Life, 1917-12-20 · page 11 of 40
Life — December 20, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a domestic scene where a woman sits with children while a man stands nearby. The caption indicates someone has proposed marriage as a Christmas gift, offering himself "as a Christmas present." The cartoon satirizes the commodification of marriage proposals and the awkwardness of romantic gestures presented as holiday gifts. The woman's composed expression suggests mild bemusement at this crude romantic overture. Below are three short humorous pieces: "Noses" discusses how large noses indicate prominent historical figures; "Multiplex" jokes about a corporation's lack of soul; and "Candid" presents a brief exchange about Christmas tree decorations. These pieces represent typical Life magazine humor—domestic situations, social commentary, and quick witticisms reflecting early-to-mid 20th century American middle-class concerns and sensibilities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHRISTMAS PR “AND DID YOU TELL HIM THAT YOU PREFERRED USEFUL GIFTS? how surely !—beginning to come true. He has no thought of himself, no thought of the pomp and glory of war, only of the meaning of its end.” I burst into tears—and hated myself for it. But I hurried on. “ Are you going to put your mother- hood to shame by showing a lesser heroism than your boy's?” The little mother had listened in silence, broken only by her sobbing, the soft sobbing of inconsolable childhood or year- scarred old age. Gradually she became composed, and to her face came the peace of under- standing, the calm of a belief such as Joan of Arc’s. “Will must go,” was all she said. And then we wept unreservedly to- gether, for—Will is my husband. S.L. Peller, PNM | {W ” Noses A WRITER in the Boston Transcript calls attention to a biological fact of no mean importance when he states that “the nose is manifestly the fea- ture most favored and most highly re- garded by nature, for it increases in size and magnificence only in propor- tion to the discretion of the wearer and his ability to guard it from harm.” According to this authority, small noses belong to weak people, The greatest generals have had the largest noses; witness Napoleon and Welling- ton and Alexander. Babies, who are protected and whose would otherwise be broken off constantly, al- ways have small noses. The size of a man’s nose may be a fair indication of his ability to protect himself. The executive nose is usually the nose with noses HAS ALREADY ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM—OFFERED ME HIMSELF—YOU KNOW—AS A the bridge, the Roman nose. The Chinese have not the executive nose, hence are not able to protect them- selves. The Japanese, as they grow more powerful, will develop large noses more and more. Nations are known by the noses they grow. Multiplex They say that a corporation Could anything be HE: has no soul. worse? He: Five times worse! The cor- poration I work for has five direc- tors, and none of them have souls. Candid “AREN'T you going to have a Christmas tree this year?” We're not going to trim any- thing but father.” comicbooks.com