Judge — December 31, 1921

# Analysis This page is primarily **promotional content**, not satirical cartoon material. It announces that Samuel Hopkins Adams, a noted author and journalist, will begin a new article series called "Buck Up, Business!" in Leslie's Weekly, starting December 31. The text emphasizes Adams's optimistic analysis of American business conditions and industrial prospects. His first article, "The Stage Is Set for Better Things," reflects post-war economic recovery optimism. The page also mentions a contribution by Francis H. Sisson of the Guaranty Trust Company titled "Smile and the World Trades With You." The primary "joke" or selling point is the magazine's return to its pre-war price of 10 cents per copy—positioned as good news for readers during economic recovery.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page (December 31, 1921) This page contains three separate, unrelated humor pieces typical of Judge's format: **"The Modern Child"** satirizes changing parental authority. A mother asks her daughter about taking an umbrella; the daughter cheekily refuses, claiming she's "taking a chance"—suggesting modern youth reject parental guidance. **"Getting Back"** humorously depicts marital discord. A husband dislikes his wife's new hat purchase, referencing her previous shopping complaints. The joke is mutual blame in marriage. **"The Ages of Love"** sentimentally contrasts three stages: young children playing innocently at love, an elderly couple romanticizing their past, and a young couple quarreling despite their partnership—a commentary on how romantic ideals deteriorate through actual relationship experience. The illustration by Hersey Fay shows an elegant interior scene accompanying one sketch.

# Analysis of "The Makings" This artwork by Hanson Booth appears to depict a figure with long, disheveled hair hunched over, holding what looks like a document or paper. The title "The Makings" suggests commentary on creation or construction of something—likely political or social in nature, given Judge magazine's satirical focus. The dramatic chiaroscuro (strong light-dark contrast) and grotesque rendering emphasize a somewhat sinister or critical tone. Without additional context identifying the specific figure or historical moment, the cartoon likely comments on either a controversial creator/leader or the problematic nature of some contemporary political development. The allegorical style was common in early 20th-century American satire. More specific identification would require additional surrounding text or publication date information.

# Analysis of "Let Us Also Prohibit ----" by Ellis Parker Butler This satirical piece mocks the Prohibition movement through absurdist logic. Butler argues that if society prohibits alcohol to prevent crime, it should logically prohibit clocks too—since crimes occur at specific times marked by clocks. He cites a fictional case: Henry P. Cutz murdered his grandmother at "six minutes past five," implying the clock enabled the crime. The cartoon (drawn by William Makepeace Thackeray Cooke) depicts what appears to be a jail or institutional setting with uniformed officials, likely illustrating the absurd consequences of over-regulation. Butler's satire attacks Prohibition advocates as illogical, suggesting their reasoning—that removing a tool prevents wrongdoing—is as ridiculous as blaming timepieces for crime. It's commentary on the Prohibition Era's (1920-1933) sweeping social control.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page The text, titled "Somebody's Mother," is a satirical opinion piece attacking wristwatches as a source of social corruption. The author argues that wristwatches—adopted widely after 1914—bear direct responsibility for increased crime rates in America (citing 287,965 crimes committed that year). The satire works through absurd logic: by enabling people to track time precisely, wristwatches supposedly encourage criminal behavior and moral decay. The author demands a constitutional amendment prohibiting all timepieces. This appears to be early 20th-century social critique using humor to mock either progressive reformers' tendency toward extreme positions or society's susceptibility to blaming new technology for social problems. The faint sketch at the top likely illustrates "somebody's mother," though details are unclear.

# "Evolution of the Doctor's Rig" (1922) This page from *Judge* satirizes the persistence of social problems despite the new year. The main cartoon at top shows the "evolution" of a doctor's vehicle from 1791 (horse-drawn carriage) through 1906 (early automobile) to 1922 (modern car), suggesting technological progress while implying doctors' fees remain constant—a commentary on how modernization benefits commerce more than ordinary people. The text below, "The Same Old New" by A.H. Folwell, hammers this theme: New Year's resolutions are futile because society's fundamental issues (poverty, inequality, corruption, disease) never change. The accompanying short jokes mock human foolishness and miscommunication, reinforcing the cynical message that nothing genuinely improves—we merely cycle through the same problems with fresh calendars.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page satirizes **early 1920s domestic life**, depicting the modern home as a "service station" where Mother is the perpetual attendant. **Main Article ("To Be Found Everywhere"):** Homer Croy critiques how family members treat home as a refueling stop—children and husbands extract services (meals, repairs, laundry) from Mother without gratitude, then leave. The metaphor compares Mother to a garage mechanic who must always be available, never demanding payment like a real business manager would. **The Humor Section** contains unrelated brief jokes: - A child's innocent question about "driving" - A burglar's warning about evidence - Observations on blind love and fate - A doctor joke about Prohibition-era prescription limits **Social Context:** This reflects post-WWI anxiety about changing family dynamics and women's unpaid domestic labor. The satire gently criticizes both family members' ingratitude and the expectation that Mother accept this role without complaint—a modernist critique of traditional gender roles disguised as light humor.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page reviews three books, using satirical commentary typical of Judge magazine's literary criticism. **Top Section - "Dangerous Ages":** The cartoon header shows various figures hidden behind books labeled with different genres/interests, illustrating Rose Macaulay's novel about women of different ages (20 to 64) who are all restless and seeking either romantic relationships or psychological analysis. The reviewer satirizes that women face constant "danger" from boredom and desire throughout their lives, with only the elderly finding peace. **Middle Review - "Alias the Lone Wolf":** Mocks adventure fiction adapted from film, ridiculing the relentless action (fights, rescues, chases) as exhausting and formulaic. The reviewer humorously admits skipping to the ending to confirm the predictable happy resolution. **Bottom Review - "West Broadway":** Criticizes a novel narrated by a frivolous movie actress discovering America by car. The satire targets the author's failed attempt to capture authentic "flapper" dialogue and commentary—suggesting that real movie actresses couldn't write such strained, affected prose. The page reflects 1920s literary snobbery toward popular entertainment and mass-market fiction.

