Life, 1909-07-29 · page 18 of 28
Life — July 29, 1909 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century American humor: **"Popularity"** (top): A whimsical poem about a "Paper Bag" and "Windy Thing" that inflates and disappears. This appears to be abstract satire on fads or fleeting trends—things that blow up suddenly in public interest, then vanish without substance. **"Reflections of a Misogynist"** (right): Sardonic one-liners mocking women's intelligence, secrecy, and precocity. The final anecdote portrays a young girl as superficial. This represents period misogyny presented as clever wit—humor that's now recognized as simply hostile toward women. **"The Greatest Monument to Expert Opinion"** (center-left): Satire on the Panama Canal project, mocking conflicting expert predictions. Experts contradict each other on every detail—location, design, completion date (listed as "1913, or sooner, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1950 and if ever"). The satire attacks expert pomposity and the impossibility of reconciling contradictory professional opinions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Popularity T blew and blew their Paper Bag, They blew with all their might, Till suddenly their Bag blew up, And vanished out of sight. And then the Windy Thing was gone, Nor could a trace be seen; For not a single shred was left, Of what had never been. Brand Whitlock. Reflections of a Misogynist OME women's pasts are about the only future they can look forward to Some women are naturally secretive. They even conceal all the things that they don't know The precocity of little girls is even ng to me than that of mar- en. I was talking the other day with one of these fluffy little crea tures, who for some reason did not get on well with her brother. The only reason I live with him at * she con- fessed to me, “is on account of my IP THIS, wHy Not THIS? parents.”” ion i The Greatest Monument to Expert Opit NG deeply interested in the Panama Canal, we have given close attention to the reports of all the recognized experts who have lately inspected it, or have such personal knowledge ' of the work as warrants them in giving an opinion. Now we know all about it. It is pleasant to know all about anything, and gives one a sense of power and enables one to speak with authority as The canal is all right as far as it has gone, though the only feasible site for an interocean canal is at Nicaragua, present plan with locks is the only one fit to be considered, no matter where the canal is located. That the Suez Canal has got : without locks is a miracle. A canal without locks is an egg without salt. The expectation, however, that steamers will ever be able to pass through the proposed Pan- ama locks is a frantic delusion which it would be charitable to call preposterous. The Gatun dam is going to be as safe as a church. Blue clay, mixed with the a and gravel, is the all wise ¢ for a big dam, and exists in Fears that the dam d the strain of the pressure of water inside aseless, since the argillaccous sandstone of which cr only forty per cent nd will never hold enough except wate hoice of will not absurdly the G. | better than a barbed wire fence n lake is to be built holds wa — ny one t The canal will be finished in 1913, oF sooner, 19015. 1919, 1920, 1950 an if ever. It will be the greatest monu- men and human diligence the world has ever scen, but will never be used to any extent by anything but warships and yachts, as there are hand already in use for everything clse that grows or is manufac- tured. ne © strain anythin to expert opi rand cheaper routes nis last information we owe to various transconti- al railroad men who have made a special study of ¢ Mrs. Bugg: Yes, SILAS 1S JUST LIKE A BOY. ME HEARD THAT merce BAND AND MAS BEEN FOLLOWING IT AROUND ALL DAY. comicbooks.com