Life, 1914-05-28 · page 7 of 44
Life — May 28, 1914 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes American education and commercial entertainment through two elements: **Top section** ("Handy Manual of Our School System"): A mock guide mocking educational practices. Kindergarten teaches "fairy stories and raffia"; periods last 45 minutes of "misinformation"; recitation is "usually by the teacher"; recess offers "ten minutes of freedom to learn something of value." The right side sarcastically defines "self-government," "English," and "sex talk," mocking educational pretense. **Bottom cartoon**: Shows a crowded baseball stadium with the caption: "YES, A FIRM OF BROADWAY THEATRICAL MANAGERS HAS SECURED CONTROL OF BASEBALL. THEY CLAIM THAT THIS IS WHAT THE PUBLIC REALLY WANTS." This satirizes commercialization—Broadway producers supposedly now control baseball, implying the sport has become theatrical spectacle rather than genuine athletic competition, prioritizing entertainment over sport.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Me nS nnn em A Handy Manual of Our School System INDERGARTEN: The conservation of fairy stories Secr. Government: A graceful acknowledgment that and raffia. the pupils know more than the teachers, Periop: Forty-five minutes of misinformation. Enctisu: Certain rules for increasing one’s ignorance about the mother tongue. Pustic SreakinG: A maximum of mimicry and a min- imum of memory. value. Sex Tatk: Carrying coals to Newcastle. Recitation; Usually by the teacher. Recess: Ten minutes of freedom to learn something of Rt 3 Can re “YES, A FIRM OF BROADWAY THEATRICAL MANAGERS HAS SECURED CONTROL OF BASEBALL, THEY CLAIM THAT THIS IS WHAT THE PUBLIC REALLY WANTS” comicbooks.com