Life — September 23, 1915 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This comic strip parodies the shallow romantic values depicted in 1920s silent films. The narrative follows "Faye," a woman who rejects poor, bald Phil for wealthy Bill Swift—valuing his automobile and hair over character. After marrying Bill, she abandons him when Phil discovers a hair-growth tonic, becomes rich, and buys a fancy car. Now she wants to wear *Phil's* name instead. The satire targets female fickleness and materialism: women portrayed as mercenary, caring only for wealth and appearance. It also mocks the "rags to riches" plot common in silent movies. The ironic twist—that Phil's fortune reverses their situations, causing Faye to switch suitors—exposes how absurd such values are. The credited artist, Elsie Rand, uses this domestic drama to critique both popular entertainment and contemporary attitudes toward women, wealth, and marriage.