Life, 1911-04-27 · page 43 of 44
Life — April 27, 1911 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Life* magazine page advertises an upcoming "Commuter's Number" devoted to suburbanites—a satirical editorial introducing next week's issue. The text mockingly treats suburban life as inherently tragic and humorless, joking about the "poor suburbanite" eating mediocre food (whether from hired cooks or his wife's cooking). The editorial lists exhausted stereotypical jokes about suburban life—departing servants, women's clubs, commuter trains, real estate agents—suggesting the magazine will mine these tired tropes for dark humor. The bottom silhouette cartoon depicts suburban commuters in various states of chaos (riding bicycles, pushing carriages, juggling responsibilities) under the heading "OBEY THAT IMPULSE"—likely satirizing the impulsive consumer culture driving suburban expansion. The page functions primarily as promotional material announcing the magazine's upcoming special issue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lo, the poor suburbanite, whose untutored stomach takes in the things that any cook concocts who stays over one train, or else by chance sub- sists upon his own wife's cooking. "Tis he we celebrate next week. COMING SPECIALS Joy Rider’s Number, May 11 Celestial, - - May 18 College, - - May 25 Bride's, - - June 1 Book, - - June 8 Summer Girl, - June 15 Coronation, June 22 Fourth July, June 29 Subscription, $5.00. A Pathetic Number is necessary once in a while, in order to even up. That is not the name of the number that comes out next week, but that’s the idea. It is devoted to suburbanites. After a vain effort, we have discovered that nothing humorous is possible in connection with this sorrow- ful subject. The Commuter’s Number, therefore, will be a melancholy mélange of mournful meanderings, in which the doleful doings of the soulful suburbanite will be depicted with inimitable sadness. Among those present of the Old Guard of suburban jokes may be mentioned The Departing Cook Joke, The Woman’s Club Joke, The Last Train Joke, The Real Estate Agent Joke. This ought to be enough to convince anybody that this number will be a funereal procession of decrepit croonings. LIFE’S TIME TABLE At last we are finding out just when you can buy LIFE in every city in the United States. The table herewith ts so accurate that we blush with pleasure as we print it. San Francisco, - Noon Tuesday Philadelphia, 11 A. M. Tuesday Palm Beach, - Noon Wednesday Boston, - 11:30 A. M. Tuesday Chicago, - Noon Tuesday Indianapolis, - Noon Tuesday St. Louis, - Noon Tuesday Galveston, Tex., 9 A.M.Wednesday Quebec, Can., 9 A. M. Wednesday New York, - 9 A. M. Tuesday Washington, - Noon Tuesday OBEY THAT IMPULSE THE WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY, NEW YORK