Life, 1908-02-27 · page 3 of 20
Life — February 27, 1908 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes upper-class weekend entertaining practices. The illustration shows a man and woman in an elegant interior, with accompanying text offering tongue-in-cheek advice for hosting a "week-end party." The satire targets wealthy social conventions by listing absurdly specific guest requirements: "the old friend," "the man and his wife to whom you owe a grudge," "the retired army officer," various bachelors, and an "athletic girl." The humor lies in the frank acknowledgment that hosts invited people out of obligation rather than genuine desire—mixing socially required guests with those they actually resented. The proposed five daily meals with "whisky, wine, cigars and water—for bathing" mocks extravagant entertaining practices of the era's leisure class, suggesting such elaborate hospitality was exhausting performance rather than genuine pleasure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
i IN PROPOSING DON’T BOTHER WITH AC- CESSORIES. THE GIRL SHOULD RECEIVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. The Proper Caper EEK-END parties are now in style. The principal ingredients to a week-end party are an anise-seed bag, a bridge out- fit, a faro layout and a set of ad- justable guests. Of these there will be: 1. The old friend who is always on hand at weddings and funerals. 2. The man and his wife to whom you owe a grudge. 3. The retired army officer. With him you will be expected to provide a set of topographical maps showing the battle- fields he was acquainted with. 4. Anathletic girl who “goes around” in ninety-two. 5. A “bright” woman. 6. Two bachelors. If an Englishman can also be obtained —one to give local color and tell stories of shooting big game in Africa—so much the better. For these you will be expected to pro- vide: Five meals a day, including whis- ky, wine, cigars and water—for bathing purposes; a golf links, motor cars, bil- liard tables and mounts. On their part, the guests will provide conversation, and tips for the servants. A Natural Timidity EW ARRIVAL (cautiously): Can 1 put my valuables in the safe? Sr. PETER (lotily): No necessity for that up here. What are you thinking of ? “Well, I've had so much trouble with some of those impregnable institutions down in New York that I feel kind of nervous.” comicbooks.com