Life, 1905-02-02 · page 22 of 40
Life — February 2, 1905 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Life magazine's treatment of Jewish theatrical producers. The text reveals that Life's dramatic critic was denied entry to performances, which Life attributed to Jewish producers "baiting" the publication. However, the *Jewish Daily News* (a leading Jewish publication in the city) publicly disowned Life's claims, rejecting their narrative. The satire mocks Life's situation: their critic is now effectively sidelined, unable to review plays firsthand, compared to the ancient Greek figure Aristides (famous for integrity). The cartoon bottom-right depicts a doctor warning a drunk patient about drinking—a metaphor suggesting Life has become intoxicated by its own power and bias, now "stone-blind" to reality. The page's title, "Business Methods Applied to the Power of the Press," indicates the satire targets how media outlets weaponize their influence. Life is portrayed as abusing journalistic authority through alleged discrimination rather than fair criticism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Disowned. ROMPT confirmation comes to Lire's belief better class of Jews would not respond to the ¢ s of the Th ed and bellowed that they were e memb help put up by the despe Trust. Those men c being | 1use they ecuted by Lire be were Jews, Just inside the cover of this number will be found the response to their er given by the leading Jewish publication in this city, It is a carefully and ably written leader from the Jewish Daily Neves, in which they are told what is thought f them by the race which they claim Lire is “ baiting. Disowned by the race and creed whi n they dishonor, de- spised by Jew and Gentile We c not that they still hold arrogantly in their bh alike, where will they next ? hem wi ald find it in our hearts to f nds the inter- ests of dramatic art in America, and exercise a despotic e lives an sway over t! fortunes of hundreds of helpless persons who are dependent on them for their daily bread. ‘Tribute daily pours in heir already overflowing coffers from more than six hundred theatres, covering almost per cent. y city and town in the United States, /» (and sometimes more) of the entire receipts of practically every theatrical performance in the United States goes into their pockets caprice is higher than the law. No wonder they fancy that their No wonder the: forget the sense of fair play and justice which is an abiding quality in the breasts of the American people. No wonder they are blind to the w: ny on the wall, HE merits and demerits of at least two performances would be re- “corded in these columns were it not th the writer had been bre as ‘an objectionable of tt ance, amon, led by these person.” In beh ders of Lire the writer sought er er ple formances of ** The Duchess the Liberty, denied admittance, pre eof opinions which ssed in Lire, and with which its readers and judgment it have been exp are familiar. From persons of credibility EVENING COSTUMES SUGGESTED FOR THE USE OF LIFE’s DRAMATIC CRITIC, is learned that the first of these pe able musical setting of the Napole in dramatic form in “‘ Madame Sans Géne," and that the second is a dull farce. If the readers of Lire will forgive these second-hand opinions for a short time, it is believed that before long it will be possible for this journal to supply dramatic reviews at first-hand as Meanwhile Lire craves their indulgence. Just at the present moment there seems to be nothing ormances is an agree= ic story which is told heretofore, for Lire’s critic to do but go away back and sit down alongside of poor old Aristides. eee HE present situ tion brings irre- sistibly to mind the bibulous gentleman who had about reached the end of his tether “ You can make up your mind," said his “that ever take another drink of whiskey, go stone- doctor you blind, All ri d the n about Call everything t nt, doc,” | patient Bly; ~ worth seeing.’ Metcalfe. BUSINESS METHODS APPLIED TO THE POWER OF THE PRESS, comicbooks.com