Life, 1912-12-12 · page 4 of 48
Life — December 12, 1912 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **satirical advertisement for LIFE magazine itself**, using humor to mock potential subscribers who resist subscribing. The cartoon shows a **curmudgeonly figure in top hat and formal wear**—appearing to represent a stereotypical grumpy, miserly old man—explicitly rejecting LIFE magazine subscription. His complaints are comedically exaggerated: he won't be cheerful, dismisses the premium offer, questions whether he "looks the part," and rejects the discounted trial offer as suspicious. The satire works by **inverting typical advertising logic**: rather than selling benefits, it humorously lists reasons NOT to subscribe, then warns readers to "beware" and avoid sending subscriptions to "friends for a Christmas present"—actually encouraging exactly that through reverse psychology. The "Awful Number" and other satirical issue titles ("Widow's Number," "Siren's Number") further mock predictable magazine content formulas.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Bah! I’ll never subscribe to LIFE! Not for mine! With Christmas coming? No, sir! What do I want to be cheerful for? Nothing in it. Handsome premium to yearly subscribers ? Take it away! Me buy LIFE? Do I look the part? Widow's Number? Nothing doing! Awful Number? No use for it! Miniature LIFE free? Wouldn’t take itasa gift! Three months for one dollar, just to get started? What do you take me for? Obey that impulse? Never did such a thing in my life. Away! Avaunt! Beware! Consider what might happen to you if you should obey that impulse and send LIFE to some of your friends for a Christmas present! (especially with that Awful Widows’ Number Number a Magnetic and mildly matrimonial. neal poss Philanthropists’ Number Rich—full of possibilities. Musical Number Harmonious and somewhat wearisome. Siren'’s Number Avoid these Coming Numbers Words fail us! 105 days to the Awful Number! : adian $1.13. Foreign bility). Yo gat). for three months to Soothingly Seductive. Husbandette’s Number een i Domb tekesit Nowe. Open oot. to new subscribers reoewed at ate. This Avful Numbe: fo°ur direct | not through an usent lumber LIFE, 17 West 31, New York ONE YEAR $5.00. (CANADIAN $5.52, FOREIGN $6.04.) =) RUE waGe4 D RSS EM SSO comicbook eam