Life, 1890-06-05 · page 12 of 16
Life — June 5, 1890 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire Analysis This page contains two separate satirical jokes: **Top cartoon**: A married couple discusses another woman (Mrs. Jaysmith) who uses alcohol on her lips as rouge. The husband quips that Jaysmith himself uses alcohol too—but to make his *nose* red, and he doesn't apply it topically. This is a joke about male drinking/alcoholism: the implication is that Jaysmith drinks so heavily his nose is perpetually reddened from alcohol consumption, a visible sign of habitual drunkenness. **Main article**: The text sarcastically argues that if museums should close on Sundays for religious observance, they should also close parks and cover zoo animals—since grass, birds, and squirrels are equally "irreligious" distractions. It mocks the hypocrisy of strict Sabbath-day restrictions on public institutions. The final quip about Noah knowing to go inside when it rained is unclear in context but appears to be additional sarcasm about arbitrary religious rules. The satire targets both alcoholism and religious zealotry regarding Sunday closures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
She: MRS, JAYSMITH TELLS ME SHE RUNS ALCOHOL ON HER LIPS TO MAKE THEM RED. He: JAYSMITH USES THE SAME AGENT TO MAKE HIS NOSE RED, RUT HE DOESN'T RUB IT ON. F it is wrong for working people to gaze upon objects of art on the Sabbath, it certainly must be a greater sin to visit a menagerie, and if the Metropolitan Museum is really to be closed against the public on that day, let us at least be consistent and cover up the animals. Many of these animals now on exhibition are essentially frivolous in their deport- ment. Few of them inspire religious thoughts. The bison, the camel, the elephant and the jackass possess a certain repose and solemnity of manner in harmony with the Sunday aspect of the Metropolitan Museum, but those animals whose want of dignity is calculated to bring a cheerful smile to the faces of an over-worked public should certainly be concealed. The quickest way to accomplish this would be to put the menagerie in the hands of the trustees of the museum. Why not go a step further and place the entire park in charge of these progressive gentlemen? The grass with its gaudy green. the thoughtless singing of the birds, and the irreligious squirrels would in themselves furnish sufficient excuse for closing it against the public. YVMSTEVER Noah's shortcomings he knew enough to go in when it rained, THe Bots pe BouLooNe.—Amertcan Pronunciation comicbooks.com