Judge — April 29, 1922

# Analysis of Judge Magazine, May 6 "College Wits" Number This page promotes Judge's special annual issue celebrating college humor. The cartoon shows a couple viewing what appears to be a massive head or monument, with the man asking "Do they go in very deep for astronomy, here?" The woman replies "Well, the sky's the limit"—a pun playing on astronomical study versus limitless ambition. The accompanying text describes Judge's "College Wits" issue as a celebrated annual publication showcasing undergraduate humor, featuring contributions from nearly one hundred colleges and universities. It emphasizes the issue's unique status in magazine journalism, celebrating youthful frivolity, undergraduate happiness, and the "irresponsibility of juvenile impulse"—positioning college humor as distinctive entertainment reflecting young minds' creative thinking.

# Judge Magazine, April 29, 1922 - "Doctor's Orders" This cartoon satirizes a common domestic situation of the era. A doctor, visiting a bedridden woman (likely ill or recovering), informs her she cannot leave the house for a week. The woman's disappointed response reveals the joke's target: she's upset because she'll miss seeing her friend Emily get married—and worse, she's already missed two of Emily's previous weddings and fears she'll miss this one too before Emily marries "again." The humor relies on early 20th-century satire about serial marriage and divorce, which was becoming more socially visible and acceptable among certain classes, though still considered scandalous. The cartoon mocks both the frequency of Emily's marriages and the woman's social anxiety about missing wedding events.

# "The Genial Philosopher on Gambling" by Burges Johnson This satirical piece critiques gambling as a deeply rooted human vice that's nearly impossible to eliminate through legislation alone. The philosopher argues that gambling flourishes everywhere—from high society to working-class communities—appearing in various forms across social classes. The cartoon illustrates his point with anecdotes about rural gambling customs, including a small-town hotel where guests wagered over who'd pay for sugar, settling disputes by striking a closed ledger with a dining knife. The accompanying sketches show gambling occurring casually in everyday settings. The satire's message: attempting to ban gambling is futile because it's so ingrained in human nature that people will gamble regardless of legal prohibitions. The piece suggests that moral reform through legislation cannot overcome fundamental human impulses.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page **Top Cartoon:** Drawn by Gardner O. Rea, this depicts two society sisters discussing a man one encountered. The joke plays on class pretension—the first sister apologizes for missing tea due to a class, while the second claims the man had "some class," a pun suggesting both refinement and attendance at educational institutions. **Bottom Story & Illustration:** A humorous narrative about a community betting game involving a cockroach in a shoebox. Citizens place wagers on which hole the insect will emerge from. The story satirizes small-town gambling and entertainment, with the "Genial Philosopher" observing that such pastimes reveal human nature in "many subtle forms." The page exemplifies *Judge*'s focus on satirizing middle-class American social pretensions and rural/community customs through lighthearted humor.

# Analysis of "Vassar Follies" Page This page presents humorous anecdotes from Vassar College, illustrated by Dorothy Walworth Carman. The content satirizes college life through brief comic sketches rather than political commentary. The jokes target typical student experiences: exam anxiety, dorm noise complaints, hazing questions, dining hall observations, and lost-and-found absurdities. The "Found" section lists 999 lost items—an exaggerated commentary on student carelessness. References include chapel attendance requirements ("Prayers...in Battell Chapel") and faculty interactions, reflecting early 20th-century college structure. The humor is gentle, focused on student foibles rather than social critique. This appears to be light entertainment for Judge's educated readership, celebrating college culture rather than critiquing it politically.

# "Things That Begin with a V": A Temperance Satire This is a satirical story by William Allen White targeting the temperance movement. The narrative uses Greek mythology (Bacchus, the god of wine, pressured by Hebe and other gods wearing "white ribbons" and promoting "temperance societies") as an allegory for real-world Prohibition advocates. The story's joke: Bacchus, harassed by anti-alcohol crusaders, calls upon Matthew Vassar—a wealthy brewer—asking him to do "welfare work" to rehabilitate his image. The text cuts off mid-sentence, likely revealing Vassar will fund schools or charitable institutions, showing how wealthy industrialists could use philanthropy to neutralize moral criticism of their businesses. The cartoon illustration shows the mythological scene with classical figures. The piece mocks Prohibition activists as self-righteous busybodies while suggesting wealthy businessmen could easily appease them through calculated charity.

