Life, 1888-09-06 · page 12 of 14
Life — September 6, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Humor Page Analysis This page from *Life* contains six separate jokes typical of late 19th/early 20th-century American humor: 1. **"Good Reason Why"**: A sentimental joke about a young man weeping over lost love to a skeptical stranger. 2. **"The Fitness of Things"**: A pun-based joke where a tall hat looks absurd until someone notes there's an attractive woman ("belle") wearing it—making it worthwhile. 3. **"A Lame Excuse"**: An Irish-accented policeman confronts a drunk man removing his shoes at 2 a.m. The excuse plays on domestic anxiety (spoiling carpet). 4. **"As on Earth"**: A heavenly gatekeeper joke where St. Peter has abandoned his post for a baseball game—satirizing Americans' obsession with the sport. 5. **"He Liked the Results"**: A drunk orders whiskey matching what an unconscious man drank, suggesting the alcohol's effect was desirable. The right side shows unrelated illustrations about bulls and boarders. These are light, topical gags for middle-class readers, relying on puns, ethnic dialect humor, and domestic situations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BULL AND THE BOARDER. GOOD REASON WHY. Stout Party: Wuy, wity, U'M ASTONISHED TO SEE A YOUNG MAN OF YOUR SIZE CRYING LIKE THAT! Young Man: 1 GUESS YOU'D CRY TOO IF YOU'D A’ LOVED AS I HAVE AND THEN A’ HAD YOUR BEST GIRL TOOK FROM YOU BY A MAN YER HATED! THE FITNESS OF THINGS. OGGS: Just look at that absurd hat! Why it’s as tall as a steeple! Boccs: What's odd about that? Isn't! there a. belle under it? Soon 2 A LAME EXCUSE. FFICER (2a.m.): Hi, there! Phwat do yez mane by taking off yeze shoes in the sthreet ? Mr. PAPERWATE: ‘Sh, off'sher! My wife's taken in the door-mat, an’ I don’t want to spoil the stair-carpet ! AS ON EARTH. PPLICANT (énocking loudly at the gates): What ho, within there! Voice: What's wanted? APPLICANT: I want to see St. Peter. Voice: Well, you can’t see him now; he has gone to the ball game. HE LIKED THE RESULTS. EEDY PARTY (0 dartender): Whiskey, please? BARTENDER: What kind, friend ? SEEDY PARTY: Gimme the same as the feller had wots lyin’ under the billiard table. comicbooks.com