Judge, 1928-05-19 · page 7 of 36
Judge — May 19, 1928 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page from Judge (May 19, 1928) contains a humorous essay titled "New York Is a Hick Town!" by O. O. Rubbertyre, presented as a "Judge's Burlesque of the Cosmopolitan." The accompanying ink sketches show various New York street scenes: a crowded theater or venue, a man with a camera (suggesting a tourist), and figures appearing to celebrate or interact. The satire inverts expectations: the author claims New York—supposedly cosmopolitan and sophisticated—actually resembles small-town America ("Frog Hollow"). He contrasts the city's pretensions (fast living, expensive nightclubs like Texas Guinan's) with observations that New Yorkers behave like small-town folks: same clothes, same attitudes, same bluffing. The piece ridicules both urban pretentiousness and the universal human tendency to perform sophistication while remaining fundamentally ordinary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MAY 19, Judge’s Burlesque NORMAN ANTHONY, 1928 of the Editor ( osmopolitan New York Is a Hick ‘Townt By OC Rubbertyre sep to believe it when I read all this stuff about fifteen cents. The waiter said they didn’t even sell w York. About what a terrible town it) was. liquor! And they made me get out at t N clock because What a sink of iniquity and all that sort of stuff. they were closing up! My bill was $34.75 and. the Friends used to come to Frog Hollow, after a waiter wouldn't accept the ten cent tip! visit to the big city, and go around with hushed whis I've heard people say that they paid as high as fifteen pers, “Gosh, what a town! How do they ever dollars apiece for theatre tickets! That you couldn't get stand the ! and that sort of thing. They didn’t seats in front of the tenth row for love or money. | see bencath the surface as I did when I came down went to a show and they wouldn't take a cent for the for a visit. ticket at the box office! And I sat in the third row. It Why, there are more hicks in New York City than was a darn good show too. It was called “The Ladder.” there ‘are in Frog Hollow. One day I was walking I didn’t see one drunk while [was in the big city! down Broadway. A crowd had thered at a corner. There were a lot of fellows lying around in I pushed my y through, wondering what all the e on the sidewalks, but they were just sleepi citement was about. What do you think they were one told me that New York was honeycombed with gaping at? A guy was holding up a cop! At another speakeasies and saloons! Bunk! [ didn’t see one! tters and 1 Some corner there was another curious crowd watching some- I had heard a great deal about how New Yorkers thing. What do you think it was? Some fellow was hustled. Bunk! ‘The parks were filled with gentlemen selling bottles of Scotch for five dollars a bottle! And taking life easy! it wasn’t even real stuff! I know, because I bought a New York is just a big bluff! The folks there are bottle! just the same as the folks in Frog Hollow. ‘They wear And this idea that New Yorkers lead fast lives and the same clothes, say the same things and lead the same spend money like water. Bunk! Most of them are in lives. They just try to make vou think they're different. hed every night at ten o'clock! I know, because I That's all. ex're bluffers ! called on some people and the maid told me they were Why, when I was down there a fellow tried to sell me out! Brooklyn Bric It never fazed me. L told him I [ went into Texas Gui s famous night club. knew darn well that it wasn’t for sale: because [ had Ginger ale was only a quarter a bottle and sandwiches walked across it and there wasn't a sign on it! comicbooks.com