Judge, 1927-09-17 · page 8 of 36
Judge — September 17, 1927 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Helps for Home" - Judge Magazine Satire This is a humorous advice column by fictional expert "Miss Winifred Walrus," satirizing the serious home-improvement content popular in women's magazines of the era. The satire works through absurdist exaggeration: **Image 1** depicts a hospital recreation room presented as an ideal domestic space—but the joke is hidden in the text: the three occupants "were under ether" (anesthetized), making the cheerful setting darkly comedic. **Image 2** mocks affluent interior decorating pretensions. Mrs. Smish's "gin-sampling room" features ostentatious decor (imported materials, giant chess pieces, Yale crew memorabilia) presented with pompous seriousness. The humor lies in the overwrought description of obvious status symbols masquerading as tasteful design choices. The column's disclaimer that Miss Walrus won't answer questions about "love charms, lost buddies, birth control...or glass blowing" further emphasizes the satirical tone—parodying advice columns' typical scope while suggesting absurdist concerns alongside practical ones.
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ERE is another tasty group of fascinating solu- tions by our expert, Miss Winifred Walrus, in response to piteous letters of appeal chosen at random, now here, now there, now stop! It is hoped that you may find sympathy and direction for your particular house trouble herein, as Miss Walrus positively will not forward information on love charms, lost buddies, birth control, investments, motor trips, or glass blowing; nor will she give hot tips on the races. 1. The woman’s reading and “fun-game” room at the New York Hangnail Hospital shows a restraint in keeping with the hygienic demands of a hospital, yet lacks noth- ing in comfort, cheerfulness and plain, sound common- sense. There are books and magazines in abundance, a desk at which to write, sunshine, good fellowship, and at Helps for Home the back a lovely bannister to slide down. Over- head is a permanent wave machine, which, with a simple additional attachment, can make many de- licious ices and frozen desserts. In all, an ideal treatment, which, for your own purp ay be further improved by setting a few as tr around and introducing a live parrot. It may be interesting to know that at the time this photo- graph was taken the three occupants of the room were under ether. 2. The gin-sampling room of Mr. and Mrs. Rufus B. Smish, which is now in the process of being done over in imported bliiz! and rose madder by Mrs. Smish. Mrs. Smish has inclined to the indi- vidual rather than the group, to the interesting contrast rather than the correlated whole, as don’t we all? For which reason the eye instantly meets the hand- some early American buffalo-horned time-clock, the set of giant chessmen on the mantelpiece (given to Mrs. Smish by the Cardiff giant) and on the chest of draw to the left the portrait of Mr. Smish in his costume stroke of the 1887 Yale crew. In “spotting” one’s treas like this is the fixed and stiff impersonality of the professional dese- comicbooks.com