Judge, 1929-12-28 · page 3 of 37
Judge — December 28, 1929 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page (December 26, 1929) The main cartoon depicts a scene labeled "Don't look quite so natural, Elmer!" showing a man posing stiffly for a portrait painter while a woman arranges his appearance. This appears to be satirizing artificial or forced social posturing—the joke being that "Elmer" looks too natural/relaxed, when the woman wants him to appear more refined or dignified for the portrait. The accompanying text discusses poverty relief and prison labor under Governor Roosevelt, farmers listening to radio broadcasts, and references to popular songs like "Read 'Em and Weep" and "Look Out for the Bulls." The overall theme seems to mock social pretense and class anxiety during the late 1920s, published just weeks after the 1929 stock market crash.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Jick Suurttewortn, Editor United States Senators, says a lady eeporter, are just like all the rest of us. And in view of the recent seatings and unseatings, this is another of those things that tend to make the rest of us feel very humble. We're not exactly an authority on musie, but “The Prisoner's Song” seems to have been changed to “Doing th. Breakaway.” Grorce Jeax Natuas gmEr nes TE Se Ricwarp J. Warsi And, according to Governor Roose velt, one of New York “s major problems is to provide enough work for illiterate prisoners. That shouldn't be so hard. Why not put them to work writing popular songs? Nowadays, farmers can listen to poverty-stricken at home on their twelve- tube superheterodynes. ut how “Don’t look quite so natural, Elmer!” Swwsey S. Lenz, Contributing Editors New York's recent cold spell, we read, took the city by surprise. All the more we imagine, because it was predicted in the press. Not so long ago, when you heard a huddled group on. the sidewalk shouting: “Read "Em and Weep" or “Look Out for the Bulls,” you didn’t know whether they were heaving dice or reading stock market quotations. JUDGE, Volume 97, No. 1879. Additional entry ai and copyrighted 1929. by Seeretary, 18 East 48th Se, New Vork. N.Y. ‘tered as Second-Class Matter, October 21, ar Particular TSe.a copy. Published Weebl: by Jud red L. Rogan, President; Sidney S. Lenz, V ice visions of Section 3 of the Copyright Law of the U. S. ation te called (0 the fact thet every afiicle and picture appearing in JUDG! 18K1, at the Post Office at New Vork City, N.Y., under act of March 3, Stieet, New Vork. N.Y. rer; Joseph T Cooney, wotected under the pro