Judge, 1923-06-23 · page 9 of 36
Judge — June 23, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political/Social Context for Modern Readers This page contains a **moral lecture disguised as humor**, typical of early 1920s American attitudes about women's appearance and behavior. **The Cartoon:** Shows a post office scene where young men receive postcards. The caption jokes that these "young fellers" are "forgin' ahead"—a pun suggesting they're advancing in life, though the postcards hint at romantic/potentially scandalous correspondence. **The Story "For Appearance's Sake":** A narrator complains to his Aunt Dinah about women wearing makeup, dyed hair, and cosmetics—practices he considers immoral and cheap. She defends herself, noting that until laws prohibit such "customs," she'll continue. The narrator admits his moral crusades fail; women ignore his criticism. **The Satire's Point:** Mason mocks the hypocrisy of moralists like the narrator, who self-righteously condemn women's cosmetics while failing to change behavior. The story also criticizes women smoking cigarettes and painting their faces—viewed as markers of moral decline in that era. The piece reflects 1920s anxieties about changing women's roles, sexuality, and independence following WWI and women's suffrage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
uncl littl tart- the goo ank ncial mon dis hot ‘hat nele id 922 “It’s wonderful how these young fellers air forgin’ ahead! boy’s got this week!” FOR APPEARANCE’S SAKE by Walt Mason saip to my Aunt Dinah, you alsomine your with lurid dyes from China and every other y Our modern aunts and nieces give men a you're doped with paints eases, with every dye and stain. You're plastered up with powder from chin up to your hood, and you are looking louder than any relic should. As I have often told you, a painted dame looks cheap; I blush when T behold you, and wring my hands and weep!” Aunt Dinah, who has painted her lips and nose and cheeks, re “Your spiel is tainted of dippy blue law freaks. I know it isn’t moral to make myself look fine, to make my hair, that’s sorrel, like raven plumage shine. I know it’s rather sinful to paint my facial blots; I ought to have my skin full of yellow liver spots. You'd have me shed the splendor I get from druggists’ jars, and be a witch of Endor, and scare the motor cars. Cheer up! The time is coming when women may not paint, for moralists are humming, and we'll have statutes quaint forbidding customs snappy. that make old girls look fair; then doubtless you'll be happy, and cease to paw the air. Until such statutes hit me a fierce resounding slap, you must, I fear, permit me to decorate my map.” Wrong-headed ‘people ever are ready to defend the custom or endeavor that is their daily friend. I'd rather see a granny, a cousin or a niece, look like a goatherd’s nanny than shine with paint and grease. I go around rebuking the 7 That’s the second postcard painted dames I see, and always, logic fluking, they argue things with me. They scorn my admonition, they back me to the wall, and say my head's condi- tion requires an overhaul. I go around denouncing the errors I behold, and get a verbal trouncing from some grim village scold. [ a damsel smoking a deadly cigar- ette; I spoke to her, not joking, but filled with wild regret. “Don't class me with sour fogies,” I said, in earnest tones, “but if you hit the stogies you'll never make old bones. Tobacco as a killer stacks up with Demon Rum; cut out Havana filler and stick to chewing gum. To-day you're bright and bloom- (Continued on page 32)