Life — June 1, 1905 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page This page is **primarily advertising** for consumer products (Autocar Runabout automobiles, Colt Revolvers, and Mullins Stamped Steel Boats), with one cartoon. The cartoon at top-left shows a man in a hat being violently struck or knocked down, with the caption: "SHOCKING. / IF YOU'D BE THOUGHT A GENTLEMAN, / WHEN RIDING ON THE STREET, / PUT UP YOUR HAND BEFORE YOUR EYES / AND KEEP IT BIT ON THE WAY." The joke appears to satirize public comportment—specifically, that gentlemen should shield their eyes when encountering something shocking on city streets (possibly implied to be women in revealing dress or other unseemly sights). The ironic humor lies in the violent "shocking" action depicted contradicting the genteel advice given.