Judge, 1932-05-07 · page 10 of 36
Judge — May 7, 1932 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Sedentary Sports Situation" — Judge Magazine Satire This is satirical commentary on wealthy leisure-class idleness during the Great Depression era (late 1920s-early 1930s). The article humorously treats trivial "sedentary sports" as if they were serious competitions: **Main figures:** Theodore Van Gumburg (Union Club member) holds the "thumb-twiddling crown" with 1,000+ consecutive days. The text notes he was briefly ejected in 1932 when the club's Anti-Hoarding Committee searched furniture for hidden coins and dimes. **The joke:** While ordinary Americans faced economic hardship, wealthy clubmen competed in pointless indoor activities like professional napping and "lobby-sitting" (sitting in hotel lobbies). **The cartoon below** depicts a domestic scene where a man tells another "You can't have any, Fred, you gotta drive the car"—likely mocking car-dependent leisure or frivolous automobile culture among the affluent. The satire targets the disconnect between Depression-era poverty and the absurd pastimes of the privileged elite.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Sedentary Sports Situation By Dana Cotie s the sedentary, indoor sports sea- son draws to its close, we would do well to lo ind and see just what are Amer s prospects for next y . The thumb-twiddling crown. still rests upon the polished brow of Mr. Theodore Van Gumburg of the Union Club of New York, who added 183 more of contra-wise thumb- twiddling to his already staggering total of 1000 consecutive days. Mr Van Gumburg’s competitors lony ayo abandoned the struggle. h leather arm- opposite the second right-hand nt window of the Fifth Avenue mausoleum, Mr. Van Gumbury “You can't have any, Fred, you gotta drive the car.” JUDGE 8 started his long yrind in the fall 1929. He was ejected for fifter: minutes on March 30th, 1932, by th: Hoo nion Club — Cooperative Anti-Hoarding Committee, who we arching behind seat cushions {: nickels and dimes. Following the i terruption, Mr. Van Gumburg w fitted into the chair again and for ; I know he is still there. OBBY-SITTING is a nip-and-tuck : fair between Mr. Alfred * Times” Garham of the Ritz Hotel ar Mr. Peter “Pants” Peterham of the vosevelt. Mr. Fred Scutts appea to have the situation on ice in tt smaller hotel field. He has been hol: ing down the red plush in Martinique for nine years. But digress. Mr. Garham seemed to be lead his rival by a slight margin as went to pr Judged on ¢ point, the “Lothario of the Ritz” i Mr. Peterham in posture, i moustache-twirling, ing and cigar manipu lating. Mr. Peterham's better chir stroking and bowing-to-pretty-pé ersby technique, however, ena him to hold his own with that gran¢ daddy of all lobby-sitters — Mr Garham. OMPLETE returns of all othe e not yet been reported At this writing, Mr. of Chicago, seems to ha afternoon - nap - in - an - championship in the bag. depression record of forty minutes, established one rainy Tues day afternoon in July, 1928, wi comicbooks.com