Judge, 1938-03 · page 11 of 52
Judge — March 1938 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Quality" by Dr. Seuss (March 1938) This satirical cartoon mocks corporate hypocrisy regarding profit versus quality. A board chairman addresses his directors, proposing they abandon profit-chasing to focus solely on quality—a noble sentiment the directors enthusiastically endorse in unison. The satire lies in the obvious absurdity: the cartoon shows a massive grid behind them (resembling a factory or production schedule) filled with diagonal hatching, suggesting mass production and standardization—the opposite of genuine quality. The cartoon implies that corporate boards make such high-minded proclamations for show while actually prioritizing efficiency and profits. Seuss critiques how corporations adopt virtuous-sounding policies without genuine commitment to them. The unanimous "huzzahs" underscore the performative nature of corporate ethics—everyone agrees on paper, but the underlying systems remain unchanged. This reflects Depression-era skepticism about big business sincerity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
By Dr. Seuss NCE UPON A TIMi THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF A GREAT CONCERN CALLED HIS DIREC- TORS TOGETHER AND SAID, “I BELIEVE, GENTLEMAN, THAT LATELY WE HAVE BECOME TOO CONCERNED WITH MAKING PROFITS.” FoR A MOMENT THE DIRECTORS PONDERED, AND March, 1958 THEN SPOKE BACK, “B. J., YOU ARE DEAD RIGHT!” “So I MOVE,” SAID THE CHAIRMAN, “THAT HENCE- FORTH WE CONCERN OURSELVES ONLY WITH QUALITY . cost what it may!” THE MOTION, NATURALLY, WAS CARRIED UNANI- MOUSLY, IN A CHORUS OF HUZZAHS. comicbooks.com