Judge, 1931-02-07 · page 10 of 36
Judge — February 7, 1931 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This Dr. Seuss piece satirizes the human tendency to overlook or delay recognition of simple but transformative inventions. Three examples illustrate the theme: 1. **Jacques Brioche**: A French savant who discovered that equal groups of onions produce consistent results—a mundane observation that took centuries to be commemorated with a medal. 2. **Winfield's Bathtub**: The inventor created the bathtub drain but forgot the drain plug (bung), an embarrassing oversight now memorialized with a statue despite the obvious flaw. 3. **Nax Zakkx**: The "real inventor" who created sitting down—positioned as the ultimate simple invention, finally receiving recognition through a pageant. The satire mocks how society celebrates trivial or incomplete accomplishments with grand monuments and delayed honors, while ignoring that these "innovations" are either obvious or flawed. Seuss critiques both human forgetfulness and our impulse to mythologize the mundane through formal commemoration.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE TARDY LAURELS FOR FORGOTTEN BROWS By Dr. Seuss & ment he same number of onions. T gave us that fool-proof expr and half a do: centuries, Bric bronze by the n School in Bris! aliz of the Junior High A Stratvr to Buxo nex Winfield invented the hathtub in 1460, he made one serious omission. He invented a drain, but forgot to invent the bung. he water always ran ou Readily ing his inspira statue has just been unveiled in) Kraut Park, near Secondtooth, Ark. Tue Great Zaxxx Paceant ANrext can invent something compli- cated, but the real inventor is one who invents something simple. Ages ago, fe instance, people stood up all the time invented sitting down. Then came X kx. A man of wisdom, Zakkx sat down, and ever since we have enjoyed the fruits of his genius. Last week Zakkx was extended a long belated ovation by a pageant in his honor DreSeuss in South Herb, Mont. simply because no one had yet 8 comicbooks:com