Judge, 1929-08-31 · page 11 of 36
Judge — August 31, 1929 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Satire Explanation for Modern Readers This page from *Judge* satirizes economic obsolescence and bad luck during rapid technological change. The main story "But That's Life" follows a man whose friend repeatedly loses jobs because new inventions disrupt his industries: the automobile replaces carriage manufacturing, electric vibrators undercut manual massage therapy, and aircraft somehow threaten a flag-polishing business. The accompanying comic strip mocks college graduates' career prospects, showing them scattered across unstable professions (pharmacist, engineer, lawyer, doctor, journalist, dentist). The George Washington cartoon at bottom appears to reference historical authenticity. The satire reflects early-to-mid 20th century anxieties about technological disruption making skilled trades obsolete faster than workers can adapt—a perpetual anxiety, though the specific technologies referenced (automobiles, electric massagers, early aviation) date this as probably 1910s-1920s era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
But That’s Life “Hello, Bill, why 80 down-in- the-mouth? You look like a ghost.” “T feel like one!” ‘No kiddin’, old timer, what's the trouble “I shouldn't let it get me like this, but—well, I've just been n old friend of mine.” having a tough time. Life’s given him a pretty raw deal. He didn’t recognize me at first—just slouched up and asked for something to buy a cup of coffee with, Lord, it was awful.” ‘An old friend of your “Yea. We roomed together at college. It kinda’ got me, seeing him like that.” “What did he have to sa he found out who you were when “Oh, he was surprised, all right, and embarrassed too, I took him to a lunch room and made him eat all he could hold. Then asked him to tell me his story.” “Business zeverses, ch “In a way, yes. through any fault of his own.” “How's that?” “Well, it was like this. He started in the carriage business. Manufactured wagon wheels, But just when he began to run into money, along comes the automo- bile, and-—blooey !” But not “Then he drifted from one thing to another. Couldn't scem to get settled. Finally—Lord knows why—he decided to be a masseuse. You know, one of those ‘rubber’ chaps. The funny JUDGE COLLEGES OPEN THIS MONTH - WHAT ARE LAST NEAR'S GRADUATES DOING? CAAT, OR wtHour RUSSIAN DRESSING? THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER THE LAWYER- HIS FIRST CASE a JOURNALIST THE — DENTIST part of it was, he made mone Lots of it. He acquired som thing of a reputation and people used to come from all over to get their kinks ironed out.” “But now he’s down and out?” Gronrae Wasitnaton—If there’s a historian here I want hin to get this straight—here’s a bed I did not sleep in! “That's right. Just as he was making a go of this massage racket, somebody up in Michigan invents one of these vibrators, the kind with a wide belt that sh: your teeth loose and give you a headache. More of the things ame along and they cut into the hand-massaging business, se id before he knew it he was out of another job.” “Say, that's tough. Poor fellow. No wonder you felt kinda blue after hearing that tale of woe.” “But wait, that’s not all. W rou think he did then?" ‘an't imagine !"" He went into sitting business and 1 a pile. Or was well on the way to mak ing one, anyhow, when—" “When what?” “When along comes the endur- ance flying craze.” do