Life, 1917-07-12 · page 29 of 40
Life — July 12, 1917 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces from Life magazine during World War I: **"School of Bad Manners"** mocks American rudeness as a national trait, sarcastically proposing formal training in discourtesy. It criticizes specific behaviors—loud soup-eating, insulting women, cigar smoking in crowded cars, aggressive driving—suggesting these represent American vulgarity. The joke targets both ordinary citizens and authority figures (customs officers, conductors) as sources of incivility. **"Preparing in Cold Blood"** defends American restraint about the war as disciplined rather than apathetic, arguing that orderly obedience demonstrates democratic values. **"History Repeats Itself"** mocks German military predictions about starving Britain, noting they've already revised their timeline from June to August. The Kaiser's "Christmas dinner in Paris" reference suggests Germans initially expected rapid conquest of France. The accompanying cartoon shows a man asking a woman for a blonde hair to place on his coat, implying infidelity—illustrating the manners theme through domestic deception.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE- 69 Are Your Manners Bad Enough? If Not, Apply at Once to Headquarters and Have Them Properly Trained LS : School of Bad Manners fills a long-felt want. It has frequently been recognized that bad manners in American life are a practical asset. They are a necessity in so many homes and public pl that we feel we are performing a real service in placing them within the reach all, at a moderate figure. We guarantee to bring every home up to the standard of the bad manners of a custom house in ten lessons, Chil- dren's bad manners are now usually due to their parents, who, as everyone knows, are too busy to pay real attention to them. We teach all children to “sass” their fathers and mothers in a scientific manner. We make it a real pleasure. Our departments are in charge of custom house officers, ilroad gatemen, street-car conductors and some Broad- Hebrews. We teach you how to make a real noise with soup, how to insult a gentlewoman, how to get there first in every crowd, and how to get in front of other au- of tomobiles and stay there. Some young men, for example, display a lamentable timidity over bringing a half-lighted cigar stump into a car full of women, Lire’s School of Bad Manners is an American institu ow that this country has become a world-power, we want to maintain our great reputation. her tha Remer Preparing in Cold Blood They say we are cold about the war, though dutiful. We are re- sponding as a people to the call of our government, but the war has not really come home to us yet. Our lack of war-heat is natural, and time and events will cure it. That the country responds to the call of duty is the great thing. It does respond, and that shows discipline in our people. They accept the decision made for them by those whom they have author- ized to decide. They can obey: they can sacrifice self in the common interest. That vin- dicates democratic government as we practice it. It is imperfect, but at heart it is sound. History Repeats Itself E ‘GLAND extends her profound thanks to Berlin. It was stated some time ago by the German newspapers that England would be starved out by June first. Now the Germans have changed it to August first. Sounds a little bit like the Kaiser’s Christmas din- ner in Paris. “COULD YOU—ER—GIVE ME A BLOND HAIR TO PUT ON MY COAT, MISS ROSE? MY WIFE HAS SOMEHOW GOTTEN THE IDEA THAT OTHER WOMEN ARE INDIFFERENT TO ME.” comicbooks.com