Life, 1913-10-09 · page 16 of 44
Life — October 9, 1913 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story critiques arbitrary rules and social hypocrisy. A theater patron brings a beefsteak dinner to eat during a play, violating house policy. When an usher objects, the man points out the obvious double standard: young women openly eating candy throughout the theater face no restriction, yet his meal is forbidden. The joke exposes how rules are selectively enforced based on social acceptability rather than principle. Eating candy is deemed "ladylike" and permitted; eating substantial food is deemed improper and banned—despite both being eating. The man's reasonable question ("Did anybody ever do it before?") highlights that rules often exist simply because they exist, not from logical necessity. The accompanying "Problem Play" cartoon uses mathematical imagery to satirize how life's equation of cause-and-effect rarely works as expected—a commentary on life's inherent unfairness and absurdity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
608 VOL. 62] No. 1615 rc | OCT. 9,1913 “While there ts Life there's Hope’" Published _by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY J. A. Mitcuete, Pres’t. A. Mitize, Sec'y and Treas. 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York| English Offices, Cannon House, Breams Idgs., London, E. C. WING to Mr. Martin's absence in Europe, readers of Lire will be deprived of his editorials during the next few issues. Within His Rights ? HEN the curtain went down after the first act, a man in the sev- enth row took a package from under the seat, and, opening it up, disclosed a large beefsteak, a knife, a fork and a plate. He started to cat it in the cus- tomary manner when one of the ushers tapped him on the shoulder and said: “Pardon me, sir, but we don’t per- mit that here.” “Why not?” “It’s against the rules.” “Did anybody ever do it before? You'd better find out what the rules are.” ‘The usher was nonplussed and went away to get the manager. “What do you mean, sir, by eating that beefsteak here? You will have to get out.” The man got up and proceeded to go out, doing up his beefsteak carefully. “Tt is all right, of course,” he said, “as long as you object, but——” He waved his arm around where numerous young ladies were gorging themselves on candy. “You don't object to those people doing what they want. I don't care for candy myself, and considering how rotten your play is, I thought my fa- vorite food might sustain me through the next few acts. Good afternoon.” A PROBLEM PLAY The Point of View How many—when they hear that Fate Is heartless—quite believe the rumor, Since they can not appreciate + + its sense of humor! comicbooks.com