Judge — December 25, 1920 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Cartoon This black-and-white illustration by Walter De Maris depicts an elegant evening social gathering. The caption reads: "The Lady—Adelaide looks pretty tonight. Clothes do make a difference. / The Gentleman—Yes, but such a slight difference." The joke is a classic sexist quip: the gentleman is implying that Adelaide's appearance depends primarily on her clothing rather than her actual beauty, and that removing those clothes would reveal minimal difference. It's a backhanded compliment playing on the notion that women's worth is superficial and fashion-dependent. The setting—an ornate interior with well-dressed attendees—positions this as commentary on upper-class social interactions and the shallow nature of compliments exchanged in such circles. The satire targets both the gentleman's rudeness and perhaps broader social pretensions of the era.