Judge — April 14, 1923

# Analysis This page contains **two book advertisements**, not political cartoons or satire. **Left ad:** Promotes "A History of The American Legion" by Marquus James, published by William Green. The Legion is described as "the best insurance policy a country ever had." The ad targets Legionnaires and World War I-affiliated Americans, emphasizing this as the definitive early history of the organization. **Right ad:** Advertises "Secrets of the Balkans" by Charles J. Vopicka, a U.S. diplomat who served in Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria (1913-1920). The ad positions this as an insider account revealing European political secrets during the post-WWI period. Both advertisements use period marketing language targeting educated readers interested in military history and international affairs.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page (April 12, 1923) **Main Content:** A satirical play titled "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" by Harry Irving Shumway, featuring a dialogue between a Man and a Traffic Officer on a boulevard. **The Satire:** The joke targets traffic enforcement and speed regulations. A man complains about being stopped for speeding, claiming he was going "thirty-five" mph. The officer insists the legal limit is twenty mph and threatens a citation. The absurdist humor emerges through the man's escalating rationalization—he boasts of going "thirty-five" but then claims it was "more than that," ultimately admitting he felt he was "going thirty-five an hour." **Context:** This reflects 1920s anxieties about automobile culture, speed limits, and police enforcement of traffic laws—then relatively new regulations. The title ironically invokes the Declaration of Independence to satirize petty traffic stops.

# Analysis of "Another Menace" This illustration by Gilbert Wilkinson depicts a domestic dispute about family trees and genealogy research. The story "Another Menace" by Grantland Rice satirizes the growing craze of genealogy—tracing family ancestry—as a threat to domestic harmony. The scene shows a husband confronting his wife about her genealogy obsession. She's become so consumed researching family history (specifically seeking information about "Mr. Neurich" regarding "mushrooms") that she neglects household duties and social propriety. The husband's complaints—that she spends money, ignores him, and embarrasses the family publicly—mock how genealogy became an absorbing hobby that could disrupt middle-class marriages and domestic order. The satire targets the era's genealogy fad as creating marital discord.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains satirical dialogue and two cartoons from the World War I era (suggested by "WWF" reference, likely meaning "World War"). **Top illustration**: Four women display boots with a Kipling quote about soldiers' boots "moving up an' down again," mocking men's obsession with military matters. **Dialogue snippets**: Multiple short jokes satirize wartime concerns—strikes, resource scarcity (oil, copper, mushrooms), and public apathy about conflict. One character calls a taxi a "heated taxi," apparently a pun on "taxi" (the wartime vehicle) being heated/contentious. **Bottom cartoon**: A woman and parrot observe a map. The caption "Squawk, squeek, g-r-r-w-a-a-w-k! Radio Fan—At last I know what WWF looks like" suggests the parrot's cacophony mimics radio static or wartime broadcasts. The page satirizes homefront attitudes toward war—indifference, profiteering, and confusion.

# Analysis This satirical cartoon illustrates the progression of romantic/courtship behavior through four college years, attributed to John Held, Jr. (a famous Judge cartoonist of the 1920s-30s). The progression shows: - **Freshman**: Nervous, formal interaction between a male and female student - **Sophomore**: More energetic, physical pursuit - **Junior**: Casual handholding, relaxed familiarity - **Senior**: Intimate embrace, suggesting commitment or engagement The subtitle "It's awfully hard to stick to it" sardonically comments on the difficulty of maintaining romantic relationships or commitment. The cartoon satirizes how college courtship evolves from awkward formality to physical intimacy, while questioning the sustainability of such relationships. It reflects Jazz Age attitudes toward dating and changing social norms among young adults.

# Analysis of This Judge Magazine Page **The Cartoon ("'Twas Ever Thus"):** George Mitchell's illustration depicts an ancient Egyptian scene with a scantily-clad woman ("pre-historic flapper") flirting with men. The accompanying poem sarcastically contrasts ancient seduction with modern times, suggesting that contemporary young women ("flappers") who manipulate wealthy older men for money ("sugar daddy") are far more calculating than their historical counterparts. **The Article ("How to Tell Time by a Sundial"):** Stanley E. Rauh's humorous piece is largely a comedic ramble using the sundial as a thin pretext for jokes about timekeeping and social behavior. The extended anecdote about a Roman race (Carthage vs. Drayage) illustrates how sundials prove unreliable when clouds appear—allowing him to mock both ancient technology and modern hotel management. **Context:** This reflects 1920s Jazz Age anxieties about changing morality, particularly regarding young women's independence and their perceived manipulation of wealthy men—a recurring satirical target in Judge magazine during this era.

