Judge, 1931-07-11 · page 12 of 36
Judge — July 11, 1931 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Satire Analysis This page satirizes **wealthy women's obsession with celebrity endorsements** in the 1920s-30s advertising era. **Main cartoon ("The Guest List"):** Mrs. Van Ritzer, a society matron, reviews her dinner guest list with her maid Emma. The humor centers on Van Ritzer's discovery that every potential guest is a product endorser—Glussbaum's Beauty Créme, Sudsy-Wudsy Soap Flakes, etc. When she learns Mrs. Susan Brown-Green *refused* to endorse a product, Van Ritzer calls her a "publicity seeker" and removes her from the list—ironically revealing that Van Ritzer herself judges people by their commercial value, not character. **Secondary cartoon ("Baby Parade"):** Shows a parade of endorsing women with products, emphasizing how ubiquitous celebrity testimonials had become. **"It's a Racket" sidebar:** Comments on installment collectors—suggesting these endorsement-obsessed women are living beyond their means on credit. The satire critiques how advertising had colonized social life and status, reducing society women to walking advertisements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Guest List ulorr you have the invitations all ready, Emm “Yes, Mrs. Van Ritzer. And I'm quite sure you will approve them, There is Mrs. Astorglynne-Schmal- zer——" I don’t seem to n’s Beauty Créme, Mrs. Glussbaum’'s, also?" “Oh, no! Mrs. Ma will remember, endorsed tric Sinks.” “Why, surely, Emma! I should have known immediate you're the perfect. s all the mw dame. And then I have ) H. Montgomery Smythe-Glitterocks.” “Marvelous! I've never met her, Emma, but I’m sure she is worth while. She and I were in Sleepybye Mattresses together in April, weren't we “LT think it was May, Mrs. Van Ritzer. In April you endorsed Nail Polish.” “Of course I did! Yes, it was May. Well, who is next, Emm ilisso “Perhaps I've made an error in judgment, Mrs. Van Ritzer, but I “Now, these folks I have to cook far over the week-end, ma’m—did you have put down Mrs. Susan Brown- want them to come back again or not? Green. She is a member of one of our oldest families.” “Mrs. Brown ! Why, Emma, isn’t that the person who refused to allow her picture used in the ex- » Sudsy-Wudsy vertisement? eve it is, Mrs. Van | i “And there was a piece in the press in which she de- clared she was absolutely ing anything!” Van. Ritzer, Mrs. You can scratch her name off the list right now! Why, that wo- man is nothing but a pub- licity seeker!” —C. J. It’s a Racket Te only thing that shuts off any of the radios in our neighborhood is the ap- | — pearance of an_ instalment } “That's the third time she’s won it with that dumb get-up on.” collector. 10 comicbooks.com