Judge — May 21, 1921 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Judge" Magazine, May 21, 1921 **The Cartoon:** Walter De Maris illustrates a scene showing figures in what appears to be a dark interior space. The dialogue reads: "Are you a real bandit?" / "Sure. Now be quiet!" / "Oh, I'm so glad. I was afraid you were just a common burglar!" **The Satire:** This is a class-based joke playing on 1920s social distinctions. The speaker expresses relief that their robber is a "bandit" (perhaps suggesting someone with romantic or political credentials—possibly referencing Robin Hood-style outlaws or revolutionary figures popular in post-WWI discourse) rather than a mere "common burglar" (ordinary criminal). The humor satirizes how even victims could be snobbish about the *type* of criminal victimizing them, reflecting period anxieties about class status and crime during Prohibition-era America.