# Judge Magazine Satire Analysis This page contains five brief humorous anecdotes targeting early 20th-century social pretensions and naïveté: **"Much Ado About Nothing"** mocks adolescent affectation—a sixteen-year-old boarding school student demands his razor after shaving only monthly, performing sophistication. **"A Clear Case"** satirizes class assumptions. A well-dressed man uses nautical sailor slang ("starboard boom," "leather-necked") to prove his seafaring credentials to a skeptical ticket clerk. The inspector accepts him as genuine based on this performative language alone—suggesting anyone can fake working-class authenticity through dialect. **"The Correct" and "Strange"** are gentle absurdist humor without clear satirical targets. **"Her Plan"** is darker, reflecting period-acceptable racist attitudes. Eight-year-old Margaret's plan to marry and have children specifically so "two black ones" can do household work presents child exploitation and racial hierarchy as natural domestic solutions—satirizing (or endorsing?) contemporary assumptions about domestic labor and racial roles. The illustration shows theatrical wrestling promoters—likely mocking lowbrow entertainment marketing.

# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains five brief humorous anecdotes typical of early-20th-century American humor magazines: **"A Warm Kitten"** plays on a child's innocent misunderstanding—a purring cat sounds like boiling water. **"Did He Make the Sale?"** is a lawyer joke: when a prospect angrily says he'd "see you in hades" before paying $18, the quick-witted salesman replies "Why wait so long?"—implying the lawyer's destination is assured. **"His Job"** features working-class dialect humor about a lazy man who plans to "set round the house" making ashes (from the fireplace), a euphemism for doing nothing productive. **"Two Sides to It"** is a con-artist joke: a man insures cigars against fire, smokes them, then claims they burned and demands payment. The agent threatens arrest for arson. **"Shrunked"** involves a fishing prank where boys replace large fish with small ones; the uncle assumes his catch mysteriously shrunk, using nonstandard grammar. The page reflects period attitudes toward humor: wordplay, dialect stereotypes, and everyday deceptions treated as entertainment.

# The Satire Explained This article by George Jean Nathan sarcastically defends theater managers Erlanger and the Shuberts against critics who claim they lack artistic merit and should yield to younger, "independent" producers with fresh vision. Nathan's argument: Yes, Erlanger and Shuberts are wealthy commercial operators—but critics complaining about this are hypocrites. These critics write for magazines to pay bills, yet lecture about Art. More importantly, Nathan demonstrates that the "new blood" independent producers have actually created mediocre theatrical productions (he lists 16 recent shows, only praising one). The cartoon at top shows theatrical performers on stage before an audience, illustrating the conflict between commercial entertainment and artistic integrity. Nathan's point: The established managers' "crime" is being commercially successful. The young rebels the critics champion produce equally unimpressive work—so their moral superiority about Art is baseless. The establishment's real sin in critics' eyes is merely being old and rich, not actually lacking taste.

# "For Goodness Sake" - A Broadway Musical Review This page promotes a theatrical musical comedy called *"For Goodness Sake,"* featuring the celebrated Astaire siblings (Fred and Adele). The illustrated vignettes, drawn by Arthur Little, capture comedic moments from the show. The humor references Prohibition-era America: one scene depicts a character joking about keeping his "bootlegger's" phone number in a desk drawer—a topical joke given alcohol's illegality at the time. Another bit involves characters debating whether to drink something questionable, reflecting contemporary anxieties about illicit alcohol quality and safety. The review emphasizes the Astaires' dancing prowess and praises performer John E. Hazzard's comedic timing. The "Bakery Trio" provides additional comic relief with nonsensical banter. The cartoons capture vaudeville-style theatrical humor: physical comedy, absurdist dialogue, and social commentary woven into entertainment. This represents typical Judge magazine content—using theatrical reviews as vehicles for satire and humor commentary on contemporary American life.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine's May Calendar Page This is a satirical calendar for May presenting American social and political events through humorous vignettes. Key references include: **Historical/Political events:** - Father's Day and Mother's Day celebrations - Memorial Day (May 30) - 1920 references: Women's fashion changes ("flappers"), Prohibition enforcement, income tax implementation - 1910 Union of South Africa formation - Various historical "firsts" (Post Office established, etc.) **Social satire targets:** - The "flapper" phenomenon—young women's changing dress and behavior in the 1920s - Prohibition's effects on society - Class distinctions and family traditions - New technologies (radio sermons, hydraulic dredges) - Changing gender roles (women voting, working) **The humor relies on:** Pairing historical facts with contemporary 1920s social commentary, mocking both old-fashioned traditions and modern innovations. The cartoonist presents evolving American culture as simultaneously progressive and absurd—satirizing everything from prohibition enforcement to flapper fashion. The subtitle "The Month of Swallows, Prohibited and Otherwise" appears to mock Prohibition's reach into everyday life.