture, and that past generations suffered because they adopted unnatural stances. The cartoons illustrate various foot positions and "types," accompanying Lowell's ridicule of Firkins' self-absorbed hypochondria and his attempt to explain racial differences through trivial physical traits—a transparent mockery of early 20th-century racist pseudoscience that attributed social inequality to biological rather than social causes.

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—— SS eee Sea eeEeEN"_— "—" Eeruorian Hasteninc Hose wire a Fow. in which one turns one’s toes. Racial, he says Ethiopian, wrong; while he didn’t exactly suy so 1 felt’ that Firkins believed all the trouble colored people get into—craps Jd & d % d y’) AMERICAN !vpiay on Way To AN AL Fresco Stayinc- Party NG as He Snoutn Be Arches, Not of Victory, But of Defeat By Oxsow Lowent y] IRKINS has been having trouble with his arches. A nice enough chap, Firkins. but inclined to talk perhaps a bit too much about himself, especially about anything which happens to be the matter with him the moment, and for which he bespeaks a front seat among the affairs of the universe. I suppose Firkins has really been having a pretty painful time of it; his doctor has no doubt got in on him handsomely, at a rate per front foot which would make evena real estate man brighten Crocx-H up. For this consideration hi tor has told him wholesale all about arches and ankles and shoes, and Firkins retells it at an awful loss. He says it’s all a matter of the direction There's the or flat-foot, race; the Mongolian, or straightahead GRACEFUL footers, the Malay. or web-foot race, — the sasian, or tum out, race; and — the American Indian — or toe-in. race. The last named are the real old scouts—they have it doped out just nght, he says. The blacks are all Deacer, Oto Stvie axo overmastering taste for roost ing-chickens, etc. — would have been obviated if they had toed in. In addition 1 inferred they might even have been—well, not blondes ex- actly, but at least several shades lighter in color. 1 pointed out to him that his American Indians, though in the foot-races at the human race-track, were among the tail-enders and — constantly getting more so, but he didn’t hear it. He was saying tnat he can tell absolutely by a man’s tracks on the ground to what race he belongs Under his direction I could make tracks, _ graphically Tin Froox-Warker rue Furure. “Wat Tis Way, Purase!” ANps, Wuicn doc- Have Torv-Out D1s- LY FoR YEARS, Ilave Gor to Reroxs, Like Tins Thackeray characters do it Cosmet. ise Cau CASIAN or Hurryinc x 70 Caren rit 8:19 Tur Fancy Battet-Danceas Turs proving this, all around the margin ot this article, Seton-Thompson-Seton wise, but the editor says that sort of thing is for books, not weeklies like this. Firkins says we whites got into the habit of toeing out years ago and now we're having to suffer for it. I remembered that in the old waltz “first position” showed the right foot going north and the left pointing toward the Pacific Ocean, and the idea was widespread that anything else was criminal. A tocing - in pupil would have given the dancing- master a fit. Ballet dancers toe out, he says, and half a century ago every one had to do it to be considered “genteel.” All the Dickens and You'll remember that wick docs. Also he says the “ Black Crook” ladies did it, those short- skirted damsels who made such ex- travagant and unconventional ges- tures with their nether limbs, the forerunners of whole stagefuls of girls who have for years cheered the tired, or at least restless, business man. Yes, they they kicked the silk hats off the dignified old gentle- men, turned their toes away out. These, with Dickens and Thackeray, then, starting something they didn’t wait to finish, nor to see finished, have a lot to answer for. I don’t know that Firkins would have all of Dickens and Thackeray re-written and the Degas ballet-girls repainted, (Continued on page 30) € *s . J Matay Pare Gore 10 a Mitte Mr fT op Our Bapuy Moxco- LIAN Brixeixe Home ti Coutans set SE