Life, 1912-10-03 · page 20 of 56
Life — October 3, 1912 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine (1904) presents a mock German drama titled "Mutz" by "Hinckiedinck," featuring heavily stereotyped and phonetically mangled German dialogue. The "play" depicts working-class German characters (a limburger merchant, a cismann, a waiter) in a restaurant, speaking in exaggerated pseudo-German gibberish that bears little resemblance to actual German. The satire mocks both German culture and German-American immigrants popular in early 1900s America. The nonsensical dialogue—mixing real German words with invented sounds—ridicules the German language itself and German immigrants' perceived foreignness. The accompanying cartoons depict stereotypical scenes: courting in formal dress and theatrical dancing. The bottom cartoon's caption ("Be Sure That Your Old Friends Are Not in the Chorus") suggests gentle mockery of theater-goers embarrassed to recognize acquaintances. Overall, this represents turn-of-the-century American ethnic humor targeting German immigrants through linguistic parody and cultural caricature.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mutz A Drama by Hinckiedinck. (The audience is requested to remember that in the German language the diphthong ie is always pronounced e, while ci is i Au is ow. Ring up, Rudolf.) PEOPLES, Weizcel, a rich limburgher. Houcen, an cismann. Baicrtt, his frauze frau. Hans Aur, a tuffwaiter. Scene: Wurstroom at the Grabenrun Frielunseh. Hoh- agen and Brigitt seated ata table. Hans shuffling and cut- the iiniederz preparatory to dealing them. Enter ci, dressed in true German fashion of frokcoht, leit- fanz and heihatt. Honcen (singhen raghteim): Gittaut thewai oldan- tukka. Weaz mein, Honce i, ereibabi? Bricitt (tierferle) : Mei schuh hertz mei tootze. Honcen (larfen orferle): Gitterbigar schuh. (Brigit EL (schowenauf): Ein stein fein rhein wein fuhr : Gittonter der dood. (Tu Brigitt.) Wotz eten grohnz.) Weizcet (winken) : O yukid. (Brigit grihnz.) Hans (buttenin) : Kaiser doncherwanter beierdorg. Werzce1: Gnorr. (Sprucenupp.) Hooz_ thechipp, naber? Houcen (smoken tiedie peip) : Mei weil. Weizcer (dedmasht): Youz tu dein mit mic. (Site daun.) Hans, hasch fisch und apulsass. Honcen (sweinischle): Minz pei und bienz hier. Baicitt (scheile): Eis criem und freideg fuhr Mabel. . Honcen: Booz fuhr muh. Eim dreierner Kuvud brij Bricitt (explanationen) : Patze is auf der watterwagen. Mein iss Werzce1: Ghessagen. Is.) Houncen (maikenfasi: Stik tu yuhr Unkelmeik. Hans (butteninagen) : Der casch iss du. Pumpernickel in der sloht, Bihl. (gittenmad) : Gashausmik! (blarneyen) : Simmerdaun, bos (hoppenmad) : Gotterdammerung ! Bricitt (schocht) : Nortinorti. Hans (scairdt): Der hausel bepincht (snicken autervit) : ——er—erung, den. (noctaut) : Ohratz! Bricitt (gittenup): Buhle fuhr ii, bos. Solong. Weirzcet (sweetlismilen) : Ofer der riffer, Del Honcen: Kuttitaut, kidz, kuttitaut. (To Hans.) Dohn takenne badmunne. Hans: Unomie, Piet. (Dey leit aut, its aut.) DER ENDT. Quincy Kilby. -LIFE- BE SURE THAT YOUR OLD FRIENDS ARE NOT IN THE CHORUS comicboolin H oe