Judge — April 8, 1922 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Blue Kitten" - Judge Magazine Comic This is a comedy sketch from *Judge*, the American satirical magazine, likely from the 1920s based on the art style and references to "dancing" as morally controversial—reflecting Jazz Age debates about modern entertainment. The comic presents interconnected domestic humor scenarios: Uncle Cawthorn teases young Noosey about swallowing gum; a husband complains about his wife flirting in another man's lap; and most prominently, a wife frustrated with her indecisive husband who mocks her dancing. The husband's closing complaint—that she literally stepped on his feet while dancing—delivers the punchline through physical comedy. The satire targets 1920s social anxieties: changing gender roles, modern leisure activities like dancing (condemned by conservative moralists), and marital dynamics where wives increasingly demanded independence and pleasure. The "blue kitten" title likely refers to the romantic/flirtation subplot. The various male characters (conductor, soldiers, servants) populate a world where social hierarchies are disrupted by modern behavior.