# "Told at the 19th Hole" - Judge Magazine Analysis This page features a golf-themed humor column by Walter Trumbull. The cartoon depicts a golfer hitting a golf ball, with two figures observing from a bridge above—one asking if the other is "the guy the papers is talking about, Lord Carnarvon." **The Reference:** This likely alludes to Lord Carnarvon, the British aristocrat who funded Tutankhamun's tomb excavation in Egypt (early 1920s). The joke appears to be that someone notable is present at the Rockaway Hunt Club in Long Island, New York. **The Satire:** The column mixes sentimental poetry with satirical one-liners mocking contemporary issues: prohibition enforcement ("swear off smoking"), pacifism, state legislation banning evolution education, and Russian education. The humor targets legislative absurdity—particularly American lawmakers passing restrictive laws while appearing uneducated themselves. **Context for Modern Readers:** The evolution reference reflects 1920s-era fundamentalist opposition to Darwinian teaching in schools, a recurring American controversy. The column's tone is typical period satirical commentary on social attitudes and governance.

# Analysis for Modern Readers This Judge magazine page (appears to be 1920s) contains golf-themed humor reflecting post-WWI social changes. **"Hold that mirror up higher, James"**: A caddy holds a mirror so a golfer can see the ball—absurdist humor about incompetence or vanity. **"Sue's Golfing Now in Linen Pants"**: Satirizes women adopting practical athletic wear instead of traditional skirts. The poem's repeated refrain and male "gallery" following Sue suggests anxiety about women's liberation and changing gender norms—both concerning and titillating to contemporary readers. **"Scooty Blear"** (Scottish dialect): Golf aphorisms mocking both players and Prohibition-era bootlegging ("container in th' basement"). **"Spring's Questionings"**: Parodies Hamlet's soliloquy applied to golf, creating intellectual absurdist humor. The cartoons depict golfing mishaps. Overall, the page reflects 1920s preoccupations: women's changing roles, Prohibition, and golf's cultural prominence among the leisure class.

# "The Sport of Saying 'Good-by'" This satirical comic by Weed depicts the theatrical rituals of farewell—particularly railway station partings, a common early-20th-century scenario. The humor centers on how people transform simple goodbyes into elaborate, performative acts. The sketches show various exaggerated departure scenes: an emotional embrace with luggage, a man missing his 7:52 train while prolonging farewells, and a "mixed quartet" dramatically performing their goodbyes "with Tosti's Good-by" (referencing the sentimental song by Paolo Tosti). The satire mocks the excessive sentimentality and social pretense surrounding departures—treating mundane train journeys as dramatic theatrical events. The subtitle "sometimes the parting is permanent" adds dark humor, suggesting people stage these performances even for temporary absences. The cartoon captures period anxieties about emotional authenticity versus social performance in upper-class society.

# "Shoot, If You Must" - Judge Magazine Film Review This page reviews contemporary silent films, written by George Mitchell. The main article critiques "The Leopardess," starring Alice Brady, which follows a familiar melodramatic plot: a Scotch-American father marries a Pacific Islander; his daughter Alice is purchased by a wealthy big-game hunter (Montague) but falls for the yacht captain (Edward Langford). The climax features a fight between Alice and a caged leopardess that Montague has been abusing. Mitchell's satire emphasizes that this is "a woman's picture"—aimed at female audiences—mocking the predictable drama and emotional manipulation designed to make viewers weep. He notes the film exploits the old literary trope that "the patient worm will turn," where both Alice and the leopardess simultaneously turn on their oppressor. The secondary review covers Mabel Normand's "Suzanna," featuring the familiar switched-babies plot and Spanish Mission-period scenery, praising Normand's comedic talent.

# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains two distinct pieces: **"Sunshine in My Soul"** by Walt Mason is a humorous poem about a cheerful man who uses constant smiling and optimism to avoid giving money to poor travelers and charitable causes. The satire targets wealthy people who offer hollow encouragement ("cheer up!") instead of actual financial help. He contrasts himself favorably with his neighbor Johnson, who actually gives five dollars to needy visitors but receives complaints for his grumpiness. Mason suggests that charm and empty positivity are socially rewarded over genuine kindness—people prefer his pleasant refusals to Johnson's begrudging generosity. **The cartoons** show: 1. A barber ("Hello, Rudopho!") at a chair with a customer 2. A bearded man in shabby clothes (the "weary pilgrim") 3. A street scene labeled "Cop (chasing runaway)—All right, guv'nor! You've got 'im!"—depicting what appears to be common urban police activity The content satirizes class attitudes and shallow materialism of the era.