Judge, 1931-11-07 · page 6 of 36
Judge — November 7, 1931 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis: Judge Magazine This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"Business Troubles"**: A dialogue between Mr. and Mrs. Billingsley about the firm's financial crisis and potential layoffs. The satire targets business anxiety and masculine grumpiness during economic hardship—Billingsley resents his wife's sympathy and later learns he's been made a partner, inverting his self-pity into awkward pride. **"Leading Questions"**: Observational humor about current events (references to "Ann," Moses, Louisiana's governor) and football culture, mocking the referee as the only inattentive observer. **"Criticism"**: A cartoon showing a janitor appearing to assault someone, with the caption about "releasing frozen assets"—likely wordplay on Depression-era financial terminology, treating the janitor's roughness as inadvertent economic commentary. The overall tone reflects early-to-mid 20th-century anxieties about business, masculinity, and social hierarchy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Business Troubles Brttsescey entered the foyer of his apartment and threw his hat and coat on the table. As soon as his wife saw him her heart leaped in sympathy, “Business bad, darling?” she asked. “Terrible,” answered Billingsley. he firm is losing heavily. I under- stand our September figures showed another terrific deficit.” “They haven't laid you off?" Mrs. Billingsley asked the question with a lump in her throat. “No, I'm still with the firm.” “Was the boss dictatorial again to- It's worse than that,” bitterly swered Billingsley. “But I guess it's my own fault. had it coming to me. For years I’ve been pestering them and today I got my wish.” Mrs. Billingsley was perplexed. “I don’t know w ‘ou're so grump,” she lectured. re still with them. You ought to be glad you've got an office to go to.” “Is that so?” answered Billingsley. ] “You'll not feel so good when I tell | you what happened. At three o'clock i this afternoon Mr. Benson called me i into the directors’ room and told me i Thad been made a partner!" ie —Artucn Lippmann Hi A / igi Criticism eh? 1H Well, our janitor certainly knows } } | “T tell you, I wasn't knocked down—I fell out of an ambulance!” how to keep out of hot water. | Hy | H | | ul a . | H Leading Questions | ay How old is Ann? } Who put the overalls in Mrs, Mur- } + phy's chowder? i ii Where was Moses when the lights ] t i| went out? } il} Where is my wandering boy to- } | night? Ne And who is governor of Louisiana? aay) If things get much worse down whi there it won't be long before tourists | will be taken on slumming tours ‘| | through Wall Street. { Football is practically the same Nat | as wrestling, except that the players Bi run instead of waltz. ha i 4 And of all the people in a football } eo) stadium when a big game is on, prac- i tically the only one who never seems to be watching the plays is the referee. “Of course, one way you look at it—we’re releasin’ frozen assets!” i 4 \ comicbooks.com