Life, 1911-04-20 · page 20 of 52
Life — April 20, 1911 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American masculinity and social class through multiple pieces: **"Are There Any Gentlemen in America?"** critiques wealthy American businessmen (magnates) and their sons, arguing they lack the refinement of English gentlemen. The article notes that American theatrical producers must import English actors to play gentleman roles because American men of wealth—despite their power—lack the education, bearing, and polish required. Doctors fare somewhat better due to professional demands. **"A Puppy"** (by Amos R. Wells) contrasts negative traits (vanity, pretension, idleness) with positive ones (honesty, enthusiasm, simplicity), ironically suggesting calling either type "a puppy" is inappropriate. **The dog cartoons** illustrate the theme: one shows a dog judging a man, another depicts a servant asking about dog meat during Lent (a Catholic fasting period)—absurdly applying religious restrictions to pet food. The overall message: American wealth and status don't equal true gentlemanly character; genuine virtue is rarer than assumed.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
11'S A WISE PUP THAT KNOWS ITS OWN roP Are There Any Gentlemen in America? A WRITER in the New Age calls attention to the fact that when American theatrical managers want actors to take the part of gentlemen, they are obliged to get Eng- lishmen. The inference is, of course, obvious. The best test of a how he acts. He must be revealed in his walk, his conversation, and in a mass of details, which produce a collective effect. Criticised by these standards, it would be hard to find a real gentleman in all America. How many gentlemen are there among our magnates? Most of them have limited educations in the sense that they have not what is termed any polite learning. They are men of power, but not one of them would look well on the stage as a gentleman. Perhaps a gentlemanly bearing is more common among our doctors. This is due to the nature of their work, which obliges them to maintain a good appearance, but their pro fessional air is always apparent. As for our rich men’s sons, probably no class is so far removed from what a gentleman ought to be. entleman AS THE PUP LOOKED TO THE MAN WItO MATES DOGS A Puppy HAT to call a man a puppy! What a shame to take a stupid, vac- uous, Empty-headed, idiotic ninny, Egotistic, insolent, and idle, Over-dressed and awkward and disgust- ing, Vain, extravagant, and false and sneak- ing, And entitle such a man a@ puppy! a shame Rather choose, if you can ever find him, Some one brisk, and bright, and encr- getic, Always ready, gay, enthusiastic, Friendly, loving, honest as the sunshine, Self-ignoring, simple, unaffected, Bubbling with a thousand merry cies— Better far call such a man a puppy! Amos R. Wells. fan- “PLEASE, MUM, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE MOUSE FOR FIDO, WADN T 1 BETTER GET SOME DOG MEAT?” “GRACIOUS, NO! NOT DURING LENT.” comicbooks.com