Judge — July 2, 1921 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Cartoon This cartoon depicts two sailors in the foreground observing a merchant ship and city skyline. The dialogue reveals a joke about naval terminology and social class. **The Joke:** The first sailor asks what a "Chief Petty Officer on a merchantman" is called. The second sailor responds "a floor-walker, I guess"—a reference to department store employees who assisted customers on sales floors. **The Satire:** This is a class-based joke comparing merchant marine officers to low-status retail workers, suggesting they lack the prestige or authority of naval officers. The humor relies on the audience understanding the hierarchy distinction between military and merchant marine ranks, and on the contemporary familiarity with "floor-walker" as a recognizable occupation. The artist, Walter De Maris, signed the work in the lower right.