Judge, 1927-07-09 · page 9 of 36
Judge — July 9, 1927 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Judge" Page Analysis This page satirizes **gossip and hypocrisy** in small-town social circles. The top cartoon shows golfers discussing a man named Mike, initially praising him as "a great old scout," then immediately contradicting themselves by spreading unsubstantiated rumors that he married for money and is financially ruining his wife. The lower cartoon depicts a telephone chain where this gossip spreads—the speaker calls Pete to share not just Mike's alleged misconduct, but also scandalous claims about Joe's father and Bill's socks. The irony is sharp: the speaker insists "No cheap gossip or blah-blah... Just a good crowd of regular guys," while doing exactly that—engaging in baseless character assassination. The satire targets how people simultaneously condemn gossip while enthusiastically participating in it, and how rumors become "facts" through repetition despite explicit admissions of uncertainty ("I don't say it's true"). The final caption about divorce is a cynical aside on marital discord.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE hems right. If you guys don’t mind I’ll run home and use my own machine.” “Comin’ around next week, Mike?” “You bet. Be good, you birds.” Like’s a great old scout, ain't he “Yeah. Never has anything but a good word for everybody.” “Well . . . If I was in his place... You know Mike... Y'understand, Jim, I’m just re- peating what everybody says and I don’t say it’s true, but you can’t find anybody who doesn’t think Mike married his wife just for her money !” “Say, that’s what I've always thought! And it’s a shame; she’s a mighty fine littl tries so hard to get ahead. “She’s too good a woman for him, They say he spends every cent she makes and only last month the bank told her that if any more of his overdrafts came in. . . . Did you see my button- hole scissors? “I had a little pink Sey tell thal anew bunker dorwn dere by the yreen® ribbon tied to ’em. . . . Well, I “Bunker!! That's my wife! have to run back after ’em, I guess. See you next Thursday afternoon.” “AML right, kid. Behave your- self...) . Hullo! HULLO! Operator, gimme Main 0000514. . Hullo. . . . This you, Pete, ol’ kid? Yeah, the gang’s all gone. Pete, d’yuh know what? Well, I'm simply busting to tell you. Jim was here, you know, and he said Mike is simply ruin- ing his wife’s bank account! And Mike has it straight that Joe’s father was run out of town 30 years ago for slipping cheap hooch to his customers! Yessir, can y’beat it? Well, and Joe was saying that those socks of Bill's the gray and pink oncs, y'know . . . Well, the missus picked ’em out and makes Bill wear ’em! . . . Yeah, we had a fine time. Just a good gang, y'know, Pete. . . . No cheap gossip or blah-blah. . . . Justa good crowd of regular guys. . . . Better try and get around next Thursday, Pete.” —Cuer Jounson Ee Bd One satisfactory method of cut- ting down the divorce evil would be for folks to stay divorced. Torpedo shells for pedestrians; and how to use them to cross dangerous points. comicbooks.com