Life — June 8, 1905 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical cartoon about religious instruction and moral behavior. The central image shows an older gentleman (appearing to be a grandfather or authority figure) speaking with a young boy. The caption reads: "Grandpa, do you have to be awful good to get into Heaven?" to which he replies "Yes, my boy," followed by "Well, I've about made up my mind to try for the Booby Prize." The joke satirizes adult hypocrisy—the grandfather acknowledges heaven requires moral virtue but admits he's abandoned that pursuit, instead settling for a "booby prize" (a consolation award given mockingly). This mocks the disconnect between religious teachings about virtue and actual adult behavior, a common target of turn-of-the-century American satirical humor.