Judge — February 4, 1928 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon, titled "Jobs We Would Like to Have: Life guard on the beach at Waikiki," satirizes American fantasies about tropical vacations and dream jobs during what appears to be the early 20th century. The illustration depicts an idealized beach scene in Hawaii (Waikiki) where a lifeguard sits elevated on a chair, surrounded by attractive women in swimwear and grass skirts. The satire lies in the obvious joke: the "job" is portrayed as leisurely paradise rather than actual work—the lifeguard appears to be more interested in socializing with beachgoers than performing safety duties. The cartoon plays on American fascination with Hawaii as an exotic, pleasure-filled destination and reflects period attitudes toward both tropical locales and gender dynamics. It's humorous commentary on escapist fantasies about employment in what readers would consider an ideal posting.