Life, 1910-10-13 · page 24 of 44
Life — October 13, 1910 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the women's suffrage movement through a fictional letter from "Priscilla," who humorously details practical problems facing New York suffragettes planning a major Union Square parade. The satire targets both the movement and its critics. Priscilla describes the physical contradiction between fashionable "hobble skirts" (restrictively tight skirts) and a two-mile march, and the difficulty of adapting classical "Goddess of Liberty" imagery to modern fashion. She also asks how to use long hatpins—contemporary women's accessories—as weapons against "tyrant men." The secondary content reports that *Life* magazine is launching a regular anti-suffrage ridicule column. The editor of *The Woman's Journal* sarcastically welcomes this, arguing suffragettes should boycott *Life*, framing mockery as a test of their cause's strength. The joke: Life ridicules suffragettes as impractical, fashion-obsessed, and prone to (joking) violence—while the suffrage movement itself attempts to use consumer boycotts as political leverage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Priscilla Gets Serious A’ important problem confronts us New York Suffragettes in the matter of the foot parade which is to take place in connection with the great out-of-door mass-mecting to be held in Union Square. The line of march will be from Fifty-ninth Street to the stands from which the speeches are to be made. This is a dis- tance of two miles and a quarter. Many of our leading Suffragettes have automobiles — or their husbands have, which is the same thing—but these are not to be used. Our leaders believe that the tyrant man will be more impressed hy seeing his slaves tramp on foot than by seeing them avail themselves of the Inxurious vehi- cles which the tyrant provides for their daily use. That leaves open the question of how we are to walk those two miles and a quarter in our hobble skirts, Will some of the sisters please favor me with suggestions of how we can meet this difficulty? Of course, on that occa- sion we want to impress men by appearing womanly, and seem like women if we are not in fashionable how can we attire? I hope some of the sisters will come to the rescue in this matter of importance to all womankind. How can we foot parade in hobble skirts? In the parade the sisters want me to appear as the Goddess of Female Liberty. I am perfectly familiar with the costume, but I don’t know how I can adapt it to the present fashions. The classic Phrygian cap familiar on our coins and things of that sort I know all about, but how am I to adapt them to the present styles? The hat can't be very well fixed up with long ostrich plumes, and it cer- tainly can’t be modified into the familiar peach-basket. As to the gown, I don't see how it can be artistically hobbled. Will some of the sisters who are strong for our right to the suffrage please come to the rescue? I want to be a nice-looking Goddess of Female Liberty, but I don’t see how I can unless some of the sisters will tell me how to fix my clothes. And above all how to wear a nice long hatpin so that every time I turn my head Lean jab out the eye of some tyrant man or any- one else who happens to be standing by? will some one of you please tell me The comic weekly, Lire, announces the open- ing of a new denartment devoted to ridicule of woman suffrage. Lire has often made fun of it in the past, but proposes now to make this a regular feature; and. the ridicule, 10 judge by the opening article, will he of a low and vulgar character. If every woran who feels indignant when she reads it will write and tell the editor so. at the same time cancelling ner subscription, it cannot fail to have a wholesome effect —The Woman's Journal. Good for you, sister! You know T have no more to do. They with the horrid male editors of Lire than I can help. *LIF E* all say I talk too much and that I’m a nuisance in the office because I waste every one’s time by my fussiness about things of small importance. That shows how little man knows about the value of feminine intellect. But back to your editorial. You are a good writer. “Low and vulgar” are fine words. Your keen appreciation of my department is a magnificent refutation of the argu- ment that women have no sense of humor. If all my sister Suffragettes would start a boycott of Lire it would be a forceful argument in favor of our sa- ered cause. It would show that Woman's Suffrage ought to prevail because it is not afraid of ridicule. Get all the fun-loving Suffragettes together and have them stop their subscriptions to Lire. The journal would have to suspend publication. A boycott is one of the grandest arguments that an oppressed sex can use. It is a highly intelligent expression of opinion and was the invention of an igno- rant peasantry. Its effects could be intensified by the aid of a little dynamite properly placed and properly exploded. And if there is a vitriol-thrower among the sisters, let her get busy. Vive la Suffragette! A bas Lire! Conspuez Lire! a Dear Miss Jawnoxrs:—Can a conscientious Suf- fragette accept a diamond engagement ring from one of the tyrant sex? It is an awfully nice ring and I should like to flash it on the other girls. Please answer at once because he’s nothing but a man and "s getting very impatient. Your little friend, Giapysse Tam very sorry, my dear, bat I do not think you should accept the ring unless the man will at the same time exe- cute an arte-nuptial agreement by which you are to be en- titled to all his property and all his earnings during the rest of his natural life. We women have been down-trodde long enough, In case of a marriage you would have right to sue him for non-support and for alimony, but as we are man’s equal that is not enough. The fact that a man pays court te a woman ought to entitle her to every- thing he has or may acquire. That would mean the true equality of the sex And before you accept it you should take the ring to a jeweler and make sure that it is a real diamond. Do not forget the words of the poet about men being deceivers ever. Priscitt.a JAWBONES. I Sev makes to lib news} Ty MAN IN THE CONCRETE