Judge — June 17, 1922

# Analysis This page contains an editorial letter to the magazine's editor. A man sits at a desk typing, addressing "Dear Sir" with instructions about publishing business information for "Judge" by June 24th. The letter uses intentionally garbled typewriter-style text (mixing uppercase, lowercase, and symbols) to suggest either mechanical error or deliberate obfuscation. The satire appears to mock either: - Someone trying to hide information through unclear communication - Bureaucratic or legal language designed to confuse readers - A specific historical event or scandal requiring coded messaging Without additional context about Judge magazine's publication date and current events, the precise target remains unclear. The cartoon's humor relies on the contrast between the formal "Dear Sir" opening and the incomprehensible message that follows.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page (June 17, 1922) This cartoon by Robert Patterson depicts a domestic scene satirizing infidelity. A well-dressed man stands in a doorway holding bouquets, while a woman inside frantically hides evidence of another man's presence—visible through a doorway where a second man appears. The caption reads: "He loved not wisely—but two Wellesleys." The joke references the Wellesley name, likely implying two women of that surname or social circle. The satire mocks a man attempting to maintain simultaneous romantic relationships, with the cartoon showing the comedic chaos that ensues when both women are present. This reflects 1920s social humor about infidelity and the "new morality" debates of the Jazz Age.

# "The Rubicon" This sketch depicts a group of figures on a dock, gathered around a mooring post, with sailing vessels in the background. The title "The Rubicon" references the famous river Caesar crossed to start a civil war—a metaphor for crossing a point of no return. The drawing appears to be political satire, likely referencing a consequential decision or commitment by a political figure or group. The clustered, agitated figures suggest debate or tension over a momentous choice. The maritime setting—with boats ready to depart—reinforces the metaphor of embarking on a decisive course of action. Without additional context about Judge magazine's publication date, the specific political figures depicted remain unclear, though the composition suggests this concerns a significant American political crisis or decision point.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains two distinct pieces: **"EVOLU" (top)**: A humorous poem by Margaret Sherwin (Wellesley '22) satirizing women's evolution and social progress. It jokes about transforming "an embryonic mass" (a 1920 freshman) into a refined "senior class" member—essentially mocking how college supposedly civilizes young women. **"A Dissertation on Prom Men" (main article)**: A satirical essay by Elizabeth Mohn McCrum that humorously catalogs "the Prom Man" as a distinct species, distinguishing him from "Ordinary Men." The piece mocks his affected mannerisms, pretentious behavior, and romantic posturing—portraying him as an insufferable type who frequents upscale New York hotels and affects sophistication while being fundamentally shallow and boring. Both pieces target early 1920s college social culture and gender dynamics through comedic anthropological framing.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page The top cartoon, drawn by Hamilton Williams, depicts a fancy dress ball. A man in military costume confronts organizers, claiming his outfit isn't a disguise—it's his actual wife's costume. The joke plays on period gender anxieties: women wearing "masculine" military dress at social events was apparently scandalous enough to warrant satire about blurred gender presentation. The page also contains several short humorous stories and poems ("Cheap Skates," "Her Omission," "Competition," "Nowadays," "See the Birdie!") that appear to satirize modern domestic life—wives' jealousy over radio sets, doctors' harried schedules, and family dynamics. The lower cartoon by H.J. Holmgren shows a woman at a man's apartment door, presenting herself as having been "strolling by." The humor depends on period assumptions about unmarried women's propriety and reputation.

# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page collects brief humorous anecdotes typical of early 20th-century American magazines. The humor reflects period attitudes: **"Educated"**: A white mistress points out dust on furniture to her Black maid "Annie." The joke relies on a racial stereotype—the maid's response ("ain't it swell to have a eddication?") uses dialect to suggest she's foolishly proud of minimal literacy, or misunderstands the mistress's complaint as a compliment about her education. **"Applied Psychology"**: Professor Thornberry Pill finds a crowded waiting room. He cleverly rushes back with his traveling bag, causing other passengers to panic-exit, thinking the train has arrived. He then sits undisturbed. **The cartoon** (drawn by W. Heath Robinson) illustrates a pyjama factory cutting room with exaggerated mechanical apparatus—satirizing industrial manufacturing efficiency. **Other sketches** ("None Present," "Plenty of Time," "Incidental Punishment") are brief jokes about dialect humor, childhood logic, and witty retorts—standard magazine filler emphasizing cleverness or foolishness. The racial humor now reads as offensive; contemporary readers found it entertainment.

# "Beauty and Utility" - Analysis This is a satirical story about artistic integrity versus practical survival, illustrated by a park bench conversation between two struggling artists and a pragmatic narrator. **The figures**: A self-described "poet" (appearing disheveled and desperate) encounters the narrator, who is also an artist but takes commercial work—writing advertising jingles and commercial verses for corkscrews and rubber tires. **The satire's point**: The poet refuses to "prostitute" his art, maintaining lofty principles about listening to "clanging spheres" and analyzing breezes, yet he's starving, evicted, and reduced to begging. The narrator, meanwhile, writes pedestrian commercial content but eats well, pays rent, and can lend money. **Social commentary**: This mocks both Bohemian artistic pretension and American commercialism. The joke is that the idealistic poet's refusal to compromise leaves him destitute, while the pragmatist thrives. The story questions whether artistic purity has value when it produces only suffering, or whether "selling out" to commercial demands is actually the wiser, more honest choice. It's essentially Depression-era commentary on struggling artists' economic futility.

# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains humorous short stories typical of Judge magazine's "Stories to Tell" section, which paid writers for original jokes. The content reflects early-20th-century American humor: **"Watch Your Step"** is a pun-based joke: a professor laying concrete sidewalk complains about a child crossing it, saying he likes children "in the abstract, but not in the concrete." **"Malpractice"** uses ethnic humor (a Scandinavian-accented farmer character, "Lars") in a shaggy-dog story where a veterinarian's bad advice about administering medicine via dinner horn causes a cow to panic and drown, leading to a lawsuit. **"Not Impressed"** features two Cape Cod locals unmoved by Niagara Falls' statistics, comparing it unfavorably to local storm conditions—humor based on regional pride and understatement. **"You Tell Him, Daddy"** jokes about a young boy's impatience during a church sermon about the church's future, asking his father to answer the minister so they can leave. These represent typical Judge-era humor: wordplay, ethnic caricature, and gentle social observation rather than sharp political satire.

# Judge Magazine Page Analysis ## The "Evolution" Cartoon The four-panel strip shows a woman's professional progression: from a Broadway showgirl in a patterned dress, to a simple worker, to a scientist in a lab coat, to an educated professional. The accompanying text explains that "Annette," a product of Broadway culture, came to Wellesley College to impress "uppish Bostonians" but instead developed a passion for microscopy and nature study, earning a Phi Beta Kappa key and an instructor position. **The satire**: This gently mocks the transformation of a frivolous young woman into a serious academic through education, satirizing both Broadway culture and suggesting that even superficial people can become scholars—or praising women's educational advancement, depending on the reader's perspective. ## "Space Mad" Story A science fiction tale about a professor who invented a helium machine traveling faster than light waves, allowing him to witness historical events (Washington crossing the Delaware, King Arthur). The ironic twist: he's so entranced by past events he refuses to return to earth. **The humor**: Absurdist fiction poking fun at scientific theorizing and professorial absent-mindedness.