Life, 1915-05-20 · page 36 of 44
Life — May 20, 1915 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains humorous short anecdotes and advertisements typical of Life magazine's satirical format. **"His Unprejudiced Opinion"**: A joke about a new father asking which side of the house his baby resembles. The humor relies on the respondent's diplomatic deflection—he avoids saying the baby is ugly by pretending to misunderstand, suggesting the infant resembles neither parent favorably. **"I Am It"**: Satirizes artistic pretension. When criticized for not enlisting during wartime, an artist claims he *is* civilization itself—a pompous assertion mocking self-important artists who justify non-service through abstract notions of cultural contribution. **The remaining anecdotes** play on misunderstandings and marital dynamics—a husband's insincere compliment about biscuits, a wife's bewilderment at this polite lie, and a woman's obliviousness to her husband's moderate smoking habit. The page primarily offers gentle, domestic humor rather than sharp political satire, alongside period advertisements for swimming gear and gin.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FOOLISH ONT EMPORARIES ay Sa His Unprejudiced Opinion “Which side of the house do you think the baby resembles most?” proudly asked young Popjoy. “Well—h’'m!” answered Smith. “I can't see that he looks so very much like the side of a house.” —Woman’s Home Companion. Wino Jelly when flavored with Abbott's Bitters fs made more plo of bitters by mall, 23 ets, ti . Baltimore, Md. They are telling the story of an artist of some reputation who was reproached by a’volunteer for not enlisting. He gazed a while at the younger man with impenetrable calm; then, slowly and with grave dignity, he said: “Tam that civilization you are fight- ing for."—The New Age. ee New ‘nd Better | o Kind of “Wings” |] “T must say these are fine biscuits!” : TObe be had at every exclaimed the young husband. “How could you say those are fine good place where biscuits?” inquired the young wifc's | accommodation is mother in a private interview. + made for travellers, “T didn’t say they were fine. I merely said I must say so."—Washington Star, Severat ladies sat in their club a few : thife Fe € Hock evenings ago discussing the virtues of s) their husbands. “Mr. Bingleton,” said one of them, Preserves your of = referring to her life partner, “never health in every NEVERSINK’ ‘ he climate. NG drinks and never swears—indeed, he has z: SWIM =-WI NGS no bad habits!” 5] From the famous You fet safe on SWIMAWINGS, | Avtomaticatiy “Does he never smoke?" some one White Rock Mineral palest thematives for swimming aby goke: More asked. Seinen, Weakesha, Wie royant and less chomay thas Cork—"teac asked. | a Om roadway, N.Y, Gren te epten fs 8 very, Set: “Yes. He likes a cigar just after he Goats dealer for, SWIM. Porte has eaten a good meal. But I suppose, Eiswaaner on an average, he doesn’t smoke more See ‘hese and other gearanterd Talle Sv than oate-a month." é seg ot ar Sn cht etd an once a month” hat a . s . ome of er friends laughed, but she American Life Saving Garment Co. didn’t seem to understand why. To orese 467 Commercial Str ‘ _Tit-Bits. wearing t 0 figure MW remode may be #4 inner as moment's MAGIC S4-B EAST soc! ‘Y NOTE - MAEM COIIC DOOKSC Ol