Life, 1901-12-02 · page 34 of 44
Life — December 2, 1901 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical one-act play mocking the impossibility of romantic communication in early 20th-century urban life. A man attempts to propose to a woman (Sue) amid the constant, overwhelming noise of automobile traffic—represented by relentless onomatopoeia (ker-chug, whirrrrr, bang-clang, etc.). The joke targets the sudden disruption cars brought to city life. The man must literally shout his proposal, jumping to his feet and yelling "Damn those cars! I love you!" just to be heard. Sue admits she cannot understand anything he says over the noise. The satire comments on how automobiles—still relatively new, noisy machines—were degrading urban communication and intimacy. The man even wishes aside that he had a megaphone to compete with the mechanical din. The sketch reflects anxieties about industrialization overtaking human connection in modern cities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| ker-chug, whirrrrr, buz: | (ker-chug-chug-chug, wh a whangbangitaclang) will you be- —(whirrrr) I love—(ker-chug-chug, bang -it-ta- bang- | whangit-aclangngngngggy) me?—(whirmr, whizzzzz, burrrrr, bang-boom-om-om-2zz | clang) darling —(whirrrrrrr, bang - it - ta - | clang) wife. (Catches one of her hands and squeezes it timidly.) Sue (snatching her hand away): Beg par- don, but the cars—(ker-chug-chug, bang-it- | ta whannggngngng, whirrrrrr) understand. Please—(ker-chug, ker - chug - chug - chug bangwhangitta, lang-a-clang-bang, ker- chug) louder. He (timidly raising his voice and woking desperately around, while HE hitches his chair alittle nearer SILE, and allows his arm to rest lightly on her shoulders, the sieat running in rivers down his neck): Ever since I have known you I have liked you, but now I— (ker-chug-chug, whirrrrrrr, buzzzz, whit bang) darling—(bur-r-r-rrr, ker-chug-ker- chug, whang-it-a-bang) you and I—(bang- whan -clangwhirrrrr) to be my—(whizzz- boom -om - bang-whirrrr) dearest heart— (sizzzzzzzz, burrrrrr, buzzzz, ker-chug-chug) Will you ?—(ker-chug-chug, bangitawhang, barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr). (Aside) Good heavens, | I wish I had a megaphone ! | Site (blushing and looking shyly up at him): | Will I what? I did not understand it all. | The cars—(ker-chug-chug, whirrrrr, buzzz, ) bangwhanalangclangngngng) noise I—{ker- Miss Wrothers (frighdly) : ON BENDED KNRES, MUSTN'T PUT NO PREMIUM ON DE SET OB A PAIR OB TWO-DOLLAR 1. chug-ker-chug, whirrrrr) catch all—(whirrrrrrrr). Please do—(ker-chug-ker-chug-chug, whirrrrrrrrr) louder. HE (gets desperate, jumps to his feet, throws his arma around the neck of SHE, kisses her and yells): Damn AGE: 14st. NY. rOMERS ice gf ONS ysis so CLEANSING YO" KIN JUST QUIT DAT PANTS HITCHIN’ UP PROGRAM, MK, KOUYS, Ty ANY MAN DAT EXPECTS TO WIN set ENDER TROCSATS, those cars! Ilove you. Will you be my w (ker-chug-chug, burrrrrrrrrr,buzz-2-2-2-2-2-Z22rat- latabangwhangclangtingalingalingbang whirm, ker-chug-chug-chug). CURTAIN. — Everett MeNeit THE BEST ~ > HAIR TONIC. THE BEST DANDRUFF CURE. comicbooks.com