Judge — September 29, 1928 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a theatrical satire featuring a judge presiding over courtroom-style "shows" (likely vaudeville or stage performances). The top panel mocks judges critiquing performers with absurd demands: "fleas in this soda," "give the lady some insect powder dummy." The lower panels depict a matrimonial dispute. A man claims he wants to marry a rich girl to give her everything she desires. His companion responds sarcastically that he needn't be so "high hat" since he only had an ukulele when they first met. The final panels reveal the punchline: the woman seen with him last night was his ex-wife, not a new romantic interest—a joke about marital complications and the man's questionable character. The satire targets both theatrical pretension and male romantic/financial hypocrisy, using the judge framework to mock superficial social climbing and dishonesty in relationships.