Life, 1899-11-09 · page 9 of 20
Life — November 9, 1899 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 369 The main cartoon depicts three men in formal attire in what appears to be a hallway, with dialogue: "I saw you kissing my daughter, I don't like it, sir." "Then you don't know what's good, sir." The accompanying text discusses Mayor Van Wyck feeling "unequal to his job" and includes commentary about the New York *Times* publishing gossip about New York society figures and jewelers. The satire critiques both journalistic ethics (reprinting trivial gossip) and the hypocrisy of social elites who publicly condemn improper behavior while privately enjoying it. The three smaller cartoons on the right use visual humor about "greatness"—some are born great, some achieve it, some have it thrust upon them—likely mocking pretensions to social status among the same elite circles being satirized above.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE 369 already too familiar. For the best of names, when the early bloom is once printed off, run a fearful risk of becoming ridiculous by overuse, HE {dea of reciprocity between England and the United States ts evidently firmly Ueiteved in by the Engltsh paper 7/t-8 ts, conducted by Geo. Newnes. “1 GAW YOU KISSING MY DACOHTER, | DON'T LIKE “THEN YOU DON'T KXOW WHAT'S GOOD, 81K. Comparisons. UR wodding trip is ull too short,” Bho said, with muMed sigh, “ Well, maybe 80,” ho groaned, " but it's Not half so short as I.” From the New York “Times.” vgTho town was very gay yesterday, and there & number of parties lunching at the wie restaurants. “Mrs. John Jacob Axtor, pecoming gown of gnAy, Was hopping In Afternoon, stopping at several of the Jewelers Mrs. Duncan Billott, Mr. and Mra. Umer, elghton Webb, Stns, and the Missew Rutherford day. THs is the dignity of journalism, And the New York Times is the paper that flaunts the boast of ‘‘ All the newa that’s fit to print.” Is this news fit to print? Could anything be more sycophantic, morc trivial, or less fit to print? If Mra. John Jacob Astor chooses to visit ten thousand jewelers, Ict her do it, and in peace. She can afford it, And none of us cares, The mention of the other names as being on the avenue merely inclines the reader toa sense of nausca, For these men and women are of no serious im- portance, They signify nothing in art or literature, science, politics or sport, They are merely names, and names Every Issue of this paper contains one or more Jokes stolen bodily from Live without any credit, This has been going on for years, and we Merely mention the matter now because of the growing frequency with which some American papers copy and credit to Tit-its matertal which originally appeared in Lire and other Journals. Our American contemporaries should take heed unto themselves. ERE’S a statement that says Mayor Van Wyck feels that he is unequal to his job.” “T had no idea that he was so much on the side of the people.” AND SOMF WAVE GREATNESS THKUST CTON THEM.