Life, 1906-03-01 · page 20 of 46
Life — March 1, 1906 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains three satirical pieces mocking American social pretension and career decisions: **"Americanus Sum"** ridicules the proposed National Theatre's box-holder selection process. The text mocks wealthy patrons with absurdly fake names (Mr. and Mrs. "Stilor Nuthin," "Newe Butsolid," "Merg Hogg") to satirize how such institutions select members based purely on "social standing" rather than merit. The joke is that America's cultural institutions are controlled by the vapid rich. **"Flight"** targets President Roosevelt's appointment of Ames F. Wilder as Consul General to Hongkong. The satire suggests Wilder, a Yale orator and after-dinner speaker, is actually *fleeing* his career by accepting the distant post—that he's putting geographical distance between himself and his failed prospects. The cartoonist questions why such an unqualified person received this diplomatic position. **"The Appreciative Husband"** shows a husband who reorganized his wife's sewing room uninvited, thinking he was helping. When she objects, he praises her for "kindness." The caption punchline mocks the husband's "universal intelligence" while his college-aged son exemplifies that real success requires actual brains—a family trait apparently lacking.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LI Americanus Sum. with considerable joy that the owner box in the proposed “ National Theatre "’ is to pay $100,000 for it, and they are to be the property of the buyers in per. petuity. The holders of these boxes are to be selected by a committee, which is to endeavor to choose people of undoubted social standing. All depends on the social standing. No theatre will be truly ‘ National’ unless backed by such namesas Mr. and Mrs. Stilor Nuthin, Miss Chattor-Loud, Mr. and Mrs, Newe Butsolid d Mr. and Mrs. Merg Hogg. ‘The selection of plays mig! to Mr, Heritage Doolittle, while Oldpoint would perhaps be willing, now and then, to write a play herself. Her mother was one of the Bc n Hennes. Onething, however, we must insist upon— that is, that Herr Conried shall have undisputed control. institution of that kind could be thoroughly Ame thout his guidance. Would it, or would it not, be j funny if Oscar Hammerstein should start a National Japanese Theatre in Tokio? Flight. ASHINGTON, Jan. 31.—The President to the Senate the following ral at Hongkong, China, isconsin.— Daily Paper Mysterious are the dispensations of official wisdom. Does the most prom- ising of all the Yale orators speak Chinese? What has in- duced the power to select such a »pointing fountain of enlivenin discourse for exportation to an Asiatic city where only a handful of Ameri- cans and a double hand- ful of ishmen can sit with real profit under his oratory? It must be that Mr. Wilderis fleeing from a career—that he is F his prospects dinner orator and has concluded to cut stick and seek a refuge. That hypothesis would explain. For an after- dinner speaker of first- rate reputation there is no prudent course except to put just as much of the Poet 1 earth's surface as he can FE- between him and a point midway between Chicago and New York. Hongkong is almost exactl the world from Manha' Island. It half-way round a healthy town and Mr. Wilder will be as safe there as he would be in any place from which he could hope to buy a ticket back. The Appreciative Husband. “T DECLARE,” complained Mrs. Duzzit, ‘I shall cer- tainly have to punish the children.”” “What have they been up to now “They have simply upset my ing room. ks Mr. Duzzit. Nothing is where it should be. Needles, spools of thread, scissors, darning balls and eve hing have been poked away into the most unexpected corners, I had to search all afternoon to find dof buttons, It is perfectly the children didn’t do that. at possessed you?” “T thought I was doing you a kindness. exasperating.” After ightened up the papers and books in my desk so be fully, I thought it was no more than right that I should return the compliment by putting your sewing room in similar sha “DO you believe, sir, in a universal, all-pervad ng in- telligence ?"" “You bet Ido. My boy has just come home from col- K I WILL DROP LITERATURE AND GO INTO BUSINESS, Friend: DON'T DOT! IT TAKES “ BRAINS” TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS! comicbooks.com