Life — November 11, 1915 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Second Call" - Life Magazine Subscription Appeal This page is a **Christmas gift subscription pitch** for *Life* magazine, not a political cartoon. The "Second Call" headline announces an early holiday campaign to encourage readers to give *Life* subscriptions as presents. The satire is subtle: the text contrasts *Life*'s eagerness to profit from the holiday season against the business department's usual restraint about such promotions. The phrase "Obey That Impulse" humorously frames gift-giving as inevitable impulse-buying rather than thoughtful giving. The decorative border features Christmas imagery (sleigh, snowman, carolers, children playing) typical of period holiday advertising. The subscription cost was $5 yearly ($5.52 Canadian, $6.04 foreign). The satirical point: even a respectable magazine will abandon propriety for Christmas commerce.