Life, 1913-12-04 · page 98 of 112
Life — December 4, 1913 — page 98: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This humorous anecdote describes a man with an exaggerated medical condition: he involuntarily synchronizes all his movements and speech to whatever music is playing. The joke relies on the early 20th-century fascination with oddities and behavioral peculiarities—treating unusual traits as curiosities worthy of observation. When a clogging dance plays, the friend Schmalz speaks in syncopated rhythm, asking the waiter for a napkin by breaking his request into dance-beat syllables: "you—bring—me—that—a—napkin—a—rag?" When the music shifts to a slow waltz, his manner changes accordingly. The satire targets people's tendency to be involuntarily influenced by their surroundings, and perhaps mocks the pseudo-scientific categorization of minor personality quirks as medical conditions. It's a gentle mockery of both the subject and the observer's fascination with human oddities—common entertainment fare in Life magazine's satirical tradition.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(eee femal A Perfect Figure May Be Yours Your eppearance depends greatly upon your figure. The beauty of your Nzure depends largely upon you. How to Perfect Your Figure, Reduce or Increase Your Weight Devote fifteen minutes daily to my system and you can weigh what Nature intended. You can reduce any. part of your figure burdened with superfluous flesh or build up any part that is undeveloped.” Its etfect can be con- centrated on your hips, waist, limbs or any other portions of your body. It tends to make a figure perfectly proportioned | throughout—a full, rounded neck; shapely shoulders, arms and legs; a fresh’ cox poise and grace of ovement. You Can Improve Your Health My system stimulates, reorganizes and regenerates the entire body. It helps transform the food into good, rich blood. It strengthens your heart, lungs and other organs, conquering all” weaknesses and disorders, and generating vital force. My atest book, should be read by every woman, and J will send it to you free. It explodes the fallacy that lack ‘of beauty or health cannot be avoided. In it I explain how every woman can be VIGOROUS, HEALTHY and ATTRACTIVE. I have practiced what I teach. In child- hood I was puny and deformed. I have overcome all weaknesses by my own natural, drugless methods. Millions of people have seen in me a living demonstration of my unique system of health culture and body- building. If you are weak, nervous, fat, thin, unshapely, tired, lacking vitality ‘or in any ‘other respect not at your very best, I can surely be of service to you. My Gearantee With my free book, “The Body Beastiful."* whlch te folly iastrated with photographs of myseit explaining muy tystem, I give full particulars of my Guarantee Trial Pian, whereby you cam test the value of my Instruction witha risking @ slogle peany Send twocent stamp for "The Body Beantifuc* ‘and Tréat Plan today. ANNETTE KELLERMANN Suite 911 L 12 W. 31st Street New York “The Body Beautiful,” Proof Positive Mercnant: Have you collected that Lill of Smith’s? Coutector: Have I collected it? I called at the house and found that seven iths lived there. Six declared they owed nothing, and the seventh kicked me out of the house. Merchant: That's the o and get the money.—Tit-Dits. Go back plexion; good carriage, with’ erect | The Rhythmical Imitator HEN I took my friend Schmalz into a cabaret I did not know that he was a rhythmical imitator. Have you ever noticed how some peo- ple, when playing the piano, cannot talk except in exact time with the music? A rhythmical imitator has this eccen- tricity developed to the highest degree. His entire organism responds to a mu- sical stimulus and involuntarily copies its rhythm with absolute faithfulne The orchestra was playing as we entered, and I took no special notice of the fact that Schmalz pranced gaily to a table in exact time with the music. I merely thought that he was unusu- ally hungry. The music stopped just as we were ordering our meal, and during this interval Schmalz appeared perfectly normal. But suddenly the orchestra struck up one of those shuffling clog- dances. My friend at once began to adapt his sentences to the syncopations of the dance-rhythm. His napkin had been overlooked and he turned to the waiter with the words, “ Waiter, won't you—bring—me—that—a — napkin — a rag?” I confess that this peculiar method of giving orders caused me some sur- prise. Soon, however, the music changed to a slow, dreamy waltz, and Schmalz leaned across the table and rhythmically chanted, “Dén’t you think it’s quite a pleasure eating fodd to tunes like this?” A little later, when the music had For “His” Gift APPROPRIATE—USEFUL INEXPENSIVE 25 or 50 Cents A. STEIN & COMPANY Makers. CHICAGO NEW YORK | Mounted ia’ Tiffany. which Clearly «emenstrate o3t positio rads that should surely interest any Present cr peosped [porchaser — ys 1 carat $96. This 1 cant gee tice dameet W great ws sy fd ctly eet, style 18k. solid Twin carats sexing. “Ove ‘$96. is are of great beilliancy. and per wunted in Id keting. "Money re Er if your Jeweler can Hi desired rings will be S01 C.0.0. oF S years full val every purchase, of pager to sbe WRITE TODAY FOR THIS 24> VALUABLE BOOK ON HOW TO BUY DIAMONDS This book is beautifully mine, cet and market dia monds.. This book, showing weights, sizes and pr address. ve Write alo for 100 page Watch, Jewelry and Silver Cataloy FRIE JasonWeiler & Son 371 Washington St., Boston, Mass. mond Importers since 1876 Foreign Agencies—Antwerp Paris Buenos Ayre French and German BOOKS ind Books in all Languages. Catalogues Free BRENTANO’S Stacey. 2" again changed, this time to a stirring march, I observed that he was chew- ing in absolutely correct time and swallowing only when the thump of the bass-drum announced the end of a phrase. During this tune he said beamingly, “I Always like to Flétch- erize when a march is béing played.” Soon a pouter- pigeon lady stepped out and began to sing “ The Rosai I noticed that OMG bOOksn