Life, 1918-05-23 · page 33 of 40
Life — May 23, 1918 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical poem by Clement Wood alongside period advertisements. The verse mocks scientific claims about famous historical and contemporary women's appearances. **The Satire:** The poem challenges pseudo-scientific arguments that famous beauties—Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Venus, Beatrice—were actually ugly. Wood's point: regardless of their actual looks, these women "never lacked an escort." He extends this to contemporary figures (Irene Castle, Marie Dressler, Mary Pickford), suggesting men care less about objective beauty than society assumes. The closing moral addresses women dismissively: don't worry about being plain—men judge women by other criteria ("the way they ought to play the game"). **Context:** This reflects early-20th-century attitudes about gender and appearance, presenting male attraction as transactional rather than aesthetic. The poem uses famous names recognizable to 1920s readers but now obscure to modern audiences. **Note:** The page is primarily advertising (Williams Shaving products, Herman's Army Shoes, Bell-Ans antacid), with the poem as filler content typical of Life magazine's format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
853 I _ Beauty and the Scientific timore claim that an a establishes that Cleopatr, with mall eyes, a at scrawny s item, nal HE scientists assert, and prove it nities __ smugly, . - wrette That Cleopatra, Sorceress of Nile, Was scrawny-necked and rabbit-eared and ugly, With beady eyes that couldn't be in style. Mthough they prove she looked unlike a charmer, M. Antony and ne. Soch long-delayed post-mortems ean- Cesar liked the not harm her; She never lacked an escort, just the same! Perhaps fossil, woolly-brained and moss-eyed, Will prove that Venus hadn't’ any looks, That Helen’s face was double-chinned he The Holder Top stands squarely on the shelf— a top for the box, a holder for the fingers and cross-eyed, That Beatrice’s eyes were like a cook's, HE only purpose of the Holder Top is to add convenience to a shaving necessity. Thousands of men would use Williams’ Shaving Soap if they had to hold it with a forked stick. It’s that kind of shaving soap. in stamps for trial sizes jorms shown bere. OF tend 6c, in stamps for any one. The J. B. WILLIAMS CO. the arch, Herman's Munson makes Dept. A, allowance for muscle action and nat-| Glastonbury, Conn. ural expansion and allows the foot | After the shave you will enjoy to do its part without pain or injury. | *% comforting tach of Wiliams’ It corrects foot troubles and adds | we Vioict. Camation, English waves tre YY) to your sure-footedness and effi- | Lilac or Rose. igstice. \ \ ciency. Every U. S. soldier has to wackioa a wear this shape. Every civilian whose feet are complaining will find in this sho: blessed relief and matchless footwear value. Made in all sizes and widths. Wear Herman’s U.S. * ARMY SHOES Accurately following the outline of No amount of inconvenience in applying it would outweigh the comfort, economy and effectiveness of its softening, soothing, lasting lather. When you realize that Williams’ Shaving Soap is that | Willioms good, then you begin to appreciate what a real luxury Williams’ Shaving Soap is when applied with the convenient metal Holder Top. rk. ii | Catalog $i! FREE—Write for it. ‘Jou, M. Herman Shoe Co. $16 Albany Bide. Baston, Mass, & HERMANS And Eve the plainest skirt of all her That Irene Castle couldn't even waddle, era, And Marie Dressler was a. skinny Mthough she set the serpent’s heart aflame. Though each were ugly as the vile Chimera, She never lacked an escort, just the same. ‘SHOE, ae BELL-ANS Absolutely Removes, sight Don't bother, dames; but men folks, you should worry! They know the way they ought to * play the game. They may he plain; ’em, hurry but if you'd flee Indigestion. One package And after us, this scientific twaddle May show that Mary Pickford was a fright, ‘They never lacked an escort, just the same. Clement Wood. Proves it. 25c at all druggists. | comicbooks.com