Judge, 1927-11-26 · page 13 of 36
Judge — November 26, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Satirical Content Analysis This page is a humorous letter to Santa Claus that satirizes consumer culture and brand obsession in early 20th-century America. A child writes to Santa listing desired gifts, but rather than toys or simple items, the letter is filled with brand-name product placements: DOBB'S hats, ABERCROMBIE & FITCH clothing, ARROW shirts, CHENEY cravats, JOHN WARD shoes, KAY-WOODIE pipes, SCHICK razors, and ED PINAUD'S LILAC shaving cream. The satire mocks how commercialism has infiltrated childhood innocence—even Santa letters now function as advertising vehicles. The extensive brand-dropping by this supposedly young writer suggests how thoroughly marketing has colonized American consumer identity. The accompanying illustration of Santa in a commercial shopping environment reinforces this critique of materialism replacing traditional holiday sentiment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE WIG Dear Santy Claus: I’ve had an awful argument about you. I was sitting with some people in a spe—cafeteria the other night and they said there wasn’t any such thing Santy Claus and I said there was too and they laughed at me and said “Oh, you'd believe thing!” and I cried ‘and cried, Santy Claus, and then I thought to myself I thought, “I'll show these _ belittler: and so I’m writing you, ty Claus, be- cause I know you'll show them! on I really don't need much this year, Santy, but there things I'd like. For e like a new hat very much, but it must be a DOBB'S wouldn't take any other kind, Santy, so be sure and make it a DOBB'S, DOBB'S hats are rea! good hats. And I any- pa few because ully =\ be sure if you send any clothes that they ‘come from) ABER- CROMBIE & FITCH, bee I think ABERCROMBIE FITCH have awfully clothes. ht necd some nice Gee, I new. shirts nty, but they simpl ARROW shirts, because I always follow the ARROW and follow the style. so don’t forget ARROW. And of couse, Santy. you know as well as I do what must goes with shirts—necktics, or I should say, eravats, and i CHENEY CHENEY wonderful. naturally, because cravats) are really And, then, naturally there’s underwear, and of course B.V. D. ed and shoes, Santy! I alwa t my shoes at JOHN WARD'S, Santy, so be sure they are JOHN WARD shoes. Dear, there are so many things when one starts to make a list. Ciga rettes and pipes and things a ke that. I really haven't any pref erence when it comes to ciga- rettes, Santy. Any kind will do. I do like those new KAY- WOODIE pipes and if you should send me a KAY- WOODIE, Santy, send along some OLD BRIAR to. smoke in it. -p— Oh, and I'd love one of those new to mention it, Santy, but I do need a suit of clothes too, I'm very par- ticular about my clothes, Santy, and always get them at ABE R- CROMBIE & FITCH, so new SCHICK, I think that’s the way you spell it, ra Santy, and some of that special MENTHO- LATUM shaving cream and a_ bottle of ED PI- NAUD’'S LI- LAC, because (Continued on page 28) ZOrs, comicbooks.com