Judge, 1922-04-15 · page 13 of 36
Judge — April 15, 1922 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This Henry McBride Judge cartoon satirizes early 20th-century American hypocrisy and social pretense. The main joke depicts a woman declining church attendance while still sending Christmas cards—mocking the disconnect between claimed religious devotion and actual practice. The three accompanying captions mock various social issues: prohibition-era smuggling ("fish stories" from beyond the three-mile limit where bootleggers operated), economic inequality ("Ain't it hell to be poor!"), and Depression-era poverty ("Out of the dumps by next Christmas!"). The cartoon critiques shallow materialism and performative religiosity among the middle/upper classes, suggesting people prioritize appearances (sending cards) over genuine faith or social responsibility toward the poor. The setting with a piano and fashionably dressed figures emphasizes class consciousness—mocking affluent pretense during a period of significant economic hardship.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HENRY NBN OEE ¥AG, = “Are you going to church to-morrow, my dear?” “No, but we are sending cards.” The best fish stories nowadays come The National Anthem: Ain't it hell Our new slogan should be “Out of from outside the three mile limit. to be poor! the dumps by next Christmas!”