Life, 1913-03-27 · page 34 of 60
Life — March 27, 1913 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes hypocrisy among religious leaders ("Eminent Divines"). The top cartoon shows a man discarding a newspaper labeled "Awful Number" while his shadow reveals him reading it—visual metaphor for secret vice. The dialogue below mocks two clergymen who encounter each other buying this scandalous issue. Each claims to investigate it purely for "Higher Morality" and moral instruction, while actually seeking entertainment. They nervously agree to keep their meeting secret, fearing public scandal. The right panel shows a "dress rehearsal"—a line of chorus girls—suggesting the "Awful Number" likely contained risqué content. The clergymen's final hypocrisy: they simultaneously condemn people as "narrow minded" while hiding their own consumption of such material. The satire targets sanctimonious religious figures who publicly denounce vice while privately indulging it, and who fear losing moral authority if their true interests were exposed.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“THIS PAPER IS NO PLACE FOR ME” Awful! IRST EMINENT DIVINE: My dear Dr. Proudpew, I scarcely expected to find you in the Awful Number. Seconp Eminent Divine: Nor I you, Dr. Brimfire! First Esanent Divine: Isn't it awful? Serconp Awful! First Eatr: Of course, I only came to investigate it in the interests of Higher Morality. I be- lieve in meeting evil with—er—an open mind; going to the bottom of things, you know. Secoxp Exunent Divine: Precisely. KES INR HAGERS The truth at any cost, eh? First Eminent Divine: Quite so. Er—by the way—I take it there is no A DRESS REHEARSAL need of mentioning the fact that you Frrst Emtnent Divine: I trust I am Seconp Estnent Divin People chanced to meet me here? always discreet. The outside world is, are so narrow minded! Seconn Eminent Divine: None at alas! so prone to draw unpleasant Fmst Eminent Divine: Alas! all. And you? conclusions. Boru (to themselves) : Hypocrite! comicbooks.com