Life, 1891-05-14 · page 12 of 14
Life — May 14, 1891 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page satirizes newspaper theater criticism as corrupt advertising rather than honest reviewing. The main article "Theatre-Goers' Enemies" argues that newspapers—particularly the *New York* papers referenced—publish glowing reviews of mediocre productions like the fictional "Unutterable Trash" because theaters pay heavily for advertising space. The satire suggests readers are duped into buying expensive tickets (often from scalpers) to see worthless shows, based on newspaper hype that's really just paid promotion disguised as editorial content. The top cartoon jokes about a doctor "busy writing a treatise on alcohol"—implying he's an alcoholic ("seems full of his subject"), a pun on being literally full of the substance he studies. The bottom cartoon, "A Faith Preserved," shows a child explaining her failed prayer: she asked God for warm weather but made mistakes saying prayers in French, so God denied her request. It's gentle humor about childhood logic and religious instruction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“WHOSE YOUR FRIEND?” “On! a doctor I KNOW—TELLS ME THAT HE IS RUSY WRITING A TREATISE ON ALCOHOL.” “SEEMS FULL OF HIS SUBJECT.” SLAW Sm THEATRE-GOERS’ It. ENEMIES. HEN one reads in the dramatic column of one’s favorite newspaper : “* The seventy-fifth performance of ‘ Unutterable Trash’ will take place at the Humbug Theatre this evening, and the occasion will be marked by the usual souvenir. This sparkling opera (or thrilling drama, or magnifi- cent production, as the case may be), is a great success and is playing to crowded houses,” one is apt to think that not to see “* Unutterable Trash” is to be out of the world. Thereupon the theatre-goer who relies upon the statements of his favorite newspaper is likely to go the box-office of the Hum- bug Theatre to secure tickets. Very likely he will find himself compelled to buy them of a speculator, who, it is needless to say, - LIFE: is practically in the pay of the Humbug Theatre. Then with a heart high with anticipation he goes to become one in the “ crowded houses” that witness the “ great success " at the Humbug Theatre. Perhaps the theatre-goer is astonished when he finds himself one of the corporal’s guard who witness a dire and dreadful performance of a witless and worthless production. He gocs away and wants to kick somebody. The question is, whom ought he to kick ? Himself, of course, for believing anything his favorite newspaper—no matter which newspaper it is—says about matters theatrical. If he has had any experience at all in theatre going and newspaper reading he ought to know better. If he is at all observant he ought to have noticed what good customers for advertising space are the theatres, and then have drawn the proper inference. In the case of “ Unutterable Trash,” for instance, he would have seen that every day or two during its run his favorite newspaper contained some allusion to the piece, or to the actors in it, or to the genial manager of the Humbug Theatre. The fact is that the Humbug Theatre people are going to take “ Unutterable Trash” out on the road, and they want to give it the reputation of being a New York suc- cess. They spend their money freely in the advertising columns of the New York newspapers, and the news- A FAITH PRESERVED. Ethel; 17's TOO BAD IT's COLD, IT PRAYED FOR A WARM pay, Does Gop atways ER PRAYER ? Mamma: Yes, iF you FOR A THING IN THE RIGHT WAY, AND IF YOU DON'T HE /:PROVES YOU BY NOT GIVING IT. Sthel: On, 1 ste Now. (THE GOVERNESS TOLD ME TO TRY TO SAY MY PRAYERS 1.. FRENCH THIS MONTH, AND I GUESS I MADE MISTAKES, comicbooks.com