Life, 1914-02-12 · page 28 of 44
Life — February 12, 1914 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"Rural Sleuth"** (top left): A simple visual joke showing a person following footprints in snow, captioned "TRACKS, BY HECK! I'M BEING FOLLOWED"—the humor lies in the obvious self-referential absurdity. **"Terpsichorean Note"** (center): Mocks the absurd trend of "breakfast tangoes" at the Café Terrible. The satire targets wealthy idlers who pay eighteen dollars and fifty cents for dancing and minimal breakfast. Life ridicules both the pretentious French naming and the exclusive membership criteria—admission requires proof of having "never did anything useful" but also requires visible wealth. This attacks frivolous upper-class spending during an era of social concern. **"What, No Editors?"** (right): Comments on President Wilson's primary convention proposal, which would exclude newspaper editors from platform-writing. Life's joke: editors have always written platforms anyway, suggesting Wilson's reform won't change much. The marriage joke at bottom is unrelated wordplay.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eRet “e (RN I'M BEING FOLLEREO Rural Sleuth: TRACKS, BY HECK! Terpsichorean Note DELIGHTFUL innovation has been announced by the managers of the Café Terrible. Beginning next Monday they will conduct a series of Déjeuners Dansants, or breakfast tangoes, These will be held in the famous Hades Room of this noted resort and the hours will be from 7 to9 A. M. Admittance is to be by subscription and subscriptions will be open only to those young and old men and women who have proof that they never did anything useful in their lives and never intend to, In addition to those who subscribe, however, the managers say they will use discre- tion about admitting anyone else provided he or she seems to have money. Mademoiselle Scandale, originator of the famous Pas Pajame and the Nightie Nestle, has been engaged to dance professionally every morning. There will be no charge for the dancing, but there will be served a breakfast of coffee and rolls at the special fixed price of eighteen dol- lars and fifty cents, cream and butter extra. The thanks of the dancing public is certainly due the managers of the Café Terrible for filling up this awkward gap in the danc- ing day. “D PNT you ever contemplate matrimony?” “Yes, my boy,” owned up the old bachelor, “but always from a safe distance.” WIRELESS What, No Editors? HE supervising conventions provided for in President Wilson's presidential primary suggestion would in- clude no editors, except such as might happen to be mem bers or members-elect of Congress. The President's idea is that the men to make the plat- form are the men who are to carry it out. That has always been the idea, and that is why the platforms have usually been written by editors. “CONFOUND You! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY TELLING MY WIFE SHE OUGHT 10 GO SOUTH FOR THE WINTER?” comichooks.goml