Judge — January 3, 1925 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from *Judge* magazine features theatrical advertisements and a brief comic sketch. The top showcases Fred Allen in "Greenwich Village Follies" alongside a Dodge automobile advertisement. Below are scenes from two Broadway productions: "They Knew What They Wanted" (starring Glenn Anders and Pauline Lord) and "The Music Box" (with Clarke & McCullough). The main joke concerns three men debating world reform. When asked what they're arguing about, one reveals his argument is merely about a college class pin—specifically that he graduated from Colgate. The humor lies in the deflation of their grandiose claims about "reforming the world" when their actual dispute is petty college rivalry or pride. This satirizes inflated idealism and pretension, likely reflecting post-WWI American social commentary about ambitious rhetoric masking trivial concerns. The Colgate reference suggests collegiate culture was relevant to *Judge*'s readership.