Life, 1917-02-08 · page 32 of 42
Life — February 8, 1917 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains humorous social commentary and satirical cartoons: **"Things We Do Instinctively"** mocks middle-class American behaviors—straightening ties for women's voices, clutching wallets near big cities, whispering in art galleries. It satirizes social pretension and anxiety. **The Doctor Joke** lampoons medical billing: a surgeon itemizes costs as $25 for surgery, $500 for reputation, and the remainder because the patient can afford it—critiquing how doctors exploit wealthy patients. **"The Three Famous Bills"** likely references Bill Sunday (evangelist), Bill Hohenzollern (German Kaiser Wilhelm II), and Bill Bryan (William Jennings Bryan, politician)—the wordplay turning names into debts ("due," "overdue"). **The Animal Court Cartoon** depicts an antelope (Amos) accused of attacking a bear (Griswold) while eating honey—an absurdist parody of legal proceedings, mocking how courts handle trivial disputes with elaborate formality. **"Another Great Victory"** satirizes slow, incompetent judicial systems through a fictional case where the "Supreme Potentate" takes eleven years to decide a simple theft case with undisputed facts.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
232 “LIFE: Things That We Do Instinctively TRAIGHTEN our cravat when we hear a strange female voice at the other end of the telephone wire. Feel that we are included when the term “ prominent citizens” is used. Button the flap over the pocket that contains our purse when approaching New York or Chicago. Absent-mindedly shiver when presented to ladies from New England. Sigh deeply when the President’s Mexican policy is mentioned. Carry on a conversation in hoarse whispers when in an art gallery. Itemized ATIENT: One thousand dol- lars! Would you mind itemiz- ing the bill? Doctor: Certainly not; twenty- five dollars for the operation itself, five hundred for my reputa- tion and the remainder because you have the money. Othe Coalng HE three most famous Bills are Lord Justice Leo: AMOS ANTELOPE, YOU ARE CHARGED WITH ATTACKING, Bill Sunday, Bill Hohenzollern and BITING AND MAIMING THE PLAINTIFF, GRISWOLD REAR, WHILE SALD GRISWOLD Bill Bryan. The first Bill is not yet WAS PEACEFULLY EATING A POT OF HONEY. due, the second Bill is just about due, and the third Bill is long overdue. Another Great Victory SUPREME POTENTATE DECIDES ACCORDING TO LIGHT OF REASON IN FAMOUS CASE OF SECOND-HAND CLOTHES TRUST : a low | Funcevitr, OO.—After considering the matter Price. carefully for eleven years, four months, twenty-one motor, days and (to be exact) forty-seven seconds, the Su- of powe preme Potentate of the Futility Islands handed down siege a decision to-day which is destined to be of the a cisti greatest importance in all future adjudicational juris- . prudential procedure. So d The case was styled: Adam Poore Citizen vs. The four yes Amalgamated Second-Hand Clothes Corporation hel ue Curiously enough, there was no dispute as to the facts. It appears that one summer’s night, masked agents of the Second-Hand Clothes Trust held up Whil Mr. Citizen on the outskirts of Fudgeville and re- lieved him of everything but his underclothes. The main object of the suit was to determine the real meaning of the now famous anti-felony act, and it was under this act that Mr. Citizen brought suit to recover his clothes, with which to recover himself. He claimed that the Trust agents had entirely ex- ceeded their corporate powers, and that their exac- tions were overdone, too much, excessive and incon- tinent. The attorneys for the Trust, however, claimed that the anti-felony act did not contemplate interfering sideratio has alwi Judge: MADAM, HAVE YOU ANYTHING TO Say? Prisoner's Husband: orp, JUDGE! Now You've DONE IT! (Continued on page 238) comicbooks.com