Judge, 1930-03-08 · page 12 of 36
Judge — March 8, 1930 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains three humorous pieces satirizing American social pretense and consumerism in the Depression era. **"Reunion"** depicts married couples encountering old acquaintances and boasting about how well *their own* spouses have aged, while criticizing how badly the others have aged. The irony: Mrs. Jennings claims her husband looks as youthful as their wedding day, while Mr. Jennings simultaneously complains that Sam Stallings looks ancient. The satire targets vanity and self-deception about aging and the effects of economic hardship (market crash, depression). **"Help, Fire!"** shows a man fleeing a burning building—likely satirizing panic or overreaction, though the specific reference is unclear from this image alone. **"The Connoisseurs"** depicts two men discussing Montreal dining/entertainment, complaining that quality has declined everywhere. Their solution: they immediately reject a radio station's classical selection for something else, undermining their own standards. This satirizes people who claim to value quality while settling for mediocrity—or who mistake constant complaint for genuine discernment. All pieces mock middle-class pretension and inconsistency.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE ; Reunion M: and Mrs. Sam Stallings were riding downtown to the movies. Saw Joe Jennings today,” said Mr. Stallings. “First time I've run a him in nearly ten years. Gosh, he tainly hi cd. "Joe looks like « ld, old man. I suppose he’s share of tough luck, what w market crash and the depre i followed. But I didn’t expect to if the years treat him so unkindly. “Poor old Joe,” sympathized Mrs. Stallings. “I’m sorry for him, but d my own darling is carry- | } H { | I'm so g | ing his years so lightly. Only yester- | day Mrs. Golding was telling me that you actually TOSS ok ten years younger than your age.” * * « Rudy Vallée had just finished crooning through the loud speaker in } the Jennings living-room. y the way, I met Sam Stallings tod. { marked Mr. Jennings to his better | half. “And I certainly got a shock i when I saw him. You remember how i spry and youthful Sam used to look? { Well, you wouldn't know him now. | He's an old man at fo! Honest. i Bald as a billiard ball. ther Time f has certainly handed Stallings a trim- i ming.” i “Well, they can’t say that about my | Joe,” said Mrs. Jennings. “You | haven't changed a bit in the last } fifteen years. In fact, only this morn- ing mother told me that at the party last night you looked as youthful as the day you married me, | —Artuur L, Lippmann Help, Fire!” The Connoisseurs “Well, old man, this is Montreal. How does that sound to you?” “Not bad at all, Mac. I sure “Oh, don’t worry—we'll be able to get something good here. Anyway, it é couldn't be any worse than what we've been getting, F Me | “Yeah, I guess you're right about a that. They sure do put out some ter- rible stuff these days. There should be some kind of law to make ’em do right by the public.” “That's just what I say. It’s al- i impossible for a man to get any- thing really good nowadays, but .. .” “Wait a minute, Mac—let’s listen to this... . Aw, hell, he says the or- chestra is going to play ‘I’in Just a Vagabond Lover.’ Turn the dial and get some other station.” —Ormonnv Rospins The Hunt Breakfast 10 i comicbooks.com