Judge — December 29, 1923 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a flirtation cartoon from Judge magazine, page 24. Two well-dressed figures stand beneath an umbrella near parked automobiles. The man compliments the woman's "sport body," and she responds by asking if he likes her "tan color." The joke plays on double meaning: "tan" refers both to her skin tone and to the tan-colored automobile visible behind them. The woman deflects the man's forward compliment by redirecting his attention to her car rather than her appearance—a clever riposte that was risqué for the era. The cartoon satirizes modern courtship rituals and the growing prominence of automobiles in American social life during the 1920s-30s. The elegant clothing and cars suggest upper-class leisure culture.