Judge — January 14, 1922 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a photograph of "Little Marjorie Whittington" posed with a pogo stick, dressed in 1920s attire including a sweater and knee-high socks. The accompanying text is satirical social commentary about the pogo stick craze. The joke targets middle-class respectability: the text suggests that failure to "pogo to business" on crisp mornings marks one as not only middle-class but "decidedly middle-aged"—a humorous reversal implying that pogo-sticking is fashionable and youthful. The reference to the "Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic" (a famous Broadway revue) adds theatrical glamour. The satire mocks both the faddish adoption of pogo sticks by those seeking trendiness and the anxiety about appearing outdated. Judge is poking fun at how quickly new crazes become status markers.