Life — October 30, 1913 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Life's Noise Department" This satirical piece mocks the proliferation of urban noise in early 20th-century America. The "Noise Department" is a fictional service offering solutions to make neighborhoods louder—the opposite of what citizens actually want. The humor works through inversion: while a grateful patron complains about "new noises" plaguing his New York neighborhood, Life's satirists propose increasing noise further. References to the "Tango Special vibrator" and plans to place opera singers and gongs on every street car conductor suggest that manufacturers and entertainment venues were aggressively adding noise to city life. The piece satirizes both commercial excess and public complaints about urban congestion. "Her Parting Shot" below is an unrelated anecdote about a photograph dispute.