Life, 1887-04-21 · page 12 of 16
Life — April 21, 1887 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Satire and Humor from Life Magazine, Page 226 This page collects brief satirical jokes and sketches typical of early Life magazine: **"Very Riewed"**: A crude poem mocking someone's pretentious behavior, using awkward rhymes ("sur-le-champ," "desuetiewed"). **"Laying Low"**: A dialogue joke playing on a misunderstanding—a Chicago man mistakes "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" (a famous poem) for discussion of employment ("what lay"). **"The New Baby"**: Racist humor featuring "Uncle Rastus," a stereotypical Black character. The joke is that he's naming his baby "Martha Washington Cleopatra"—absurdly grandiose names, presented as amusingly pretentious for a poor Black family. **"Similia Similibus Curantur"**: Two men debate theater etiquette—complaining that high hats worn by ladies now block views, so they refuse to give up train seats as gentlemen traditionally should. **"The Veil Trick—In Three Acts"**: A silent comic strip showing a woman using a veil to disguise herself through three sequential scenes. The humor reflects period attitudes toward class, race, and social conventions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VERY RIEWED. PARTY who testily viewed, The behavior inane of a diewed, With a dynamite bomb Knocked him out sur-lechamp, In innocuous desuetiewed. G LAYING LOw. HE: Have you ever read “ The Lay of the Last Minstrel,” Mr. Breezy ? HE (a Chicago young man) : No, I think not. What lay was he on? THE NEW BABY. ENTLEMAN: I hear you've got a new baby up at your house, Uncle Rastus. UNCLE Rastus: Yes, sah; bo'n las’ week. GENTLEMAN: Going to call it Rastus, I suppose ? UNCLE RASTUS (with a grin): No, sah; ‘tain’t dat kin’ ob er babby. I specs we is gwine ter call it Martha Washington Cleo- patra, sah, arter de ole ‘ooman. PHILADELPHIA firm is said to have the contract of furnishing sleepers to the Pennsyl- vania Railroad. Say, Jack, HADN'T WE BETTER GIVE UP OUR SEATS TO THE LADIES.” — “Not MUCH, OLD CHAPPIE; I'VE HAD TO GIVE UP MY SEAT AT THETTHEATRE SINCE THEY HE TOOK TO WEARING HIGH HATS, AND I'M GOING TO HANG ON TO MY SEAT IN THE CARS TILL e THE FASHION CHANGES.” tule oftenest broken in school — Ferule, Tue Ve Trick—In THree Acts, comicbooks.com