Judge, 1926-09-25 · page 10 of 36
Judge — September 25, 1926 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page from *Judge* magazine satirizes 1920s social trends through two separate pieces: **Top cartoon**: Mocks interior decorators and aesthetic pretension. A young boy sketches while two fashionable adults observe. The caption references Rembrandt predicting greatness, but the joke—revealed in the article below—is that the decorator "Marvin" broke his engagement because his fiancée's complexion didn't match his den's wallpaper. The satire targets how absurdly shallow and materialistic these professionals were, prioritizing décor over human relationships. **Bottom section ("Straight Goods")**: Describes an idealized young man who avoids all 1920s vices—slicked hair, jazz, gambling, gin, profanity, and sexual activity. The punchline: "He hasn't even been born." This mocks puritanical moralists who condemned modern youth culture (flappers, jazz, drinking post-Prohibition). By making the "good boy" literally non-existent, *Judge* suggests such moral purity is impossible in contemporary society. Both pieces satirize excess: one targeting aesthetic obsession, the other targeting moral prudishness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE BOY WILL YET BE A_GREAT' ARTIST PREDICTED) REMBRANDT CONFIDENTLY TOO MANY GAY WINE SUPPERS Let us imagine ourselves in the luxurious boudoir of an interior decorator. Oi all’ siden precious stones, rich fabrics, aromatic perfumes and letters from admirers. Raoul, a young interior decorator, is conversing with Marvin, also of the profession. “I understand you broke off your engagement, Mar- vin,” says the idol of thousands. “Yes,” pouts Marvin, “her complexion didn't match the wall paper in my den!” How did you enjoy this peep into an exotic career? This is Straight Goods H°* doesn’t use slickum = or any other sort. of goo on his hair. Modern dancing, with its accom- panying jazz, holds no appeal for him. He doesn’t know the difference be- tweena full house and two pair, aces up. ae) - He doesn’t care whether girls wear gar = t ki Hl , By ‘w ; wo skirts or none at all. wf 7 He has never tasted synthetic gin, ‘i ( nor does he know that Ducky Spikes Y SP! [ va are roasted. Profanity, in any form, has never passed his lips. He has never caused a girl to walk back home, because he doesn’t give a darn for petting. They told the flapper: “You can't He hasn't even kissed a girl. Drs crerylny™ but she had heard He hasn't even been born, different! M. E. B. Co = CE comicbooks.com