Judge, 1928-09-29 · page 27 of 36
Judge — September 29, 1928 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects humorous observations about disillusionment—the gap between idealistic popular songs and mundane reality. The central conceit: songwriters who penned optimistic ditties ("The Best Things in Life Are Free," "Back in Your Own Back Yard," "Laugh, Clown, Laugh") face ironic consequences when their lyrics meet real life. A caviar restaurant bill contradicts "free" things; returning home brings mosquito bites instead of nostalgia; stutterers can't sing "Constantinople." The scattered cartoons mock everyday frustrations: a driver stuck on a one-way street; sunburned skin from a window screen; a man watching someone fly a kite at night with resignation ("what's the use"). A baseball joke references an umpire taking a "Blindfold Test"—the humor being that umps already appear blind to rule violations, so an actual blindfold wouldn't matter. The humor is gentle, non-partisan satire about the disconnect between sentimental popular culture and actual lived experience—typical of Judge's satirical approach to American manners and pretensions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE — rN | | Disillusionment Comes | i | When the writer of “The Best “Not yit, Hank.” Things in Life Are Free” orders —Rvss Kine, Minnesota | some caviar in a restaurant. j | When the writer of “Back in Ne Your Own Back Yard" goes { back, and receives the usual num- “Have you heard the latest ber of mosquito bites. Turkish atrocity?” | a . = When the writer of “C-o-n- “No, what is it? | Tux Vierim—Hey, stupid, snctioncospile® heara“itssung “It’s called ‘Constantinople.’ ” back up! a person who stutte —Anticr Sinvenniart, Tue Daaven—I can't. This When the writer of “Get Out Harvard '30 is a one way street. —Swxev Gorvnrna N.Y.U and Get Under the Moon” is caught in a thunder shower. When the writer of “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” hears it sung ar about ha 31 We see that a famous umpire the American League is to “My heavens, child! How did you ever get so freckled?" f as many times as the take the “Blindfold Test.” The } “T let myself get sunburned average person docs. blindfold will, of course, be un- through a window sercen.” —Antuer Sirverneatt, necessary. —Raovr Burpee, Yale '29 Harvard '30 —Ep James, Denver U. 28 Warcunoc—Aw heck, what's the use. —Marcvs Mrssincer, U. of S. California ’30 comicbooks.com