Life, 1908-12-03 · page 22 of 68
Life — December 3, 1908 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The central cartoon mocks a provincial young man's misunderstanding of high-society etiquette. Having read popular novels about "society girls," he arrives in the city believing their behavior reflects authentic aristocratic norms. He proposes increasingly scandalous activities—wine-drinking, poker, dancing on tables, writing love letters to others' husbands, vandalism—all drawn from fictional depictions. The society woman's horror reveals the gap between literary fantasy and actual upper-class conduct. The satire targets two audiences: rural social climbers naïve about city ways, and perhaps the serialized novels themselves for promoting exaggerated, unrealistic portrayals of wealth and sophistication. The accompanying Christmas gift text and "weather forecast" cartoons continue Life's typical satirical commentary on American social pretension and hypocrisy during the early 20th century.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
&é&LIFESHS Life's Weather Forecast SNOW TURNING TO RAIN Misled. “] ET us have a bottle of wine,”’ suggests the young man from the small town, who has been introduced to the daughter of the leader of society “ Sir!" ejaculates the young woman, havghtily. Maybe you'd like to play poker for ten dollars a white * he offers, anxious to entertain her Sir” “Well, possibly you would like to get up on the table and dance among the dishes.” * Sirerrer Now, look here, I’m trying my best to be friendly with you. Suppose you smoke a box of cigarettes, write a love letter to the husband of a friend of yours, have a dozen cock- tails and then we'll ride home and kick the glass out of the carriage windows on the way “Mr. Newwun, I am astounded at such proposals. I am cffended. I am insulted. How dare you me? Have you been drinking, or are you s “Well, geminnee! That's the way all the society girls act in the novels I've read about them,’? ke explains, in some confusion * a Ow Ane “WHY,-WHY, MY LITTLE MAN, WHAT SORT OF A FACE IS. THIS YOR A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS MORNING?" To Be Sent With Every Christmas Gift M Y dear: (Fill this in with the name of the recipient) Please accept this littk——with best wishes for a merry Christmas. I hope it is something that you really didn’t need, because to present you with anything useful would be a reflection on your own ability to provide for yourself. I sincerely trust that it is not more valuable than the thing that you will present to me. In the firm belief that you will be able to exchange it soon, offer it as a prize ata card party or put it in some place where you will not have to pay storage upon it, I am, etc., ete. UROPE has practically decided that it cannot afford an- E other war just at present. This would seem to indicate that war is a necessity rather than a luxury; for if it were a luxury, the question of expense would not have been con- sidered. Is this an indication that we are progressing to- coun Hex FoR Docs ward a higher ideal?