Life, 1915-12-02 · page 88 of 100
Life — December 2, 1915 — page 88: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertisements interspersed with social satire**, not political cartooning. The main satirical piece, "What They Know," mocks wealthy mothers discussing college choices for their sons. The joke is that their *actual* selection criteria—knowing the college president personally or having connections to administrators—has nothing to do with academic quality. They rationalize their choices with talk of "smaller colleges" and fewer "temptations," but reveal they're really choosing based on social connections (mentioning "Mr. Taft" and "President Hadley"). The phrase "(And so on ad infinitum)" signals the endless, circular nature of their self-deception. The satire targets **class-based educational privilege**: elite families leveraging personal relationships to secure prestigious college placements for their sons, while pretending their decisions rest on educational merit. The surrounding ads (Thermos bottles, Carstairs Rye whiskey, Towne Gloves, Figure Mold undergarments) are typical Christmas gift advertisements aimed at affluent readers—the exact audience being gently mocked in the article.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*CHRISTMAS LIFE- For the Antomobile THe problem of the selection of the handsomest and most useful Christmas gift is happily solved by THERMOS For Thermos serves you right—food or drink—hot or cold—when, where and as you like. Every member of the family, every one on the list of friendship, from infancy to old age—ceither in the hours spent at or away from home—have innumerable daily uses for Thermos. Thermos brings to them in the hot sum- mer months all the comforts produced by ice, and in the cold winter season all the joys to be obtained by fire. In buying Thermos for “him” or “her” as your Christmas gift, you are selecting the invention honored with the Grand Prize by the Panama-Pacific Exposition, and by like Expositions at Berlin, Paris, Antwerp, Madrid, Seattle, Vienna and London. 1s in great assortment awaits you one of 100,000 dealers. If you the country ask that it be sent From $1.00 up. Send for American Thermos Bottle Co. Norwich, Conn. John Fitch Patented His Steamboat Three Years After Carstairs Rye Was Established The superiority of Carstairs Rye looms large alongside of “later arrivals,” in times past and present. Carstairs Rye is the drink of all drinks— “straight” or in High Balls. In the non-refillable bottle—“ A Good Bottle to Keep Good Whiskey Good.” What They Know nes mothers were discussing the relative merits of certain colleges for their sons. Said the first: “Tam satisfied in my own mind that the smaller college is the best. We have seriously been considering Will- jams for Albert.” Said the second: “T think there is a great deal in that. In a small college there are not so many temptations.” “ And the boys come into more per- sonal contact with the professors.” “And that is so important, don’t you think? We are thinking of Yale for George, just for that reason. You know my husband knows Mr. Taft very well indeed, and President Had- ley is a lifelong friend of my uncle's, It makes such a difference, knowing some one.” “Doesn't it? I wouldn't hesitate about Yale if I were you. We had thought of Harvard for Albert when President Eliot was there. We used to sce a great deal of the Eliots. He is really a splendid man, you know.” “Isn't he? But somehow Harvard is—well, I hardly know how to express it. I imagine it’s rather snobbish.” “And so near Boston. They say Boston is really terribly wicked. It’s hard to believe such a thing of Bos- ton, isn’t it? But, oh dear! It's so hard to know just what to do with one’s boy, especially when one hears of all these terrible things.” “My dear, they have to find them- selves. As you say, a smaller college doesn’t offer quite the same range of temptation. We had thought of Prince- ton.” “But Princeton is so theological. Of course, I want George to grow up to be a good man, but—— (And so on ad infinitum.) TOWNE GLOVES The retailer does not make the gloves he sells. Like you who buy them, he depends chiefly on the reputation of the maker for good value. Thus, his gwen reputation is involved. Most dealers who cherish their own reputation wel- come the opportunity of depending on the Fownes reputation. They take no chances. Neither do you. “The Beau Brummel" Men Who Gare fr Appearance Should Wear THE FIGURE MOLD To preserve a good form or remedy a faulty one. By wearing this open mesh elastic garment, a emast, well eet-00 Ggure is instantly obtained. THE BEAU BRUMMEL FOR SLENDER MEN THE BEAUTY MOLD FOR SLENDER WOMEN Will line up and perfect an already good form. ‘THE MAGIC FIGURE MOLD FOR MEN AND wours ide of legs, ‘without one momest # ‘of any kind. LUTELY NEW METHO Reduction is not obtalned by Swea These amet cause po hea. are scietibcally cect, cay wri tclieve train, improve fa amon, simulate circulation, beret ao beauty obese Tove no inyorius quate, #24 r i sicr AND SURGEONS ‘We make them to individual measure ia varying lengths for men aed ‘women and sell them direct. ‘Woe for ilusrated booklet with full desrision POSITIVELY THE ONLY FIGURE MOLD ay EXISTENCE Foreign and domestic patents granted and peadiss. FIGURE MOLD GARMENT COMPANY F-54 East Broad St. Columbus, 0. comicbooks.com