Judge, 1926-03-27 · page 7 of 36
Judge — March 27, 1926 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains two distinct pieces of satire: **Top cartoon** ("Mary, you've got to cut out butter!"): Shows a domestic scene where a husband criticizes his wife's use of butter, likely referencing wartime or economic rationing concerns that made luxury foods scarce or expensive. **Bottom section** ("In Cuckoo Court"): A humorous court transcript where a defendant is accused of "smothering" his wife with affection. The absurdist dialogue plays on the double meaning—the lawyer argues the husband gave his wife "air" (romantic attention), not literal smothering. The judge ultimately acquits. This satirizes both overly literal legal reasoning and marital dynamics. **Right cartoon**: Shows domestic chaos with a woman reading *Whozis Magazine*, suggesting women's frivolous reading habits distract them from household duties—a common anti-feminist trope of the era. The page overall mocks domestic life and gender roles through humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
In Cuckoo Court LAWYER The evidence plainly shows that you smothered your wife with a pillow. Defendant—That’s pretty soft. L—Did you or did you not? D—Knot what? L—Did you smother your wife? D—With kisses, I—Did you love her? D—Ah, I gave her the air. L—You did not give her the air, that’s the trouble. D—It was no trouble. L—What was no trouble? D—To handle her. L—Then you admit it? D—Admit one. T.—One what? D—One doubt. L—You must confess. D—1 don't write for the magazines. L—But you murdered your wife. D—I did not. 1 helped her. I-—Helped her do wha D—Smother a yawn. Judge—Acquitted. Blaine C. Bigler tae Times may be better, yet most mothers are finding it harder than ever to keep their daughters in clothes. Back to normalcy! comicbooks.com