A complete issue · 36 pages · 1920
Judge — August 21, 1920
# "The Good Samaritan" (Judge, August 21, 1920) This cartoon illustrates the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. A well-dressed woman waters a small figure in a pool—likely representing charitable aid or humanitarian assistance. The imagery suggests commentary on charity and social responsibility during the early 1920s, possibly referencing post-WWI relief efforts or domestic social welfare. The title invokes Jesus's parable about helping those in need regardless of social boundaries. The juxtaposition of the elegantly dressed woman with the small figure in water suggests either class differences or the disparity between givers and recipients of charity. Without additional context from the magazine's issues, the specific contemporary reference remains unclear, though it likely comments on American attitudes toward charitable obligation during this era.
# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Leslie's Illustrated Weekly Newspaper's new "Ask Leslie's" information bureau service. The ad explains that Leslie's Weekly is launching a research department to answer reader inquiries quickly and accurately. The service promises to direct questions to appropriate manufacturers, laboratories, or experts who will provide reliable information on topics ranging from technical matters to practical household questions. The "Ten Typical Questions" listed on the left side show examples of the kinds of inquiries readers might submit—about motors, heating systems, paint, water pumps, and similar practical concerns. The key selling point: this service costs nothing extra for subscribers and provides unbiased, authoritative answers. The repeated "THE FIRST" slogan emphasizes Leslie's as pioneering this comprehensive information bureau concept.
# Analysis This is a social satire cartoon from Judge magazine (August 21, 1920) depicting a party scene. The caption reads: "She—That Miss Twitter just loves to talk about Sociology! He—I've noticed that. It must have taken her some time to learn all she doesn't know about it." The joke is a classic put-down of women's intellectual pretensions. "Miss Twitter" (clearly a coded name suggesting a foolish, talkative woman) is mocked for enthusiastically discussing sociology—a relatively new academic field in 1920—while the male observer's response sarcastically suggests she actually knows *nothing* about the subject despite her lengthy discussions. This reflects 1920s attitudes dismissing women's educational aspirations as superficial social posturing, particularly as women gained more public visibility and educational access during the post-WWI period.
# "The First Yankee Salesman" This political cartoon, drawn by Angus MacDonald, satirizes early American commercial expansion. It depicts a Native American and a well-dressed businessman conducting a land transaction. The figure on the right, representing American enterprise, appears to be showing fabric or material—possibly referencing cheap manufactured goods—while negotiating over Plymouth Rock, the historical symbol of America's founding. The caption "It's dirt cheap at fifty acres per yard" is the satirical punchline, suggesting dishonest dealings where Americans sell worthless manufactured goods in exchange for vast land holdings from Native Americans. The cartoon critiques American commercial practices and exploitative colonial-era trade dynamics as fundamentally dishonest, portraying the "Yankee salesman" as duplicitous from the nation's very beginning.
# Analysis This page satirizes fraternity initiation practices of the era. The top illustration shows "The Line of Last Resistance"—eight formally-dressed men in top hats representing fraternity pledges facing hazing rituals. The accompanying article by Harry Irving Shumway mockingly proposes creating a new fraternity for "proctors" (likely union organizers or labor activists) who lack social organizations. The satire targets two groups: fraternity initiates undergoing humiliating hazing (depicted in comic fashion), and labor/political protesters seeking solidarity. The piece ridicules both the arbitrary rituals of fraternities and the "messy" nature of labor organizing, suggesting they're equally absurd and unnecessary. The questions listed (about money, honor, pricing) further mock the pretentious questioning candidates endured during initiations. The humor relies on contemporary readers understanding fraternity culture and labor tensions of the period.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains satirical short pieces and one cartoon rather than political commentary. The main cartoon shows a fashionably dressed woman with an umbrella in rain, captioned "It is better to have dressed and lost, than never to have dressed at all"—a play on Tennyson's "It is better to have loved and lost." The humor sections ("Movie Amenities," "You Tell 'Em," "Advisable Wifey," "Can You Blame Him?") are light domestic jokes about relationships and fashion. "The Perfect Landlord" is a satirical poem by A.H. Foxwell portraying an idealized landlord as impossibly generous—offering renovations, repairs, and comfort improvements while asking nothing in return. The satire mocks the fantasy of such benevolent landlords by showing how absurdly unrealistic this scenario is.
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page from Judge magazine contains multiple satirical pieces critiquing social hypocrisy and theater conventions. The main cartoon depicts a massive dinosaur (likely meant as an exotic pet) with children climbing on it. The caption establishes ironic class commentary: a wealthy owner keeps this expensive animal because he's "gentle with the children"—suggesting the absurd priorities of the wealthy and their naive assumptions about dangerous things. The text pieces mock theatrical realism (characters lacking common sense), class pretension (servants discussing master's finances), and political corruption ("Sweet Reasonableness" joke about grafting politicians using bribes to increase charitable donations—a satirical jab at how corruption gets rationalized). The 1930 piece ridicules modern theater audiences' selective morality: they object to an actress removing her watch onstage as indecent, while apparently accepting vampire roles. It's commentary on contemporary prudishness and contradictory social values. Overall, the page targets theatrical conventions, class absurdities, and hypocritical social standards of the era.
