Life, 1917-04-26 · page 35 of 84
Life — April 26, 1917 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct elements: **advertising and satirical poetry**. The left side presents "The Debutante Dance," a humorous poem cataloging the awkward, ridiculous details of attending a formal ball—from arriving drunk ("piffed") to sneaking out to the bar below. It satirizes upper-class social pretension by itemizing the discomfort and hypocrisy: the forced propriety, the desperate drinking, the exhaustion. The poem mocks debutante culture and formal society's veneer of elegance masking juvenile behavior and desperation. The right side contains two product advertisements: **Fownes gloves** (emphasizing style and comfort) and **Williams' Shaving Cream** (showing application methods). These are standard commercial ads with no satirical content. The contrast between the satirical poem's deflation of high society and the earnest, dignified advertising below creates an ironic juxtaposition typical of Life's format—mixing social commentary with commercial messaging.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Debutante Dance TH merry din. The crowded lift. The stumbling in. The man that’s “ piffed.” The room above. The great-coat check. The single glove. The choking neck. The chaperon line. The mumbled name. The wish for wine. The feeling lame. The ball-room floor. The cello’s moan. The “debs” galore. The muffled groan. The old “glad rags.” The tightened tic. The line of stags. The stifled sigh. The gaze about. The friend you know, The slipping out. The bar below. The “sherry flip.” The pousse-café. The absinthe drip. The feeling gay. The quick return. The joyful grin. The cheeks that burn. The “cutting in.” The rapid pace. The “ foxy trot.” The crimson face. The getting hot. To be “in style’ doesn’t always mean to be comfortable. But style and comfort are twins in every pair of Fownes gloves. . . Good to look at— Good to wear. FOWNES that’s all you need to __ know about a GLOVE. Cortes AGARS “MADE AT KEY WEST— Shavin Cream Stick Powder Two Ways of Using Shaving Cream Squeeze into wet brush, as shown in illustration, or apply directly to the face and work up lather with wet brush. Lather that comes like a flash—rich, creamy, soothing. Lather that makes man master of his razor, holds its moisture throughout the shave, and leaves the skin like velvet. Ask for Williams’—W-i the cream that stays cream tube and works wonders when re- leased. Williams’ Shaving Soap comes in several camvenient forms Stick, Powder,Cream, Liquid and in round cakes Send 12¢ in stamps for a trial size of the tour forms shown here. Then decide which you preter or send 4c in stamps for any one. The J. B. Williams Co, Williamg Gieks fa Shaving f Powder Dept. A, Glastonbury, Conn. Add the finishing touch to your shave with Williams* tusericas Tele Powder. The dreamy waltz. The wilted shirt. The many halts. The torn skirt. The baggy “trou.” The dizzy whirl. The dripping brow. The same old girl. The mute appeal. The friend who goes. The weary reel The tired toes, The wish to roam. The subtle ruse. The ‘phoning home. The fake excuse. The exit fast. The hat and coat. The danger past. The scribbled note. The dash outside. The taxi red. The soothing ride. The home and bed, comicbooks.com