Life, 1916-08-17 · page 17 of 38
Life — August 17, 1916 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces mocking early 20th-century American upper-class pretension. **"Fashion Notes"** ridicules wealthy society's arbitrary status rules: speeding is now "too bourgeois," having multiple children is "vulgar," and dogs must cost over $1,000. The humor peaks when a socialite asks if Henrik Ibsen (a celebrated playwright) is a "salad dressing"—satirizing the upper class's shallow cultural pretense despite claiming sophistication. References to knitting for Belgian war relief suggest WWI-era concerns treated as mere fashion trends. **"No Doubt a Good Thought"** mocks philosopher John Dewey's opaque academic writing about education and culture through Dr. Paul Elmer More's work. The author suggests Dewey's sentences are so convoluted they're meaningless, humorously comparing parsing his prose to following a baseball game. It's satire of inflated intellectual jargon masking empty ideas. The cartoon below depicts a suburban domestic scene, likely illustrating the tension of managing household staff—a middle-class concern contrasting with the upper-class pretension above.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AND VERY PROPER BATHING SUIT” Fashion Notes HE best families are not being ar- rested for speeding this year. The sport has become too bourgeois for the enjoyment of the upper classes. It is considered quite smart to have children, though, as one young society matron recently pointed out, it is al- ways a trifle vulgar to have more than one child to a family. Dogs are always in good taste, pro- vided that they do not weigh more than six ounces, and cost over one thousand dollars. Politics may be discussed at infor- mal dinners, afternoon teas and affairs more or less frivolous in character. But anything of that nature is abso- lutely prohibited at formal gatherings. Scandal is the only safe topic on such Early in the summer an introduce Ibsen occasions. effort was made to into polite conversation, but the move- ment failed when one of the social leaders asked if Ibsen was a salad dressing. The war has rather gone out. No one of consequence is knitting any- thing this year, though several of the more radical members of society are still sending mufilers to the Belgians. Divorce is still popular. Indeed, it is to be doubted if anything will ever replace that interesting institution in the affections of the exclusive set. Dz B. "*LIFE* No Doubt a Good Thought Measured in other terms than that of some as yet unachieved po: bility of just the forces from which sequestered culture shrinks in horror, the cause of culture is doomed so far as public education is concerned. Indeed, it hardly exists anywhere outside the pages of Mr. Paul Elmer More, and his heirs and assigns. O says Dr. John Dew writing in the New Republic about American education and culture. Dr. Dewey is a wise man, and his words, above, probably contain a valu- able thought if only one could lift it out of its language. These sentences, in which several thoughts run bases at 273 once while the ball is coming in from the outfield, are troublesome, of course, but when we get them from an educator like Dr. Dewey we should feel that they are given to us for our good, and receive them humbly and exercise our minds on them. Maybe the light will come when we least ex- pect it. But (whisper) what line do you suppose it is that Mr. More has got cornered? Never mind! Any unachieved possi- bility of forces from which sequestered culture shrinks must tempt ambition. Let us go out and get it before the baseball reporters have dis! with their appalling jargon. THE SUBURBAN HUSLAND DOES HIS BEST TO KEEP THE NEW COOK CONTENTED comicbooks.com