Life, 1912-10-03 · page 24 of 56
Life — October 3, 1912 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
## The Image ("Traumerei") The illustration depicts an elderly man in dark clothing, seated indoors with period furnishings and religious imagery visible on the wall. This appears to accompany the "Unbelievably Domestic" article, satirizing how actors and writers use domestic publicity photos to appear relatable, yet audiences disbelieve these images because they contradict the public's romanticized vision of bohemian artists. ## The Text Items **"Unbelievably Domestic"** satirizes the paradox that publicizing celebrities' ordinary home lives backfires—audiences prefer believing in the myth of the vagabond artist over evidence that performers actually marry, have families, and live normal lives. **"Christian Science Healer"** is a short joke mocking Christian Science practitioners, suggesting they charge more to wealthier patients not for better treatment, but because such patients will pay more. **"Mr. Bryan"** praises William Jennings Bryan's political candidacy as a bargain—he cost the nation $200,000 (presumably campaign expenses) but provided entertainment superior to industrial magnates like Carnegie or Rockefeller, who cost far more through their business activities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Unbelievably Domestic GREEING that all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players, it still remains difficult for most of us to realize that all the players are merely men and women. Actors and actresses are a class apart and no flashlight photographs of their home life can make their public con sider them otherwise still so uncommon for average folk to have flashlight taken when they Possibly this is lecause it is tures © enjoying “ but more likely be- cause we have seen the domestic pair in so many fictitious homes that a real 1 quiet evening at hom verisimilitude. the writing fraternity has gone in for these homelier kinds of publicity, but although home has no artistic best-seller in overalls and a garden is always pleas- ing, he rarely inspires faith in the real- ity of his vegetables. In either calling TRAU MEREL the theory that domestic publicity would destroy the illusion of art is thus defeated by the case with which the illusion of art discredits the domes- tic publicity. It is very pretty to look at in the illustrated magazine or the Sunday newspaper, but who really be-, lieves it? Statistics may prove in vain that a large majority of these public per- authors and players alike marry once, have homes and families, and don't get divorced. The public prefers the tradition of the vagabond Jlayer and the Bohemian author. K. OB. formers, HRISTIAN SCIENCE HEALER: My terms are two dollars five dollars a treatment. Ixvativ: What is the difference? Curistian Science Heater: My five-dollar patients I think more of, Mr. Bryan A WRITER in the American Maga- says that Mr. Bryan has accumulated $200,000 by running for the Presidency. An inference from this fact is that he has not earned his mone: In other words, has it been worth $200,000 for us to have had Mr. Bryan around? We should say so! Mr. Bryan is more interesting than Mr. Carnegie. Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Morgan or Mr. He has said many true things and he was a great help during the Jast_ campaign. Considering that the gentlemen last’ named all the way sine have cost us from a thousand million up, it looks as if we got a bargain in Mr. Bryan at only $200,000. Vore RS are born not maid.