Judge — February 27, 1932 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a satirical cartoon titled "The Ashcan Shot-Putt," part of a series called "Our Own Olympics." The image depicts an absurdist sporting event where a trash can or refuse bin serves as the "shot" being hurled across what appears to be a circus or stadium floor (visible audience in background). The satire likely mocks either: - The pretensions of the Olympic games themselves - Urban sanitation problems or "ashcan" schools/institutions of the era - Working-class or immigrant communities (the "ashcan" reference was period slang) The scene's surreal, chaotic composition—with figures positioned oddly around the trajectory—emphasizes the cartoon's mockery. Without additional context about *Judge* magazine's specific 1920s-30s targets, the exact social commentary remains unclear, though it appears to ridicule something about contemporary American institutions or society through this absurd athletic parody.