Judge, 1923-06-23 · page 25 of 36
Judge — June 23, 1923 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge magazine page satirizes upper-class women's newfound enthusiasm for boxing, a sport previously considered unsuitable for "society" ladies. **The Satire:** The article mocks how wealthy women attend prizefights primarily to be seen alongside other prominent society figures—names like "Mrs. Cartwright-Jackson" and "Miss Yvonne Clarisse Van Schuyler" are listed as attractions. The humor lies in the absurd notion that high-society women find boxing fashionable only because other society women attend. **The Cartoons:** The top illustration shows a dizzy boxer seeing his "best girl" (likely multiple visions from being punch-drunk). The bottom cartoon depicts "the society leader" settling disputes—suggesting wealthy women now view themselves as authorities on boxing disputes. **The Point:** The piece debunks the myth that women "swoon" at fights, claiming women lack actual boxing knowledge but still attend for social status. The punchline: Laura exclaims "Isn't that just too awful!" at entirely the wrong moment—proving the emptiness of her participation. This reflects 1920s anxieties about changing gender roles as women gained more public presence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
greatest sci vers the ring pastime has ever known. But there is one bromide which had better not be shelved if Laura and the » fightgoers are to remain , of course, is the list of present” that every im- portant fight story these days. A woman, if she gets a real thrill out of a boxing show at all, gets it the morning af when reads that “big fight car- nival attracts many prom- inent in society It de- lights her soul to learn that the contest she at- tended was also od enough for Mrs. D id Dusenberry, Mrs. Wesley Cartwright kson (one of the original Newport Cartwright-Jacksons), Mrs. Epworth de B. Carrington (the one the Junior I iety Canteen during the war), Miss Yvonne Clarisse Van Schuyler (the popular young sportswoman) and innumerable others. — For society has taken under its wing and soon we may expect to read in the “notables accompanies she boxing news columns: “A wedding of importance will be celebrated out of town on Saturday—that of Miss Georgiana Marlborough Osborne to Mr. Allen Rutherford Grenville, at| Petunia Villa, Smarty on-Hudson. The wed- ding, with favorable weather, will afford The society leader settles differences of opinion. 23 The dizzy Adonis sees his best girl. a pleasant day’s outing for the many guests who go from the cities, for country weddings are such charming affairs, more like big house parties where everyone knows everyone else. At the conclusion of the nuptials the bride and groom and guests will motor to Whatzistown to see Paddy O'Leary, the promising young lightweight, and Micky O'Sweeney, the fighting sailor, clash in a twelve round bout.” And Laura will have a wonderful time reading about it. Tues are many fallacies in connection with the prize ring but none is greater than the popular notion that women swoon when a couple of fighters start mauling each other. We've taken girls to fights a number of times and our experience is that, though there is an occasional gasp excited sn’t that adful!” it doesn’t: mean thing. For milady t know enough about fighting to know when to gasp. Laura, for instance, blew herself to a frenzied “Tsn’t that just too awful!” (Continued on page 26) 2 i comicbooks.com