Life, 1917-10-25 · page 16 of 44
Life — October 25, 1917 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks both journalists and the public's anxiety about press interviews. The main article humorously suggests that while killing reporters would be "effective" and "safe," it's better to smile sweetly and tell them everything—while acknowledging they'll likely lie about you anyway. The tone is darkly comic, reflecting early 20th-century distrust of sensationalist journalism. The lower section shows two brief comedy sketches: one about a character named Percy demanding to be captain before playing (a military/hierarchy joke), and another about an actor booking a five-year contract with the "British government" to "open in France"—likely satirizing either wartime recruitment or absurdist theatrical deals. The bottom cartoon ("Father's Idea and Theirs") and accompanying caption about sofas appear to illustrate contrasting perspectives on domestic furnishings, though the specific satire is unclear from this image alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ETRE * Being Interviewed HERE comes a time in the life of each one of us when we are bound to be interviewed by a journalist, and the question is: How shall we comport ourselves, and what shall we say under such trying circumstances? There are some who advocate killing the journalist or newspaperman on the spot, just as soon as he appears, and concealing the dead body. Nobody, of course, would ever miss a journalist; the proceeding would be perfectly safe. There are, of course, many things to be said in favor of f this plan. It is effective. It is safe. But, on the other hand, it is often hard work. Newspapermen are likely to be unusually tough. They die hard; and the nervous ex- citement and physical work of killing one, and removing him effectually, are always exhausting. Besides, such a course as this shows resentment, and the best way to deal with a journalist is not to show any resentment toward him, no matter how bitterly you feel. You should smile Percy: 1 WON'T PLAY UNLESS I CAN BE CAPTAIN. sweetly upon him, and tell him everything. “THEN YE'LL HAVE 10 LICK TH’ ARMY, ONE AT A TIME. This will not make him lie about you any the less, or THAT STE WAY ITLWAS! IROMOTED: necessarily think of you with any gratitude, but it will be ’ Scheduled an act of kindness toward a fellow creature, for you must | remember that all journalists are a part of the human | family, strange as this may seem. Hold nothing back from the journalist, not even the facts; in case by any mistake he should print any of them, you will understand that we are none of us infallible. | Scene—An actors’ club in London, First Actor: Hallo, old man! Quite a stranger. Settled for the fall? Seconp Actor: Sure. Five years’ contract. first Actor: Good for you! Who with? Seconp Actor: British government. Open in France in “[-)O you believe in Prohibition?” a fortnight. “For Prohibitionists.” AND THEIRS WHAT A SOFA SHOULD BE LIKE comicbooks omy