Judge, 1924-02-09 · page 6 of 36
Judge — February 9, 1924 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page from *Judge* satirizes radio broadcasting's early chaos. The main cartoon depicts a crowded radio station where multiple people broadcast simultaneously—creating the cacophony the text describes. The satire targets the unregulated nature of 1920s radio: Paul Revere's famous midnight ride is invoked ironically, as broadcasters create pandemonium rather than clarity. The "Young Woman (who wishes to buy some walnuts)" caption suggests radio's commercial confusion—advertisements mixed with programming, nobody knowing what station or message they're receiving. The text mocks British radio listeners for their orderly conduct versus American chaos. The joke: American broadcasting lacks coordination, with overlapping stations and unclear announcements making the medium useless. This reflects pre-FCC radio's actual regulatory vacuum before 1927.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IF IT HAPPENED TO-DAY AUL DASHED into the newspaper office. he British!’ he gasped, “T must give warning!” ing’s upstairs, Mr. Revere,” editor. They hurried to the broadcasting-room. “She's all ready, but we aren't entitled to the air a editor. your stuff. As soon as his breathing was nor- mal, Paul started broadcasting his warning, and in every Middlesex village and farm the radio bugs heard: “—or you can't see mamma at-tawl!— “LISTEN, EV- ERYBODY, THIS Is PAU—” “Station BVD, Los Angel Our first number this evening is the Los Angeles Blues, by the Los Angeles Harmony Se Los An—” “W-a-a-0-0. a-a-a-a-k! — Werr-a-a- o-0-W! ‘—and then the little bunny rabbit wiggled his wriggly little ears, sniffed with his funny little nose and—" “THIS IS PAUL REVERE! THE—” “making a total of four hundred nine- teen thousand, — six hundred and _ fifty- three and a f action acres planted in sum- mer squash this year, four hundred and twenty-one—" “Absolutely, Mis- allagher! Pos-i-ti —with that comical cuss, Tickle Tucker, at the piano. The piano is a i g, furnished through—” THE AIR CLEAR A MIN- THIS IS PAU. “proving conclusively, my friends, that if there is to be any change in the present tariff on asparagus, the revisions I have outlined should—” ““—with occasional showers west of the sippi and moderate to light to south to southeast winds probably to-morrow, and possibly —" “FIRE! MURDER! EVERYBODY KEEP QUIET FOR ONE MINUTE—” and that is why I feel that in coming re you to-night and outlining my pur- poses and principles; by explaining to you frankly just why I am a candidate for—but, before I go further, I am re- minded of the story of Pat and Mike, two Frarhadale {equ Young Woman (who wishes to buy some walnuts)—Pardon me, but who waits on the nuts? Trishmen, who—” “—we have no ba—” —your turn to cry over m-e-e-e-e!" “—an gentlemen: Our next number for this Los Angeles program, broadcast by the Flubdub Motor Company, Los Ang at Sixth and—” “LISTEN, EVERYBODY! THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH!” “—now, just one thing more before I 4 close. But, before I take up that issue.” “PAUL REVERE SPEAKID MUsST—”" ¢ have an-nold fashion’ to-mahto- An’ we have—" “W-a-a-a-o-0-w! Wh-e-e-c-e- a-a-a-awh!” “—so the great. big, brown, fuzzy- zzy bear dropped little ‘Tommy and BRITISH ARE -Down by. the-e-e-« y-0-0-ld_ mill whose shoulders the very ex- upon istence of our na rests, Tam sure posolutely, Mis ter Gallaghe sotively, Mi but we have no bah-nan—” “—dese are some of de reasons we must put stop to de for- eigner who come t. dees cawntree every SHUT UP JUST ON MINUTE! THE BRITISH ARE—" that old a-ng uv mi-i-i-i-r Our final and number this evening will “THE BRITISH! S BRITISH! THEY ARE—” “Building permits in Pittsburgh for the first two weeks in 1924—"" Paul whirled and ran toward the door. “Wait a minute,” shouted the editor. & you given the concluding arm? “T'm going to get my __ horse,” Paul. “The air’s too full.” “Let me try,” suggested the broad- casting editor. “Ladie-e-e-es_ an’ gentulmen!” heshout- ed, “at ten o'clock to-morrow morning four thousand cases of pure Scotch, real said imported stuff, will be given away in front of—one moment, please, and I will broadcast the address—” He turned to Paul. “Go ahead,” he said. “There isn’t a sound and the whole country’s listen- ing.” Cuet Jounson. muc the H an don’ thin; sy bar cloth ean’ comicbooks.com