Judge — October 16, 1926 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon mocks tabloid journalism's sensationalism. The "paradise" depicted is a chaotic urban disaster scene—buildings collapsing, cars crashing, explosions, and mayhem everywhere. In the foreground, two figures labeled "S'MY" and "S'MINE" quarrel over territory while chaos erupts around them. A character at bottom right holds a sign reading "5¢ EACH," suggesting he's selling papers of this destruction. The joke: tabloid editors view sensational tragedy and conflict as ideal—their commercial "paradise"—because disasters sell newspapers. By showing editors literally celebrating amid urban catastrophe, the cartoon satirizes how tabloid journalism profits from and sensationalizes human suffering and crime rather than serving the public interest.