Life — November 23, 1916 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertisements and editorial content**, not political satire. The main features are: 1. **"A Contest in Criticism"** — Life magazine's $500 prize competition for readers to submit critical letters about Life itself (200-250 words maximum). The tone is self-referential humor about receiving criticism. 2. **"Diary of a Literary Censor"** — A humorous column by Benjamin De Casseres satirizing censorship and book banning. It mocks overzealous moral guardians who suppress literature on grounds of impropriety, referencing Tolstoy and Boccaccio as frequently-banned authors. 3. **Period advertisements** for unrelated products: art instruction courses, snuffer hats, and chicken farming—typical early 20th-century classified ads with exaggerated claims. The page reflects 1920s-era debates about artistic freedom versus censorship, presented through lighthearted satire rather than serious political commentary.