Life, 1910-10-13 · page 16 of 44
Life — October 13, 1910 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mocks the women's suffrage movement through a contest asking men to submit reasons *against* marrying suffragettes—offering $300 to the winner. The satire positions suffragists as undesirable marriage partners, reflecting anti-suffrage sentiment of the era. The accompanying poem "Twist-Rhymes on Women" reinforces stereotypes: women are portrayed as simultaneously domestic (baking, cooking) and deceptive ("scheming," "weaving webs for tangling men"). The final cartoon shows a woman reading a newspaper in a carriage while a cherub looks on confused—captioned "What's the Use? Or Love's Labor Lost"—suggesting women's political engagement wastes effort and threatens romance. The overall message: women seeking voting rights are painted as unnatural, manipulative, and a threat to traditional marriage and male authority. This represents mainstream editorial opposition to suffrage common in American magazines before women gained the vote in 1920.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
612 Life’s Suffragette Contest $300 to the Winner L IFE will pay the sum of Three Hundred Dollars for the best reason, or reasons, why any man should not marry a suffragette. CONDITIONS: The answer must be limited to three hundred words. Each manu- script, however, may be as short as the contestant prefers. Manuscripts must be typewritten, and should be addressed to Tue Contest Epiror oF Lire, 17 West 31st Street, New York. “The contest is now on, and will close on December 31st, 1910. Manuscripts received after that date will not be considered. Lire will pay at its regular rates for all manuscripts published. The prize will be awarded by the Editors of Lire, and the announce- ment of the winner will be made as soon after January Ist, 1911, as possible. It is not necessary to be a regular subscriber to Lire in order to com- pete. The contest is open to every one, Twist-Rhymes On Women OME women walk in hobble skirts While others sew and cobble shirts. Equipped with pan for cake, and book, The prudent learn to bake and cook; Though many, seaward hurling care, Devote their time to curling hair. But all, though coyly seeming chill, For simple youths are scheming ill; With every eye-glance mangling ten, They weave their webs for tangling men Arthur Guiterman, ‘Bis says he is waked up every morning at four.’* “What docs he keep—a rooster, a baby or a grandpa?’ AW, WHAT'S THE USE? OR LOVE'S LABOR LOST comicbooks.com