Life — January 13, 1910 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 86 This page satirizes the intelligence and behavior of young men, particularly those from wealthy backgrounds. The heading "Please Give Them Some Ideas" introduces a critical commentary on the "current magazine" set—described as insufferably stupid, internally incoherent, and prone to anarchism despite their exclusivity. The illustration titled "An Incentive for Genius" depicts a young boy taking a music lesson, likely satirizing the notion that such genteel education produces intelligent adults. The caption suggests repeated drilling ("ten times before he can go skating") is necessary, mocking both privileged education and the apparent need to drill basic sense into the privileged classes. The page also includes several application letters to what appears to be a club, showing would-be members' ineptitude and revealing the satire's target: wealthy but intellectually vacant young men.