Life, 1901-11-28 · page 5 of 22
Life — November 28, 1901 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 425 This page contains three distinct pieces of humor: 1. **"To Everybody"** announces Life's 1000th issue (dated December 28th), presenting this as a momentous celebration. 2. **"Turning the Tables"** is a brief comedic anecdote about cultural misunderstanding. A San Francisco housewife asks her Chinese cook Lem what he's preparing before Chinese New Year. Lem explains he's making food for his deceased friend's grave so the friend can eat in the afterlife. The joke mocks both Chinese funeral customs as "ludicrous" and the housewife's naive surprise—the satire cuts both ways, critiquing American dismissal of unfamiliar traditions. 3. **"Mr. Frog"** cartoon depicts anthropomorphic frogs in Thanksgiving dinner chaos, with the caption commenting on eating turkey—dark humor about prey animals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To Everybody. HE 1000th number of Lire is approaching. Preparations are now in progress for the celebration of this momentous event. This number, dated December 26th, will be issued the day before Christmas. It will be the regular issue of that week, containing many more pages than usual, and richly illus- trated and embellislfed by such historical ‘persiflage as will convey to Lire’s readers some idea of his experience in arriving at his present estate. A cover of special import has been designed by Mr. Gibson for this unique publication. This 1000th number, a tribute to those who have made the paper what it is, will prove of exceptional interest to all who have followed Lirr’s career. Turning the Tables. At the death of Li Hung Chang, it was reported that many of his compatriots had strewn paper horses and. carriages on his grave so that he might the more easily ascend to heaven, Many people, upon hearing this, laughed, think- ing probably that the customs of the Chinese are very ludi- crous, Our ways, however, appear as ridiculous to them. The day before the Chinese New Year, the mistress of ono of San Francisco's fine homes went into her kitchen to givean order to her Chinese cook, Lem. To her surprise, she noticed that he was preparing a very curious mixture which she had not ordered. Mrs. R.: What is that, Lem? Mr. Frog: om, WHAT A GLORIOUS THANKSGIVING WORM! 1 PEEL SORRY POR PEOPLE WNO HAVE TO EAT TURKEY TO-DAY. POPULAR SONG. “11's TAE MAN BEUIND THY GUN THAT DOES THE work.” Lem.: Me got frien’ in grabeyard. To-morrow Chinee New Year, Me go put this by his grabe for him, “Why, Lem! Do you think your friend will come out of his grave to eat the food you put there? Lem drew himself up and retorted with a cold scorn worthy of his predecessor, Confucius. “You t'ink your frien’ come out his grabe to smell flowers you put there?” Walter Scamp Chooses the All- Animal Team for 1901. (Apologies are tendered where most needed) EFT end, Wolff of Columbia. Left tackle, Stagg of University of Chicago. Left guard, Swan of Yale. Center, Lyon of Harvard 2d. 4 Right guard, Bullock of Dartmouth, Right tackle, Hart of Yale. Right end, Hare of Pennsylvania, Quarter-back, Fox of Mt. Carmel. Left half-back, Griffen of New York University. Right half-back, Beaver of Carlisle Indians, Full-back, Campbell of Harvard. Laudable. SEE that Ernest Seton-Thompson has changed his name, at the same time that he has accepted a position on The Ladies’ Home Journal.” “Only a natural desiro to conceal his identi “T comicbooks.com