Judge, 1925-04-04 · page 24 of 36
Judge — April 4, 1925 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge magazine page contains two distinct pieces of satire: **Left side:** A Mollé shaving cream advertisement (not satire—a commercial product ad). **Right side:** Two satirical pieces: 1. **"The Queer Antics of Brown's Radio"** (by Nat N. Dorfman): A humorous story mocking early radio enthusiasts' obsession with distant stations. Brown spends hours tuning to far-away broadcasts (Hawaii, Alaska, Cuba, Brazil, Finland) rather than enjoying local quality programs. The joke's punchline—it's all an April Fool's prank—satirizes both radio hobbyists' gullibility and the nascent medium's unreliability. This reflects 1920s-era fascination with radio technology as almost magical. 2. **"Grade Crossing Tag"** (by John C. Emery): Dark humor presenting a lethal "game" where people and vehicles play tag at railroad crossings. The satire critiques railroad safety indifference of the era by describing injuries and deaths in game terminology ("unless he has kept up his insurance," "announced at the inquest"). This reflects genuine public concern about grade crossing accidents. Both pieces use absurdist exaggeration to satirize contemporary American attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Generous Trial Tube Free Name Address Mail to Pryde Wynn Co., New Brighton, Pa. tna = aot Gort’ IT: { The Queer Antics of Brown's Radio Jo Brown was the bug. He would five hours trying to ge! verage radio her spend indistinet distant station than two minutes listening to the finest program ever broadcast by a local one. He was particularly desirous of con- quering space with his little set this evening. He had Ny turned the knob when he heard the following announcement on his loudspeaker: “This is Station ABC, Hawaiian Islands!” Brown turned white. The shock was so great he moved the knob just a trifle in the ensuing excitement and was startled to hear another an- nouncer cry in a stentorian v “This is Station COD, Alaska!” Brown's frame shook like a frame house in the path of a cyclone. Another turn of the knob and he got Cuba, then Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and to cap the climax a sta- tion in Finland. It was too much for Brown. He slumped back in his chair more scared than elated. And then some announcer spoiled his whole evening for him. He said with a laugh that this was April Fool's Day! Nat N. Dorfman Nome, THE FURNACE iby 5\ OuT-ANP (Mm To LIGHT / (SA Her In The Springtime L\C Games and Pastimes Grade Crossing Tag Vapr crossing is played by one or more trains on one side and one other. of more motor cars on the The contestants should be concealed from each other by a bill- board if possible. The with a dash for the g crossing. the winner getting one point if he is in any condition to claim it. The object then is for « testant to tag his opponent without himself being tagged back. The player that suceceds in tagging the other without being tagged back wins two points. But if the opponent tags him back, the opponent wins five points. Thus, if a motorist tags a train and gets away untouched, he wins two points. But if the train comes back and knocks the motorist for a loop, the motorist gets nothing, unless he has kept up his insurance. me begins If two or more trains or motor cars should try to tag one opponent at the same time, a foul is called and the offended party gets a free shot at the other. point. The points are totaled and the winner announced at the inquest. The game is a little rough but inter- esting to watch. A hit counts one John C. Emery comicbooks.com