Life — August 28, 1919 — page 25: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a single-panel cartoon from *Life* magazine (page 367) depicting a generational dialogue. An older man, seated indoors near a potted plant and elegant arched doorway, speaks to a younger man. The caption reads: "Age: BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP, MY SON. Youth: SURE! WHY GO DEEPER?" The cartoon satirizes youthful cynicism and superficiality. The elder offers traditional wisdom about inner beauty's importance, while the youth dismissively rejects deeper meaning entirely—suggesting he cares only for surface appearances. The irony is inverted: youth claims wisdom is pointless rather than merely incomplete. The elegant interior setting contrasts sharply with this shallow exchange, emphasizing the disconnect between cultured surroundings and crude materialism. This reflects common mid-20th-century anxiety about youth rejecting established values.