Judge — August 1, 1925 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous comic strip about an American woman named Betty visiting Paris. The satire plays on American tourist stereotypes and cultural misunderstandings: 1. **The gendarmes (French police) in rain gear** are mistaken for KKK members—a joke about how unfamiliar foreign uniforms can seem ominous to Americans. 2. **Notre Dame's gargoyles**: Betty foolishly interprets them as real creatures, suggesting American naïveté about European architecture and history. 3. **The dollar bill finale**: When Betty accidentally displays American currency, Parisians react with enthusiasm, satirizing the French as money-obsessed and mercenary toward American tourists. The "American eagle" reference plays on the dollar bill's imagery while mocking Parisian materialism. The comic mocks both American tourist ignorance abroad and French greed—a common Judge magazine theme circa the 1920s-30s.