Judge, 1921-07-09 · page 10 of 36
Judge — July 9, 1921 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Eternal Pollyanna" - Judge Magazine Satire This page satirizes **forced optimism and artificial cheerfulness** in early 20th-century America. The main article mocks how women across all social situations—opera singers, advertisement models, society women in scandal, accident victims, even crime victims—are compelled to display identical forced smiles showing "every tooth in her head" for public photographs. The satire criticizes how women must perform artificial happiness regardless of circumstance, and how photography/publicity culture pressures them into this performative behavior. The accompanying cartoon and short plays explore related social absurdities: romantic jealousy as a marriage proposal tactic, and post-WWI labor disputes where employers demand returning to pre-war wage conditions despite workers' changed family circumstances. The overall tone suggests frustration with societal expectations of perpetual cheerfulness and the gap between internal reality and external presentation required by modern publicity and social convention.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Eternal Pollyanna By Harvey Peake A GREAT prima-donna had created, with great artistic results, a great réle in a great opera. Her picture was in de- mand for the magazines, and when she posed for it she was WEARING A FORCED SMILE THAT SHOWED EVERY TOOTH IN HER HEAD. A dustless mop had been put upon the market and it needed publicity. A pretty girl was chosen to decorate the advertise- ments. When the matter appeared in print she was shown WEARING A FORCED SMILE THAT SHOWED EVERY TOOTH IN HER HEAD. A well-known society woman had eloped with her chauffeur. At the trial she was snapped by newspaper reporters in the witness box. She saw them just in time, however, and when the pictures came to light she was WEARING A FORCED SMILE THAT SHOWED EVERY TOOTH IN HER HEAD. Awoman had accidentally fallen from the deck of an ocean liner into the sea. When she was being rescued by the sailors a mov- ing-picture apparatus on the steamer caught a picture of the happening. She must have sensed it for when the picture appeared upon the screen she was WEARING A FORCED SMILE THAT SHOWED EVERY TOOTH IN HER HEAD. A woman was passing down Broadway one day when her handbag was seized by a thief who ran away with it. She was scared into a nervous panic, but fearing a camera might be pointed at her from some quarter she was seen by the passers-by to be WEARING A FORCED SMILE THAT SHOWED EVERY TOOTH IN HER HEAD. A society of prominent women was formed for the purpose of suppressing un- due frivolity on the Sabbath day, and Draven by Banxspace Rocers Muriel—I want you To HELP ME MAKE TOM JEALOUS, AWFULLY, WILDLY JEALOUS. Jack—Ex—Let’s GrT MARRIED. Ls ie: Drawn by A. T. Mennick THE PROFESSOR TRIES HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION IN HIS GARDEN. when a photograph of them was shown in the Sunday supplements it was found that each of them was WEARING A FORCED SMILE THAT SHOWED EVERY TOOTH IN HER HEAD. A Medley By Barrett Loomis SING a song of eagles flown For a pocketful of rye. You take your cup and drink it up And lay you down to die. And when you find your eyes are out, With all your might and main You break into a barbershop And drink bayrum again. 10 _Man—and the Woman (A Dramalet of an Artist and Two Human Beings.) By Ciement Woop SCENE I. Enter the Passionate Poet. His brow knits; evidently he is thinking of his land- lord. It clears; he is thinking of his latest Eternal Triangle. It knits more poignantly; he has decided to write out the problem. He embraces his typewriter, and pounds out: LOVE’S IRONY ‘HE Girl thinks: There are only two women in the world, and I am one of them. She is the woman who has him, and I am the woman who wants him. He is not perfect. The convenient telephone rings off tage. Exit the poet. SCENE 2. Enter the Practical Wife. She sees the paper in the typewriter. She reads it. She smiles, repetitively. She pounds out: The Wife knows: There are several dozen women in the world, and I am dis- tinctly one of them. They are the women who want him, and I am the woman who will keep him. He is not perfect—Heaven knows. But practice helps. Re-enter the Passionate Poet. He reads it. The Clasp. CURTAIN Answer Him Employer—You say you can’t get back to a pre-war basis? Impossible. Employee—How can I? I’ve got three more kids now than I had then. Doyou expect me to give ’em away?