Judge — May 25, 1929 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The top cartoon satirizes romantic/dramatic scenes throughout history (Adam and Eve, Samson and Delilah, Cleopatra and Antony, Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Iseult) by reducing them to physical slapstick—characters hitting each other. The final panel mocks these "noble traditions" by showing people literally spanking each other as climax, suggesting historical romance is just repetitive violence. The bottom section, "The International Situation," references the **Gann Controversy** (likely early 1930s)—a diplomatic row over protocol seating. The poem sarcastically celebrates resolving "a crisis for our nation" by deciding "where Mrs. Gann shall sit," mocking how American leaders obsessed over a minor etiquette question while framing it as patriotic problem-solving. The accompanying cartoon shows figures in diplomatic chaos, suggesting the absurdity of treating protocol disputes as major national achievements. Both pieces mock American culture—one for romanticizing violence, the other for prioritizing trivial social rank over substantive governance.