Life, 1918-08-08 · page 23 of 36
Life — August 8, 1918 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1917-1918 WWI-era *Life* magazine page satirizes American wartime propaganda and media management. **"A Disturbing Suggestion"** mocks George Creel's Committee on Public Information, which coordinated war propaganda. Two newspaper editors discuss all their patriotic efforts—promoting war bonds, Red Cross campaigns, thrift stamps—when one dangerously suggests cutting department-store ads to set an example. The editor-in-chief horrifies him, calling this "Treason! Sedition!"—absurdly treating commercial advertising as essential to winning the war. **"Historic Boys"** caricatures two figures (labeled "Reckless Orville" and "Slangy George," likely referring to contemporary public figures) in similar exaggerated poses to military heroes. **"If We Were Real Americans"** shows soldiers dancing chaotically. **"The Retort Proper"** humorously depicts a soldier's patriotic comeback when asked where he's going: "Jump into a uniform and find out." The satire's core: *Life* ridicules how thoroughly commercial interests have infiltrated wartime patriotism, making advertising protection seem as important as actual war effort.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
RECKLESS ORVILLE A Disturbing Suggestion : Office of daily paper. Man- aging editor looking over latest hot-air bulletin from Mr, Creel. Enter Editor-in-chief. EpiToR-IN-CHIEF = news? Manacine Epitor: Nothing special. 1 was just wondering if we are doing all we can to win the war. We mustn't miss a single tric Eprtor-tn-cuter: That's right! I'm what's the Well, HISTORIC BOYS with you there. We are playing up Thrift Stamps thoroughly, aren't we? “In every issue.” "And advertising the Smoke Fund?” ve've raised eight thousand dol- Are we paying enough attention to the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A.?" “ Doing all we can.” “How about Liberty Loans “Printing all the material Washington and running ads. every day.” oe from IF WE WERE REAL AMERICANS SLANGY GEORGE “Well, is there anything more you can possibly think of?” Manacinc Eprtor — (hesitatingly) : Well, sir, I didn’t know but possibly, in view of the grim necessity, we might furnish a good example if we cut down on our full pa; of department- store ads. and leave out our Sunday comic supplements Eprtor-1N-Culer : you trying to do? in the history of the world you want to curtail the power of the Treason! Sedition! The Retort Proper TROOP train was at the station, Never! What are At this critical time press. ne soldiers had eaten the sand- tered) coffee, and were busy absorbing candy and smiles as furnished by the girls, when a person wearing trousers butted in with the taboo question, “ Where are you goin; The reply came like the bark of a rifle: “Jump into a uniform and find out.” wiches, drank the hot ( comicbooks.com