Life, 1916-06-01 · page 39 of 44
Life — June 1, 1916 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines two distinct advertisements with satirical editorial content. **Left side:** A Rameses cigarettes ad uses character-building language to sell smoking as a mark of sophistication and refined taste. It claims that experienced, "highly developed men" naturally prefer Rameses' distinctive flavor—a humorous appeal to male vanity and social aspiration typical of early 20th-century tobacco marketing. **Center:** A brief "Imaginary Conversation" satirizes pretentious New York restaurant culture. A modest customer requests quiet dining, but a snobbish establishment removes "vulgar" patrons and stops the orchestra at his request—mocking both obsequious service and the customer's obvious self-importance despite his claimed modesty. **Bottom left:** A small cartoon jokes that homegrown tobacco tastes indistinguishable from cabbage, undercutting the premium cigarette advertising above it through crude humor. **Right side:** A Denby Motor Trucks advertisement for commercial vehicles ($1020 for 1-ton models). The page exemplifies Life's satirical approach: advertising-heavy publications using humor to gently mock consumer culture and social pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1051 Character. “Pietro, tell the orchestra to jump Imaginary Conversations out of the window. And now, sir?” * “QO this is a New York restaurant, is “Have those vulgar, loud-talking peo- Never given free, ae pleat ta aos ce ence ; fee etki aaa Reise ow “It's done, sir.” to men or ciga- Sl rane eas a aa a “B some bread and butter with+ can I do for you?” rettes, and award- “Well, sin, Tam a quiet; unassuming cha cae?” k: man of moderate taste and income, and I . “No, inks. I'll tip the waiter and ed only after a have come in here to have a comfortable fas RE ties ee ee meal.” ea oo. ; ought to, this time. No use in reforming strenuous course Thank you, sir. Would you like the the. world. too suddedty.” music stopped?” “Thank you, sir.” in the school of “1 would.” Dont sation it” experience. — Evidenced often | in good taste—the acquired ability to choose what is | right. Soitis a significant fact that the most highly developed men of the world take naturally FOR TRAIL OP PAVEMENT to the decisive, un- mistakable flavor of Rameses— because “TheAristocratofCiga- rettes” is out of the rut, unusual, vitally distinctive. Remember— men are Rameses smokers gen- erally after long experi- ence with every other brand there is. And nobody ever 1 TON $1020 changes from Rameses, Denby now sets a new price standard — your insurance of greater value. Combine this with the dsl Denby design formance and your and Topical. truck is the Denby. 2i%-ton | | DENBY MOTOR TRUCK COMPANY DETROIT MICHIGAN “way, Jounny! ARE YoU USING TonAcco?” 1 DON'T CARE WHAT YOU CALL 1T, MOTHER, BUT IT TASTES JUST LIKE THE CABBAGE WE GET OVER IN SQUIRE HAWKINS’ PATCH.” comicbooks.com.