Judge — August 20, 1921 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Cartoon (August 20, 1921) This cartoon by Walter de Maris depicts a domestic dispute about clothing. A thin, disapproving man confronts his wife, showing her what appear to be revealing or scandalous garments. The caption reads: "Distinguished Reformer—(giving his wife an object lesson)—THERE NOW! YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF JUST HOW YOU LOOK IN THESE DISGUSTING GOWNS!" The satire targets a hypocritical "reformer"—likely referencing early 1920s moral crusaders who publicly condemned women's fashion (shorter skirts, looser silhouettes) as immoral while enforcing such standards within their own homes. The cartoon mocks this contradiction: he condemns such clothing as "disgusting" yet compels his wife to wear them as an insulting "object lesson." The humor lies in exposing the reformer's sanctimonious judgment and domestic tyranny.