Life, 1916-05-18 · page 29 of 48
Life — May 18, 1916 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical comic mocks academic over-intellectualization. It depicts a theorist attempting to move a mule using increasingly elaborate pseudo-scientific language and methods. The humor builds across panels: the theorist initially observes the mule's stubborn behavior with academic detachment (panel 1), then proposes a "scientific method" involving the mule's "caudal appendage" (tail) instead of pulling its head (panels 2-4). By panel 5, he's explaining complex principles while the mule remains unmoved. The joke is clear: the theorist uses pompous terminology ("psychological influences," "diametrically opposed," "efficacious") to describe simple concepts, yet his elaborate approach fails where direct action would succeed. This satirizes intellectuals who complicate practical problems with jargon rather than achieving results—a common target of *Life* magazine's social satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. “How very interesting! What an opportunity to study 2, “My good man, permit me to suggest a much more sci- the effect of psychological influences entific method of attaining your desired purpose. 3. “You will admit that the mule’s primary aim is to go Now, if, instead of pulling forward on his head, you in’ a direction diametrically opposed to that in which you will grasp his caudal appendage thus— desire him to proceed. 5. ““——and_pull backward, you will find the principle in- finitely more efficacious than the—"