Judge, 1920-11-27 · page 7 of 32
Judge — November 27, 1920 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This *Judge* magazine page contains two satirical pieces mocking turn-of-the-century American social pretensions. **The main cartoon** depicts a couple receiving a formal dinner invitation with "R.S.V.P." (the French phrase for responding to invitations). The joke satirizes their anxiety: they recognize the invitation is prestigious—mentioning "Roast Stuffed Vermont Poultry"—but admit they overeat at fancy dinners and feel uncomfortable afterward. The satire targets the hypocrisy of the upwardly mobile class: they desperately want to appear refined and attend fashionable events, yet dread the actual experience. **"Item: re Genealogy"** is a brief joke where a mosquito claims distinguished ancestry—"the best blood of the country"—a pun on literal bloodsucking. It mocks how insects (and by extension, nouveaux riches Americans) claim social standing. Both pieces target the anxiety and pretension of social climbers trying to navigate elite etiquette while remaining fundamentally uncomfortable with their aspirations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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