Judge, 1925-04-04 · page 15 of 36
Judge — April 4, 1925 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks the contrast between religious propriety on Sundays and the actual content of Sunday newspapers. A father is asked to read "the funnies" to his child, but he jokingly offers "the English translation" instead—suggesting the comics are incomprehensible or ridiculous. The humor targets: 1. **Sunday newspaper excess**: Herold critiques how Sunday papers are bloated with multiple sections (real estate, sports with "battleships aground," swimming champions, etc.), making them unwieldy and impractical. 2. **Hypocrisy**: The title "Lord's Day Literature" is ironic—Sunday is supposedly sacred, yet papers are filled with frivolous, immoral content. When Mrs. Herold objects to something being "immoral," the father replies "Everything is immoral," suggesting the papers themselves are morally questionable. 3. **Consumerism disguised as news**: The "want sections" (classifieds) exemplify newspapers as vehicles for commercial desire rather than enlightenment. The accompanying poem "The Lay of a Languid Lover" offers romantic sentimentality, creating comic contrast with the satirical prose.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
—Uid tt it [' you were mine, dear heart, you would not roll about in wealth For Thave nothing much to offer vou except my health, could except bys But Twouk Teouldi’t buy vou orchids, dear, nor yet a simple re Id not buy the powder that be dims your lovely mu fconldit. th buy silke Bat would do the very best Eeould to love you. “Daddy, read me the funnies.” “Well, Pil gire you the English translation.” Ecould not buy you thin LORD’S DAY LITERATURE fl eee epee "i With tie Sond CoRpacldonie hy Don Herold ADDY, sevt linger be so deep ho back to sour spine me the funny at dulia Hoyt aid Nessa i i oiild athe very beat Gould MeMein are he Winter must be ry section of the about over, thank heaven. There to love you, George Mitchell paper is finny. Which no pictures of anybody ont you mean—the real estate bathing in iee water, Th was at a a ee er t Lever teach you to winter of terrible suffering people with nothing to wear but ection where bathing suits and no shelter but | they hit each other with planks.” sleds and skis.” t Well, w rountil T look at lady) swimming. cham- (Continues pions, seven more sculptors, and eleven more battleships aground, in tl ravure tion. TD have got ta fave my Sunday morning chorus girls.” “Don, don't be immoral,” cons tributes Mrs. Herold. “Everything is immoral.” “Well, don’t make it immoraller.” “Why not?” “Hurry up, daddy, and read- me the finnies.” to get up and dress buy a Sunday: pape nine times for a newsboy on the way home, You can't be seen with a yomore without Sunday paper shody thinking arrying yer route, Why do they have so many want sections? Who wants anything? Don’t hurry me! “Hurry up, daddy!” “AML right! What do you want first—the adventures of Frank and desse 4 “Is Paul Whiteman in this week with his baby? Wure—Oh, Pm so sleepy—is everything shut up for the night? asks Mra: Herold, Henny — That depends on you—ererything else ix, comicbooks.com