Life — November 17, 1921 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Doubling the Dummy: Who Says a Young Girl Can't Amuse Herself Playing Bridge?" This satirical comic sequence mocks the social pretension of bridge players in the 1920s-30s era. The humor centers on a young woman named Dorothye who, bored during a bridge game, entertains herself by providing commentary about the other players—essentially treating them as her "dummy" hand (in bridge, the dummy is the exposed hand played by the declarer's partner). The satire targets both the tedium of bridge as a social ritual and the absurdity of adults taking the card game so seriously that they fail to notice they're being mocked by a clever young woman. The joke suggests bridge players are pompous and oblivious—perfect targets for her amusement.