Judge, 1923-11-24 · page 7 of 36
Judge — November 24, 1923 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis for Modern Readers This page contains three satirical pieces from Judge magazine: **Top cartoon**: A joke about a showgirl's talent—the humor relies on a double meaning of "bad," suggesting the girl was morally loose rather than professionally incompetent for vaudeville (stage entertainment). **"Thanksgiving Day the Second"**: Satirizes the American tradition of mother-in-law jokes by proposing an absurdist holiday celebrating mothers-in-law instead. The piece mocks how pervasive and formulaic these jokes were in popular humor, suggesting that jokesmiths would celebrate the holiday with elaborate ceremonies while sons-in-law flee. This reflects early 20th-century comedy's obsession with ridiculing in-law relationships. **"How to Catch Big Fish"**: A humorous advice column that's actually satirizing excessive drinking. The "method" involves getting progressively drunk until the fisherman hallucinates (seeing snakes and crocodiles), then seeking psychiatric care. It's social commentary disguised as fishing humor, mocking alcohol consumption. All three pieces use exaggeration and absurdist logic typical of Judge's satirical style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Drawn by GILBERT WILKINSON “I never considered George's girl good enough for vaudeville.” “Probably she was just bad enough.” Thanksgiving Day the Second By C.B.E. CCORDING to the newspapers, the £% going to be a Mother-in-Law On this day, in honor of all mothers- law, every jokesmith will wear in_ his buttonhole a white rose. This will be a good day for mothers-in- law to descend on their married progeny. To welcome mothers-in-law properly, sons-in-law shall have their places taken by grateful jokesmiths. There shall be a grand mother-in-law banquet given in Madison Square Garden. Humorous poets shall wait on the table. ‘They shall sing as they serve: spot in my heart that no colleen ‘and keep you—mother (-in-law) Machree!” Also they will sing: “Catty, Catty—you’ mother to me The day shall close with a torchlight parade, mothers-in-law marching with arms akimbo, grateful jokesmiths running before them, strewing their path with roses. been more than a s the Vice-president. any patron- age? “T believe he is allowed to appoint his own secretary.” wot When a plasterer gets over a hundred dollars a week, he's getting just. about enough to get plastered. tae Old Kris, he no snob! If you is black, he fill yo" sock, Po’ whites, jes’ the same But he sho’ do run outer stock, Jes’ fo" he git to me! Two up and one to go. How to Catch Big Fish by Cyril B. Egan HERE is a whole lot of advice given on how to catch fish. But real sportsmen don't want to know how to eatch any old fish: they want to know how to catch big fish. Let us tell you the easiest way to catch hig fish. to a minnow pond, ke a drink. Take another drink. Repeat doses until system is thoroughly soaked with liquor, until even your eyes are enveloped in thick alcoholic film. Bait hook; cast line. Thick alcoholic film will act as magnify- Pull up st ling to taste, or number of drinks taken. Take some more drink. Catch large green water snakes. Drink some more; catch crocodiles. When fish) start blowing fire from nostrils and horrendously hissing at you stop drinking. Go home, and call up a good psycho- pathic ward. ing lens on eye whale, ac