# "The State Dentists' Association Meets at Yapp's Crossing" This cartoon satirizes a rural small-town gathering of dentists, shown as a chaotic, crowded country fair or street festival. The humor stems from the contrast between the profession's dignity and the undignified, rustic setting. The labeled storefronts identify local businesses—garages, beauty parlors, grocery stores, a pool room—typical of an early 20th-century rural crossroads community. Among the crowd are numerous figures engaged in undignified activities: people fighting, running, falling, and behaving rowdily, with dogs and children adding to the mayhem. The satire mocks both the pretensions of professional associations holding formal meetings and the stereotype of rural communities as lacking refinement. The "State Dentists' Association" meeting devolves into an unseemly carnival, suggesting that formal professional gatherings in remote locations descend into chaos, or that rural Americans, regardless of profession, behave crudely. The artist, Johnny Gruelle, uses exaggerated caricature and slapstick to comic effect.
# "The Campaign" by Walt Mason (1920) This page satirizes political apathy during what appears to be the 1920 presidential election (references to Cox and Harding). The cartoon illustrates Mason's poem about a cheerfully indifferent everyman who refuses to join campaign fervor despite pressure from politically agitated friends. The caricatured figures on the left—two thin, gaunt men in formal wear—represent typical campaign activists, depicted as skeletal and intense. The round-faced man on the right embodies the narrator: content, well-fed, and unmoved by political urgency. Mason's satire targets both sides: activists ranting about "profiteers" and national disaster, yet the poem suggests their own desperation and worn appearance undermine their righteousness. The narrator prefers circuses and baseball to political speeches. The joke is that material comfort and personal contentment trump civic engagement—a critique of American materialism masquerading as lighthearted apathy.
# Analysis of "Any Old Lecture" Page This page satirizes the tedium of academic lectures through two main pieces: **"Any Old Lecture"** (top): The cartoon mocks pretentious lecturers who deliver lengthy, rambling talks disguised as scholarly authority. The joke is the introducer's ironic promise to be "few indeed" in his remarks, followed by pages of absurdly detailed time breakdowns (ten minutes on ancient Greece, nine on Rome, etc.). The lecturer then compounds this by claiming humility while launching into his own verbose introduction—immediately contradicting the premise. The satire targets how speakers use false modesty and elaborate historical frameworks to disguise simple ideas stretched into tedious presentations. **"The Business of Pleasure"** (bottom): This sketch mocks superficial high society. A cynical man admits attending social affairs only to "learn what people to avoid"—satirizing the hollowness of such gatherings where attendance is obligatory but joyless. The page captures early 20th-century American frustration with affected intellectualism and empty social conventions, presented through Judge's characteristic humor.
# "A Modern Open Sesame" - Social Satire This story satirizes post-WWI social climbing and the new wealth class. The "Strongs" are newly rich war profiteers ("war fortunes must be displayed in fashionable circumstances") who have become social leaders at an exclusive resort, replacing the old established elite. The joke centers on Hubert Bell, a mysterious charming dancer who appears everywhere at society events, captivating the women despite no one knowing who he actually is. Mrs. Strong admits she doesn't really know him—suggesting he's a social parasite or fortune-hunter exploiting the nouveau riche's insecurity and eagerness to appear cosmopolitan. The title "Open Sesame" implies Bell uses dancing as his magic password to infiltrate high society. The cartoon shows couples dancing while society women gossip about the mysterious man. The satire targets how wartime profiteers, lacking genuine social standing, are easily duped by charming outsiders because they're anxious to prove their sophistication.
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains two unrelated pieces from *Judge* magazine: **Main Story ("Penumbra"):** A social satire about class deception. Mrs. Manfred introduces "Hubert Bell," an exceptionally graceful dancer, into high society. A detective reveals he's actually "Bud Aiken," an ex-convict who previously worked as a "dance host" in a cabaret. Despite warnings, the naive Miss Strong elopes with him—a cautionary tale about criminals infiltrating polite society and deceiving respectable families through charm and false appearances. **Bottom Cartoons:** Light humor pieces with minimal political content. "The Hand-Out" and "A Near Sensation" involve drinking and sermon-related jokes. "The Pup" cartoon satirizes urban pollution—a dog complains that shoe polish tastes of gasoline, mocking industrial contamination of city streets. The overall theme reflects Progressive-era anxieties about social mobility, criminal rehabilitation, and urban decay.
