Life, 1919-07-10 · page 45 of 50
Life — July 10, 1919 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct elements: a satirical dialogue and a toothpaste advertisement. **The Satire ("Our Mad, Mad Morals"):** The cartoon depicts an exaggerated critique of 1920s American progressivism and moral reform movements. A man returning from four years in Mexico discovers that aggressive civic organizations have eliminated nearly all pleasures: no meat (animal cruelty prevention), no alcohol (Prohibition), no theater (moral uplift societies). The joke targets the era's numerous reform leagues—presented as absurdly overreaching—that sought to eliminate vice and improve public behavior. It's satirizing the tension between reformers' good intentions and citizens' desire for simple enjoyments. **The Advertisement:** The Pepsodent toothpaste ad emphasizes a newly discovered "film" on teeth (plaque) as the real culprit in decay, not just food debris. It promotes activated pepsin as an innovative ingredient and offers a free 10-day trial—a common marketing tactic that era. The "high dental authorities" claim lends scientific credibility. Both elements reflect 1920s consumer culture and anxiety about progress versus tradition.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ees oad Mid Meat (TO Those Who Want Cleaner Teeth All Statements Approved by High Dental Authorities ELLO, Henry! Here I am!” “Well, old man, where did you come from? *Just back from the wilds of Mex- jo. Four years since I've seen a newspaper. Come and help me cele- trate my home-coming.” “Why, of course! I'll take the after- noon off and—” “Come along now. I'm simply fam- ished for a porterhouse steak, an inch “My dear fellow, don't you know that there is no such thing as steak? The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took that in hand Jong ago. We have neither fish, flesh nor fowl on our tables to-day.” “Great Caesar! What do you cat, then?” “Vegetables, my dear man, with milk and an occasional ¢; Not s« bad as it sounds—" “We'll have to make the best of it T suppose, and fill up on liquids.” “Certainly. I know a place nearby ke delicious lemonade wants lemonade and tea at 4 I'm going to order « quart of champagne—” “Oh, no, you're not! No wines or liquors. The country is bone-dry from Gulf to Lakes and from Ocean to Ocean.” “What? Well, we must do the best we can. After we've had lunch we will go to a matinee and see a jolly Musical Cc . “Impossible! Musical Comedies have been put under the ban by the Society for the Elevation of Stage Morals. We might go to an illustrated Iecture on ‘Hrotoplasm,’ however. I think that is the only amusement oper this afternopn.” “Do you mean to tell me that there is no vaudeville? ” “Ido. You see, the League for the WHY HUMANE LITTLE BOBBIE’S MOTHER MISSED THE FLY-SWATTER You Must Remove the Film Your teeth are not rightly cleaned if they discolor or decay, if tartar forms or pyorrhea starts. You may brush them twice daily, but the great tooth wrecker—a slimy film—is not being ended by it. The cause of most tooth troubles is an ever-present film. You feel it with your tongue. That is what discolors—not your \teeth. It is the basis of tartar. It holds food substance which ferments and forms acid. It holds the acid in contact with the teeth to cause decay. Millions of germs breed in it. They, with tartar, are the chief cause of pyorrhea. We ask you to try it, to watch its effects, then look at your teeth in ten days. It will change all your ideas on teeth cleaning. Pepsodent is based on pepsin, the digestant of |albumin. The film is albuminous matter. The object of Pepsodent is to dissolve it, then to con- stantly combat it. This way is made possible by a new discovery. A harmless method has been found to activate the pepsin. Five governments have already granted patents. The old activating agent was an acid, harmful to the teeth. And pepsin must be activated. PAT. OFF. Pepsadént The New-Day Dentifrice A scientific tooth paste based on activated An efficient film combatant, now endorsed tists everywhere and sold by druggists in large tubes. So it is that film, not merely food debris, which the tooth brush must combat. The tooth brush alone is inadequate. The film is clinging. It gets into crevices, hardens and stays. The old methods of teeth cleaning fail to dissolve it. Dental science, after many years of searching, has found a way to combat it. Able authorities have proved this fact by convincing clinical tests. Leading dentists everywhere accept it. This way is now embodied in a denti- frice called Pepsodent. And we gladly supply a 10-Day Tube for any one to test. A Ten-Day Revelation We urge you to prove Pepsodent as dentists prove it—by actual application. See the results read the reason for them, and decide for yourself about it. Send the coupon for a 10-Day Tube. Use like any tooth paste. Note how clean the teeth feel after using. Mark the absence of the slimy film See how teeth whiten as the fixed film disappears. Do this for your sake and your children’s sake. Learn the better way to clean teeth. The results will show you very quickly that this way is right. Cut out the coupon row. Ten-Day Tube Free THE PEPSODENT CO., Dept. $81, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill Mail Ten-Day Tube of Pepsodent to Name epsin. yy den- Address (188) comicbooks.com