Judge, 1924-05-10 · page 11 of 36
Judge — May 10, 1924 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Age of Radio" — A 1920s Satire on Technology and Parenting This play-format cartoon satirizes the early radio era's grip on American households. The setup is simple: a New England farmer ("Paw") tries to send his 12-year-old son ("Silas") to bed, but radio broadcasts keep the boy awake. As bedtime passes (8 p.m., then 9, 10, 11 p.m.), Silas uses each time zone's broadcasting—New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles—to delay bedtime further, always claiming another station is airing bedtime stories. The joke targets parental authority undermined by modern technology. The radio becomes an endless excuse; the boy exploits geographic expansion of broadcasts to extend his listening indefinitely. When Paw finally insists, the radio "whirs" off mid-tune—suggesting technology's pervasive, almost sentient intrusion into domestic life. The satire reflects 1920s anxiety: rapid technological change was disrupting traditional family structures and parental control.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Tue Acer or Rapio A Farce of Modern Times and Devices. ScENE Any New England farm of the New Fra Time 8 pat. Eastern Standard Time, or Youth's Bedtime Caspr or CHaracrers Paw, Any good farmer-father, Silas (age twelve), Any good chip-off-the-old-block, Radio, Any good neutrodyne. Scene opens S ea. Eastern Standard Time. Paw—Time fur bed, son. Silas— New York is broadcasting bedtime stories now, Paw, lemme listen. Paw Wal, alright. Scene continues 9 eM. Eastern Standard Time Paw—Ain't them stories pretty nigh done, Silas? Tt's a-gettin’ late. Silas—Oh, Paw, Chi "5 broadcasting bedtime stories now, lemme listen. Scene continues 10 eM. Eastern Standard Time Paw—Silas! Do yew know what time it’s a-gettin’ the? Silas: iw't awful late, Pa Bei s Denver is NIGHTS, TOO! roadeasting bedtime stories now, lemme listen. ‘ Paw—Wal, don't be long about it. ZSAIDIHE WEL: REO WN NET: MRE NOR AT'S “RAINING TRE FIRST DAY FROM SHOAH~ IF IT RAINS BEFORE SEvEN Paw—See here, Silas, yew come right up tbed this * “TWILL CLEAR BEFORE ‘LEVEN !° minute! BuT Tey Say IT RAINED ThirTy NINE MOAN! Silas—Aw, Paw, Los Angeles is broadcasting bedtime 4 stories now, lemme listen, wontcha? DRE” MAUL Army Fag Scene continues 11 vo. Eastern Standard Time { Paw—Yew listen me, young man, and climb right up here Ubed. Fust thing T know yew'll be wantin’ Ulisten URussian bedtime stories when its time the gettin’ out Wuat Do You THxk? tchores. Drat that goldum radio! Radio (In process of being tuned out for night)— Whe- Wwies you say, “What a beau- e-e-c-0-, Whir-r- r. Whis-s-s: s. Whe-e-c-¢-¢-0! tiful shade, but oh! CURTAIN Don't you fear that this stuf’ will Joux Howarp Pierce, shrink?” Will the clerk: reply, “Quite so! Quite so!” Now frankly, what do you think? When you ask, “Are the eggs quite fresh that you sell? If they're not, please tip me the wink.” Will the grocer say, “Madam, they're old as—" well, Now frankly, what do you think? When you ask for a proof of his love, to see What he'll do, he may stammer and blink, But if he’s a man his reply will be— “My boy, at your age T was up at in the morning with the lark.” Now frankly, what do you think? “We fellows don’t care to keep a lark going that long.” H...J. D: ~comicbooks.com