Life, 1915-09-02 · page 27 of 48
Life — September 2, 1915 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces critiquing early 20th-century society: **"Progress"**: Ironically lists humanity's "advancement" by cataloging weapons—from ancient bows and arrows to modern machine-guns, bombs, and gas. The final line notes that despite millennia of "progress," society still relies on "medicine men" (quacks/fraudulent practitioners), suggesting civilization hasn't actually improved morally or intellectually. **"Properly Defined"**: A brief joke where a student's literal definition of "temperate zone" (freezing cold and extremely hot) contradicts the scientific definition, mocking educational gaps. **"Don't Be Radical"**: Direct social commentary warning young people against questioning authority or demanding proof. It sarcastically argues that challenging established systems ("radical" behavior) causes trouble, while those in power prefer citizens remain "credulous" and accepting. This defends the status quo against progressive reform movements. The cartoons use humor to critique complacency, unexamined "progress," and societal resistance to critical thinking.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LT E'S * Dr. Rabbit: AND DRINKING? “FOUR HUNDRED YEARS “IF YOU KEEP IT UP, IT WILL RUIN YOUR HEALTH.” HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING Properly Defined What zone is this in which we live? Jounn Temperate. Teacner: Correct. Now, what is meant by a “tem- perate zone"? Jounny: It's a place where it’s freezin’ cold in winter an’ red hot in summer. ACHER: “NO HEAD FOR BUSINESS 427 Progress Is there any better or more logical standard by which to measure the progress of civilization than the number of things used to kill human beings? Two or three thousand years ago, when everything was more or less crude, these were about all they had: Bows, arrows, spears and catapults. Firebrands. Bludgeons. Stakes. Now we have: Machine-guns. Bombs. Gas. Autos. Trolleys. roads. Electric wires, Grade crossings. Trusts. Then, as now, however, they had medicine men. Don’t Be Radical HE sooner young folks learn not to be radical the sooner will they find themselves floating serenely down the stream of life without friction. To be radical takes lots of trouble: you have to be continually ripping off veneers, scratching surfaces, engaging in original re- search, applying acid tests, lifting lids, making analyses, tearing off ma’ demanding proof, and so on illimitably. But it is all pernicious activity. The leaders and makers and sellers of earth fix things up so that they will seem to be so-and-so; their leadership and their fame and their profits depend upon our being perfectly credulous and accepting things for what they seem. Why, then, ask embarrassing questions and thus incur the everlasting ill-will of those who are trying to hoodwink us? It is much better to take things as they come (paying cash, of course) and be humbly grateful. comicbooks.com