Life, 1919-10-30 · page 24 of 36
Life — October 30, 1919 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces from *Life* magazine mocking utopian idealism and government overreach. **"The Love Story" (top):** A humorous poem about an imaginary "Utopia" where everything is supposedly perfect—dentists cause no pain, vampires follow strict rules, babies learn to walk among flowers. The satire targets naive utopian fantasies by presenting absurdities (vampires existing in an "ordered" society, children screaming with joy during tooth extractions) as if they were logical improvements. **"What's the Fool Idea?" (bottom cartoon):** A man tells children he'll demonstrate what a "high-ordered human being" looks like, suggesting civilization has advanced so rapidly that humans now look different. The caption attributes this to "BURLESON," likely Albert Burleson, Postmaster General under Wilson, suggesting satire of government claims about "progress" and social engineering. The joke critiques politicians promoting grand visions of societal advancement while appearing foolish or hypocritical themselves. Both pieces satirize utopian thinking and governmental optimism about rapid social progress.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE LOVE STORY Utopia “of Utopia Harn noniously dwell, Because their program never fail Dissenting thoughts to quel Each mar t “antis” for himself, And “antis” very well! The vampires of Utopia Are very cireumspec They never vamp a fellow when His relatives ets (Fat girls, as well as thin, may vamp Both types are quite correct The dentists of Utopia Are gentle as can be; Whene'er they kill a nerve or two, Their patients shout with glee; And schoolboys have extractions done With yells of ecstasy And tiny feet are taught’ to walk Where daisies nod in prayer. —Oliver B. Ca pelle Farewell! “WHAT'S THE FOOL IDEA?” “I'M GOING HOME AND DEMONSTRATE TO THE CHILDREN WHAT A ™ going now. If I should return HIGH-ORDERED HUMAN BEING WOULD NOW LOOK LIKE IP CIVILIZATION during my absence, please keep me HAD ALWAYS ADVANCED WITH THE RAPIDITY WHICH CHARACTERIZES until I get back. ITS PROGRESS IN THE PRESENT DAY. “BURLESON.” comicbooks.comay]