Life, 1913-01-09 · page 31 of 100
Life — January 9, 1913 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents mock letters *opposing* Life's planned "Humorous Number" issue. The satire works by having prominent writers (Franklin P. Adams, George Ade, Ellis Parker Butler, and others) submit absurdly exaggerated objections—claiming humor is too dangerous, will shock the public, or unfairly exclude regular contributors. The cartoon above shows a car accident, illustrating the "one advantage of being fat" (presumably that extra weight provides cushioning in crashes). The joke is that these established literary figures are pretending to fear Life magazine attempting *humor*—suggesting their regular contributions lack comedic value. George Ade's response is the most transparent: he advocates going ahead precisely *because* it will generate publicity and attention, comparing it to theatrical "advertising." This is Life mocking both its own editorial timidity and the self-importance of its contributors, while teasing readers about whether the magazine can actually pull off being funny.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
—_——4 ae & lacie Loney Rabelais is sterilized and expurgated for. the Chatauquas, and that horseo- pathic end man of England, J. Rum K J. Rum, is editing Ally Sloper. Do you wish to be added to these terrible ex- amples? Out of the penetralia of the Pie Belt I call upon you to pause before it is too late. Be immoral, in- decent, anarchistic, atheistic, foolish, erudite, interesting, dull, satiric—any- thing you will—but for the higher interests of humanity and in defer- ence to the criminal code, do not be humorous. Yours in dead earnest, Josern Sith. From Wallace Irwin Dear Lire: The idea of issuing a Humorous Number strikes me as Perfectly Ridiculous. Unless you want to risk having your paper laughed at through- out the country, you should avoid such dangerous experiments. Yours for the worst, Wattace Irwin, ONE ADVANTAGE OF BEING FAT From Franklin P. Adams Dear Lire: Why trifle with your luck? Franxuin P. Apams. From George Ade Dear Lire: After that Improper Number, which sent a tremor through every Chautau- qua circle in the Corn Belt, I don’t think you need hesitate over any dangerous proposition, even to that of issuing a Humorous Number. Undoubtedly you would be bombarded with fragments of home-made sarcasm, but evidently you are out to attract attention—so go ahead. It is all part of the show business. Whenever I raise my feeble protest against the published story that I am to marry some milky soubrette whom I have not had the pleasure of mecting, the press agent always assures me that I should be calm and even cheerful, as I am being “advertised”; so if you are looking for advertising go ahead and issue your Humorous Number. Grorce Apr. From Ellis Parker Butler Don't! Don't do it! Don't issue that Humorous Number of Lire. No doubt the public could stand it; I re- member myself seeing a humorous bit in Lire once. I recall that it was in the “ Aut Scissors, Aut Nullus” page. Many spoke about it at the time. It was an awful shock to us, but we lived through it. It staggered us, but we were tough. We recovered. The pub- lic and I could stand even a Humorous Number of Lirr. But think of your regular contrib- utors, Would it be fair to exclude them from an entire number? Have they not worked faithfully, week after week and year after year, to make Lire what it is? Would it not be rank in- gratitude to push them to one side for a mere whim? Some of the poor fel- lows might even try to Le humorous on their own hook, and then there would be the Dickens to pay. In the midst of Lire there would be Death. So don’t do it! Ettis Parker Butter. comicbooks.com