Life, 1890-01-16 · page 12 of 14
Life — January 16, 1890 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire Analysis This page satirizes Life magazine's own self-promotion and contains unrelated social humor typical of the era. The main feature mocks Life's exaggerated circulation claims through "Miss McGinty," a fictional character supposedly reporting from Harlem. The joke: McGinty attended a reception where she casually mentioned Life's circulation figures (85,637,211 copies—obviously absurd) and the audience cheered. This lampoons Life's tendency to boast about its readership and influence. The smaller cartoons offer period humor: "A Phenomenon" shows a drunk man (Gilsey) who didn't enjoy a Paris exposition because he wouldn't abandon his prejudices. "An Eye to Business" plays on mistaking an undertaker for an electric-light director—a joke about business acumen. The final exchange between contributor and editor jokes that bad poetry deserves prison time. The illustrations depict social scenes in Harlem and domestic situations typical of Life's satirical style, though the racial context of a "hardy explorer" visiting Harlem reflects attitudes of that era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
40 AGAIN HEARD FROM! LIFE’S GREATEST ENTERPRISE! MISS McGINTY WELCOMED IN HARLEM. SHE ATTENDS A RECEPTION GIVEN IN HER HONOR. The Dire Effects of Harlem Hospitality upon our Hardy Explorer —The Guessing Match.—Life is a Great Journal, ‘The guessing match started in our last issue has provoked world-wide interest as is shown by the tre- mendous increase in our mail. Some days we re- ceive as many as two letters and a postal card. Just as we go to press we receive the following from Miss McGinty : Horet. pe SHAMROCK, HARLEM, Friday, A. Last evening the Harlem Gentlemen's Sons’ Chowder Association tendered me a reception with music and dancing. I am afflicted this morning with what is known in medical parlance as a Kat= zenjammer. This disease is prevalent in Harlem at all seasons of the year, and is a distant medical connection of the gripe, from whose ravages I have so far escaped leave this evening by Belt Line car for the Battery. Sapie McGinty. P, S.—In responding to the toast ‘* The Ladies." last evening, [ incidently mentioned that Live's circulation last week was 85,637,211% copies, This brought my entertainers to their feet with cheers of enthusiasm. A PHENOMENON. Gilsey (as he wades through a stray mortar bed) : Greasu Scort! Wuo'p THoucHT — Ic —IT'p SNOWED SO HARD IN THISH —HIC—ONe spoT! She: Ou, HENRY, IT's VERY EASY TO SEE WHY YOU DIDS'T ENJOY THE EXx- POSITION. YOU WOULDS'T EXTER INTO WHAT WAS GOING ON. YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE YOUR NATI REJUDICES AND IDEAS OF LIFE BEHIND YOU, WHILE YoU WERE IN PARIS YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE AS THE PARISIANS DID. Henry: Goop HEAVENS, HOW COULD I? A MAN CAN'T SWINDLE AND ROW HIMSELF, CAN HE? é AN EYE TO BUSINESS. BEG your pardon,” said a reporter to a man who stood at the foot of one of the electric-light poles intently watching a lineman who was at work at the top, “ but are you an electric-light director?” “No, sir,” replied the man addressed, “I am not. I am an undertaker.” “ THE PROPER PENALTY. (CONTRIBUTOR: How much ought I to get for that poem? — Epiror: You ought to get about fifteen years. comicbooks.com