Life, 1911-07-20 · page 4 of 40
Life — July 20, 1911 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Main Cartoon:** A figure in a top hat sits atop a globe, appearing smug or self-satisfied. The caption "How Ridiculous!" suggests mockery of inflated self-importance or arrogance—likely satirizing a political or public figure of the era whose grandiose claims or behavior the magazine found absurd. **"Et Tu" Section:** Life's editors respond to criticism that they praise themselves too much. They defend their editorial choices as reflecting genuine enthusiasm for quality content, not self-promotion. The Latin phrase "Et Tu" (from Caesar's assassination) hints at feeling betrayed by the critic. **Supporting Content:** The page also advertises a coming "Nicotine Number" issue and promotes a special subscription offer. The overall tone reflects Life's satirical mission and editorial defensiveness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Irgivesa re you forget | yreatest CO Be it pr gives rest fi eenyearsl Don't Se ‘ Allen's Fo “How Ridiculous !”" pee Et Tu Occasionally a lonesome friend writes and criticises us for praising LIFE in this page. He objects to our exploiting this paper, on the ground that it is not modest. “Ah! LIFE is not what it was—you have lost your dignity !"’ says one critic. Bless you! we are not praising LIFE. We happen to be fond of this paper ourselves, from purely personal motives. Our object in getting it up each week is to have something on hand that is worth reading. We haven't time to interview all the brightest people in the country, and so we ask them to create the best that is in them and hand it in to us. And being unselfish—inspired, so to speak, by generous motives— we dislike to keep it to ourselves. This is really what makes LIFE. When we mention something particularly good that is coming, or write in our highly felicitous manner of the merits of this paper—we are not praising LIFE. Weare only paying our tribute to the ones who make LIFE possible. We cannot mention them all at once, and so we just say that LIFE does it. “Who benefits most from this ?"” we fancy we hear this critic say. Bless you again, friend! Why, you do, of course! And there are others. DO CHILDREN READ IT? Oi This little picture is from an actual photograph. tin bya friend of LIFE, Just For Fun Enclosed Avail yourself at once of find’ One To All Smokers Life's Great Special One Dollar Fev veel begs : : : Offer for three months. _Forcign $1.26). The Nicotine Number is coming. Send One Dollar with the Send Lire for Devoted to the art of smoking. attached coupon filled out shes: months Filled with pure Havana humor. Wrapper by Anderson. On all news-stands August Ist. Ten cents a copy. Subscription $. Open only to new subscribers: no subscrip- Canadian tion renewed at thisrate. This offeris net. Foreign Life, 17 West 31, N. Y. City comicbook eam