Life, 1893-06-15 · page 5 of 14
Life — June 15, 1893 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 379 This page contains three separate humorous pieces satirizing social conventions of the era. **"The After-Dinner Speaker"** (top): The cartoon and accompanying text mock the paradox of after-dinner speeches. The illustration shows three men at a formal dinner, with the central figure as the speaker. The satire points out that while some men become "famous after-dinner talkers," this fame doesn't actually benefit them—it merely damages their reputation as genuine speakers. The text suggests that truly successful men *avoid* becoming known for this dubious skill. **"A Doubting Thomas"** (bottom left): Mrs. Meadows questions newspaper predictions about rain, humorously expressing skepticism toward meteorological forecasts. **"He Knew She Wouldn't"** (bottom right): A brief joke about a customer refusing to order shad because one cannot simultaneously talk and eat shad. All three pieces employ gentle, conversational satire typical of early 20th-century American humor magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE AFTER-DINNER SPEAKER. E, they have lighted their cigars ! Well! And that is one of the speakers! What is he saying ? He hasn't got yet to what he is going to say. He is not saying anything yet then ? Not yet. But will he say anything ? There is no telling. But if he does ? It will be a mistake, for that is not what he is there for. Why is he there then ? To promote digestion. And not to promote thought ? Precisely not. ‘Thought antagonizes digestion. His office is to obviate as far as possible the hazard of thought. He is to talk, though, is he not ? Yes, for if he didn’t there might be general conversation and that is too favorable to cerebration. But he is to say nothing ? So! And to say it with such liveliness and dexterity as to cause his remarks to simulate matter while really endowed with such soothing and oblivious qualities as are only deriva- ble from vacuity. But has not high reputation sometimes grown out of after- dinner speeches ? Some men have certainly become famous after-dinner talkers, It is an art then that does make famous men? No, it merely makes famous after-dinner talkers, But not famous men? Oh, no. Some famous men have become famous after- dinner talkers, just as others have taken to drink, but it takes more than either rum or after-dinner talk to make a famous man. But the after-dinner talk helps, doesn’t it ? On the contrary; it damages. If a man is a thoroughly successful after-dinner talker in full practice, it is next to im- possible to pass him off as a great man, Then what is the profit in after-dinner speaking ? There isn't any, except for second or third-rate men. How is it possible then to get so much of it done gratis by men of real ability ? That is the marvel. Of course itis a sort of intoxicant, and some men form the habit of it and cannot break off. That explains some cases. Presently when the true nature of it is better understood it will be rated as an exhilarant, and furnished for dinner parties by the caterer. There will be as many different taps of it then as there are of champagne, and it will be charged for, roundly, in the bill. A DOUBTING THOMAS. RS. MEADOW: The paper says it'll rain to-morrow. i FARMER MEADOW: It does, ch! Well I hain’t much faith in these newspaper predictions. What does the almanac say? HE KNEW SHE WOULDN'T. ISH MAN: roe shad ? CUSTOMER: the same time. Do you think your wife would like a fine No. A person can’t talk and eat shad at comicbooks.com