Life — August 1, 1918 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 156 This page contains three satirical pieces: 1. **"The Lingering Lift"** (right column): Mocks the frustratingly slow descent of modern elevators, describing the tedious wait as "one of the exquisite slow tortures of modern life." The humor relies on everyday frustration—watching the indicator hover at "twenty-two" while the elevator descends painfully slowly. 2. **"Army Item"** (top illustration): A chaotic sketch captioned "Lieutenant Eggicombe Smith Shows Marvelous Aptitude in Aviation"—likely satirizing incompetent military officers, showing someone wildly out of control in an aircraft. 3. **"Who's Nobody and Why"** / **"Almost Rock Bottom"**: Profiles Smoothlipp Shyster, a disreputable divorce lawyer despised by bar associates. The dialogue below mocks financial ruin during economic hardship, suggesting someone has lost everything to taxes and business failure.