Life, 1919-06-19 · page 29 of 42
Life — June 19, 1919 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1920s *Life* magazine page contains two satirical jokes: **"Dropping Out"**: Mocks an after-dinner speaker whose importance has diminished. Newspapers once reported his speeches prominently; now they're lumped with minor speakers in a catch-all phrase ("also spoke"). The joke targets public figures whose relevance fades. **"Joys of Motoring"**: A dark comedy about early automobile culture. A guest blames a puncture on a bottle in another person's pocket—implying he hit and ran over someone. The callous punchline satirizes reckless driving and indifference to pedestrian safety, treating a serious accident as a trivial inconvenience. The accompanying illustration shows a dog watching through a window—titled "His Master's Voice"—likely commenting on loyal attention to absent figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Dropping Out RAWFORD: Your friend, the after-dinner speaker, says he’s losing his grip. What makes him think so? The papers used to report his speeches by J in part,” but now they mention him among CrapsHaw saying, “he these who “ also spoke.” 1093 HIS MASTER'S VOICE Joys of Motoring UEST: I would have been here sooner, but I had the misfortune to puncture a tire on a broken bottle. Host: But couldn't you see the bottle? Guest: Well, hardly; you see, it was in the pocket of the fellow I ran over. | | comicbooks