Life — January 23, 1908 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page critiques vaudeville theater through Mr. Percy MacKaye's recent lecture attacking it. The text lists four "vitalizing elements" of vaudeville that MacKaye apparently finds problematic: its intermittent appeal, its appeal to "average taste," its pseudo-morality, and its variety format. The main illustration titled "FIND THE FACE ON THE WALL" shows a woman looking at a question mark on a wall—likely satirizing vaudeville's lack of substance or coherent meaning. The lower section discusses musical comedy, mentioning "Miss Hook of Holland" and "Funabashi," arguing that English operettas lack originality compared to foreign imports. The satire suggests American entertainment borrows heavily from abroad while critics like MacKaye dismiss native vaudeville as artistically worthless.