Judge — January 5, 1924 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine, January 5, 1924 This is a satirical advertisement for automobiles, using a stylized feminine face with exaggerated features—large eyes with heavy lashes, wavy blonde hair, and bold lips. The caption "DIM THOSE LIGHTS!" is the joke's core. The satire plays on the then-common complaint about automobiles' increasingly bright headlights, which dazzled oncoming drivers. Rather than directly criticizing car manufacturers or drivers, Judge uses visual humor: the feminine face represents how blinded drivers appear—with wide, shocked eyes confronted by automobile headlights. This reflects 1920s anxieties about automobile safety and the technology's rapid adoption. The "Automobile Number" issue suggests Judge was examining the car industry's social impact, using this cover to mock the headlight problem through absurdist imagery.