Judge — March 12, 1927 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1920s satirical page from *Judge* mocks women drivers and automobiles through invented "helpful" devices. The top cartoon shows a car with women using elaborate signal systems (A, B, C—alphabet signals) to communicate while driving, satirizing women as incompetent motorists needing ridiculous aids. Below, four panels depict absurd contraptions "to help the wife keep her spirit down"—including magnets, hair-curlers, mirrors, and furniture-launching mechanisms in parlors and nightclubs. The humor targets both women's newfound mobility (cars, nightlife) and anxious male anxiety about female independence. The headline references Henry Ford and mass automobile production, sarcastically suggesting these inventions would cost billions—implying women drivers were such a problem they'd require massive industrial solutions. The satire reflects 1920s gender tensions as women gained voting rights and social freedoms, with the magazine channeling male resentment through "protective" mockery.