Life, 1914-09-17 · page 31 of 48
Life — September 17, 1914 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon satirizes parental hypocrisy: a father advises his son George to "wear out the old things first," yet when asked why he doesn't follow his own motto by using the old car, he has no answer. The joke exposes the double standard of preaching thrift while avoiding personal sacrifice. The "Modernity" essay criticizes contemporary obsession with newness for its own sake, arguing that modern society values superficial novelty over genuine wisdom or fundamentals—essentially attacking 1920s consumer culture. "News of the Day" presents wishful satire: imaginary scenarios where food monopolists face consequences (bread and water confinement), newspapers exercise restraint, and William Randolph Hearst shows Senate respect. These are clearly fantasies mocking the actual behavior of these powerful figures. The final economic note describes inflation's vicious cycle: rising prices → worker dissatisfaction → wage demands → higher production costs → higher prices again—a timeless critique of economic instability still relevant today.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Father: Geoxce, TAKE THE OLD CAR TO-NIGHT ; WEAR OUT THE OLD THINGS FIRST IS MY MOTTO. “THEN WHY DON’T YOU GO, FATHER?” Modernity THOUGH I speak with the tongue of men and angels and have not modernity, I am no longer justified in the court of last resort. Modernity considers not wisdom, nor custom, nor fundamentals, nor decency, but only that which appears to be something new. “There is, under the sun, nothing new,” saith the Preacher, but modernity declareth that this is of no avail provided the old be suffi- ciently disguised in decadent costumes to deceive the passer-by. There be many illusions which among the highbrows appear of consequence, but the greatest of these is mod- ernity, Quite Damp OKUS: I never knew such a wet blanket as Flubdub. Pokus: That's right. If that fellow should jump from the frying-pan into the fire he would put the fire out. News of the Day (As It Ought To Be.) IGHTEEN food barons, who had made a corner in food products, were confined on Bedloe’s Island with nothing but bread and water. The newspapers decided upon an agreement to publish nothing but official war despatches. Mr. Hearst announced that he would not run for Senator on account of respect he had for the Senate. IGHER prices raise the cost of living, which makes the laboring man dissatisfied, which causes higher wages, which increases cost of production, which makes higher prices, which raises the cost of living, which makes the laboring man dissatisfied, and so on, world without end, and nobody able to bring the forces into stable equilibrium.