Life, 1916-08-10 · page 10 of 38
Life — August 10, 1916 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Ruling Fashion"** (top poem): A satirical piece mocking fashionable women of the era—Barbara, Zena, Sonia, and Doris—who are described with exaggerated physical features (striped patterns, zebra-like appearance). The joke appears to target absurd women's fashion trends, suggesting they look ridiculous. **"Notice to Parents"** (center): An editorial warning parents that teachers are experimenting with new educational methods over summer. The piece ironically requests parental cooperation while sarcastically noting that failed experiments shouldn't continue—a critique of educational fads. **"Pals" and cartoon** (bottom): A dialogue between "Mexican Sovereignty" and "Presidential Impossibility" discussing Mexican military ambitions. The satire concerns American-Mexican relations and Mexico's desire for military aid, mocking diplomatic grandiosity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
226 The Ruling Fashion BARBARA looked like a barber-pole, Slender, with stripes objectiv: Zena resembled a zebra foal, In black-and-white perspective. Sonia rivalled the sunset ra; Doris, the tender dawning. But, for a shock, just rest your gaze On Arabelle, gowned in an awning! Notice to Parents HE annual reorganization of the public school systems of America is now under way. Grade teachers and school teachers from almost here are studying in the sum- s of our great colleges and universities. They are learning from child experts and leading educational experimenters just what new methods and devices and theories are to be tried out on your boys and girls next winter, In the fall these hers will return to you crammed full of foggy notions of what the experts tried to say. They will ask your co-operation in. giving these notions a trial. We ask that you extend to them every help and courtesy within your power. It is imperative that your schools be up-to-date whether anything is accomplished or not. No scheme of education should be allowed to operate long enough to demonstrate its excellence or its ab- surdity. WHEN LOVE WAS YOUNG THE UNREADY NATION Pals EXICAN SOVEREIGNTY walking aimlessly down the road when it met a Presidential Impossi- was bility. “Who are you and where are you goin id the Presidential Impossi- a pleasant fiction,” said Mex- ican Sovereignty, “and | am just wan- dering along hoping to pick up enough American ammunition to make myself an ultimate reality.” “Your words are too big for me, 1 the Presidential Impossibility. * myself believe in simple expressions like ‘Tam an American,’ ‘Too proud to fight,’ ‘Our heritage of categorical and ‘transmagnifigan du- What is your object, imperativ bandanciality.” anyway?” “ My object,” replied Mexican Sover- cignty, “is precisely the same as yours. When I get going, my intention is to rob the country, as has always been done, with the help of a few leading Will you help me?” said the Presidential Impos- ‘that is, if I get in, which, of course | expect to.” financiers. comichooks.com