Judge, 1931-05-30 · page 11 of 36
Judge — May 30, 1931 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page satirizes 1920s-30s American culture across multiple sketches: **"The Peanut Vendor" poem** mocks the era's obsession with a popular song of that title, so overplayed that neighbors beg each other to sing literally anything else—Brahms, Gershwin, old standards—just not that one more time. **"Magician's Wife"** shows a dining couple where the wife offers toast; the caption's joke is unclear from the image alone. **"Baggage Smasher"** depicts workers destroying radio equipment labeled "Handle with Care," sardonically captioning the destruction as inevitable carelessness. **"Situation" column** contains brief economic commentary: quips about automobile ownership (multiple parties "own" one car), Depression-era pessimism, and ironic observation that everyone claims to know what caused the economic crisis but nothing changes. **Bottom dialogue** parodies Hollywood's adaptation of *Robinson Crusoe*, with producers assured audiences will accept an absurdly plot-heavy desert island story because "everybody's read the book." The page reflects Jazz Age cynicism about consumer culture, economic instability, and mass entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“T just heard about that drought in the Middle West. catch foolin’ water!” on't with You me around To the Lady Next Door neighbor mine, S¢ out * The of Yesterd. The famed “Sweet Adeline” Or good old “Moonlight Bay.” But if my wrath you'd st To this request surrender: Sing any song you say But not The Peanut Vendor! The gift of song is thine! Sing Brahms or Massenet. De Koven George Gershwin is okay. Not one in this array Of names is an offender. Sing Ho! Sing Hum! Sing Hey ! But not The Peanut Vendor! divine, Envoy From key of G to A, From jazz to lieder tender, Sing any lilting lay— But not The Peanut Vendor! —Antiee L. Livestasy Situation RACTICALLY everybody owns an au- tomobile nowaday For instance, there's the fellow who drives it, the fin company, the age he owes a repair bill to and the company he owes for his tires. 8, Says a writer. ly coming he song-writers seem to have stopped writing those cheer-up songs. A dividend is what the modern cor- ation fails to declare a terly meetings. its quar- And it's strange the business de- pression has lasted so long when everybody you meet knows what caused it and how to end it. JUDGE OH, YES! ov say this next picture w going to make takes place on a desert islanc “Yeah. Y'see, the fella gets ship- wrecked, but he doesn't mind, because he’s sort of sick of the world and figures it'll be fun to be all alone for a while. Then two rival rum-running gangs show up, and one of ‘em is hold ing beautiful: moll captive. The fell nd the girl sneak off into the jungle and a tribe of cannibals cap ture them. Just as the natives are Baccacr: Smasner—Oh, boy! 9 OF COURSE! going to burn ‘em alive as human sac- rifices, a dirigible flies over and drops bombs. Then a submarine bobs up near the island and the marines come ashore and rescue the fella and the girl just as the rival gang leaders kill themselves in a ducl over he “Fine! Only it sounds kinda fa- . somne Ww ‘ r, that’s just what will make with the box-office. Every- body's read the book, Abe! D. remember? Robinson Crusoe!” comicbooks.com