Life, 1919-09-18 · page 20 of 48
Life — September 18, 1919 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page critiques American attitudes toward satire and contains two separate pieces: **"No Satire"** argues that Americans reject satirical content because rapid social change prevents ideas from becoming fixed in public consciousness long enough for satire to take hold. The essay notes that H.L. Mencken and Jesse Lynch Williams attempted satire, but claims prohibition and war themselves function as unintentional satire on humanity—suggesting American reality has become too absurd to satirize effectively. **"Philadelphia Is Perplexed"** responds to artist Joseph Pennell's (real person) suggestion that Independence Hall be relocated to New York. The piece mockingly agrees, arguing Philadelphia has stunted its own growth by over-reverencing the Revolutionary site, treating it as too sacred to modernize nearby. The accompanying illustrations are generic: a nurse tending a patient ("Jack's New Nurse"), a silhouette labeled "League of Nations," and "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall" (likely referencing post-WWI instability). The satirical thrust throughout questions whether American culture can sustain meaningful critique when reality itself seems increasingly contradictory.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE? No Satire HY is it that America will not tolerate satire? Cer- tainly it is not being published to any appreciable extent, and the experts appear to be of the opinion that the American public is not up to it. They are right It is true that Mr. H. L. Mencken is admitted by himself and a few others to be a satirist, and that Mr. Jesse Lynch Williams wrote a play on 1 riage last year which was claimed to be a satire. But married life is a fair target for almost any pen, and doesn’t count. What is satire? Nobody knows exactly, but the consensus of opinion about it seems to be that it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. In view of the slump in beer, satire might vossibly become a sub- stitute. But even at this it has too much grit, and doesn’t appear to sit well on the stomachs satiated with sob stuff and mystery. The real reason why satire is not understood by Americans of the present generation is that events take place and conditions change so rapidly that they do not become fixed in the public mind long enough to furnish a basis for satire. Another reason is that so many Americans are satires in themselves. Prohi- bition is real satire on humanity. So is war. So is the- ology. . “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall” Philadelphia Is Perplexed PHILADELPHIA, that large and curious town where the confluence of the Drexel and Biddle families has silted down so considerable a delta of social conservatism, is once more in a turmoil. Mr. Joseph Pennell, the well-known artist, keeps on suggesting that Independence Hall should be moved to New York. He says the city of brotherly discord does not appre- ciate the venerable relic. Let New York have it, by all means But we disagree with Brother Pennell as to Philadelphia’s attitude in the matter. The dear old town has been horribly handicapped by revering In- dependence Hall too much. It has never permitted itself to grow up be- cause it was afraid if it became too modern and brisk it would make the old Hall feel uncomfortable. If Phila delphia were to stop trying to live back to. Independence Hall twenty-four hours a day it might come back on Merdalor’s. projection, Sad HE SERIOUS ONE: 1, too, had an ideal once Tie Youxcer Oxes How did you Tose it? ACK’S NEW NURSE “Tomarried it.” comicbooks.comit