# "Told at the Nineteenth Hole" - Judge Magazine Page This page presents humorous anecdotes, typical of Judge's "Nineteenth Hole" gossip column. The jokes satirize early 20th-century American social conventions: **"A Letter Changed"** mocks stenographic carelessness: a secretary's poor handwriting transforms "trap shooting" into "crap shooting" in a business telegram, creating embarrassing miscommunication. **"Isn't It True?"** presents gentle domestic humor: a four-year-old's lukewarm response ("don't make me sick") deflates adults' enthusiasm for a new green rug, satirizing adults' assumptions about children's impressions. **"Got An Idea"** jokes about cultural differences: a rural father, entertained by cabaret chaos, plans to replicate the flour-covered-balloon stunt at a spelling bee using sneeze powder—a fish-out-of-water gag. **"The Chinaman's Response"** uses ethnic humor (period-typical dialect stereotyping) where a Chinese man's witty retort—comparing Americans' flower-smelling to his friend eating rice from a grave—suggests respectful skepticism toward Western funeral customs while implying similar illogic on both sides.

# "Making the Roads Easy" - Analysis This is a humorous essay illustrated by Ralph Barton about social psychology and getting ahead through flattery and pleasantness. The protagonist, Peter Purvis, owns no car but constantly receives rides from neighbors. When asked why he doesn't buy his own automobile, he explains his philosophy: he compliments drivers' cars sincerely and effusively, and they happily oblige him with rides. The piece argues this strategy—praising others generously—works universally: he's gotten free milk by complimenting a cow, discount tailoring by praising a tailor's skills. The moral is that kindness, compliments, and pleasant remarks open doors that money alone cannot. The author contrasts his younger self, who mocked villagers and faced hostility, with his current approach of universal flattery, which brings him peace and social advantage. It's essentially advice literature wrapped in satire—advocating calculated pleasantness as a practical life strategy in the 1920s automobile age.

# "A Flapper's Utopia" Analysis This is a film review by Heywood Broun satirizing both the 1921 movie "The Lotus Eater" and 1920s ideals of paradise. **The Setup:** The piece mocks movie producers' claim that a utopia simply needs actor John Barrymore in it. Broun facetiously agrees, joking that Barrymore's famous profile is so striking it outshines tropical scenery—he "edges through the picture like a beautiful paper knife," showing only his best side. **The Satire:** The film depicts an island paradise with free food, alcohol, beautiful women, and no newspapers or police. Broun's real critique: it fails to address whether clocks exist there. He argues time-keeping devices are civilization's original curse, tracing them to Eve's wrist watch after Eden's expulsion. The watch imposed schedules, dress codes, mealtimes, and ultimately mortality itself—civilization's burdens. **The Point:** For modern readers, this reflects 1920s "Flapper" culture's rebellion against Victorian schedules and constraints. Broun suggests true utopia requires rejecting not just material poverty but temporal discipline itself—a witty commentary on whether freedom from society's demands is actually achievable.

# "The Lotus Eater" Film Review This page reviews the silent film "The Lotus Eater," featuring actors Colleen Moore and John Barrymore. The layout presents multiple scenes from the movie with promotional commentary. The text praises Moore as a "lovely blossom" and compares her romantic appeal to Romeo and Juliet, suggesting she's an exceptional screen presence. Barrymore receives similar praise, described as "at his best" in a commercially successful picture. The final caption—"Barry and Barrymore are more or less capable of arousing your deepest sympathies"—appears mildly backhanded, suggesting the actors competently evoke emotional response from audiences, though the tepid phrasing ("more or less capable") hints the review may be somewhat qualified in its enthusiasm. This represents typical Judge magazine coverage: promotional film criticism mixed with entertainment industry gossip for a general readership interested in early Hollywood personalities.