Life, 1919-11-06 · page 20 of 36
Life — November 6, 1919 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **Bolshevik communism** through absurdist mock-legislation titled "Rules of the Soviet of Babies." The satire inverts the Soviet's ideological rhetoric about collective ownership and worker liberation by applying it literally to infants and their caregivers ("oppressors" and "ruling classes"). The joke: communists rhetorically positioned themselves as liberating the exploited masses (babies); this satire exposes the system's supposed absurdity by showing what happens when you actually treat children and parents this way—parents must provide constant service to babies, private toys become state property, and all interactions are regulated by state decree. The cartoon titled "The New Pastor" below shows a different social commentary: a deacon warns the new preacher not to miss a word (he'll report everything), while a parishioner admits her Baptist baptism "didn't take"—likely mocking either religious hypocrisy or ineffectual faith. Both pieces use humor to critique rigid ideological systems.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
190 Rules of the Soviet of babies PRIVATE ownership of lollipops and dolls ig hereby declared null and void, and ownership of these com- modities is vested in the Soviet for the common good of all members. The use of lollipops is to be free and unrestricted Spanking is prohibited under pen alty of being stuck to death by safety pins. The use of safety pins, except as herein provided, is strictly prohib. ited As the oppressors and ruling clas long known as * and “interested ploited the proletariat, or babies, long enough, the following rules and regu lations for governing these so-called ruling classes are now formulated: One squawk by a baby shall mean that said oppressors must give baby a drink of water at once; two squawks find out what is sticking in baby and remove it at once; prolonged yell, oppressors shall stand on their heads in baby. tules, formulatea by the es for the taking of after. noon naps by the babies, are hereby rescinded. It is declared that the Deacon: HELL HOME THE NEW PASTOR DON’T YER MISS A WORD HE SAYS, SISTER “WHAT CHURCH DO YUU GO TO?” “Lt DON'T GO TO ANY. oppressors shall take the afternoon naps instead of the babies All transportation facilities are de- clared the property of the state. Baby carriages shall be operated in accord- ance with laws enunciated by the Soviet. ‘‘Parents” and “relatives” all themselves wheel all baby car- riages instead of delegating’ the jobs to “servants” who, in the past, have repeatedly bundled up babies too HE'S BROUGHT TER ME. MY BAPTISM DIDN'T TAKE.” warmly and have chatted with cops instead of entertaining the babies when the latter were in the mood for enter tainment. Kissing being an obsolete relic of an autocratic past, insofar as it con- cerns Soviet members, it is hereby abolished under penalty of being doped to death with paregoric. All factories now engaged in making ruffles, laces and furbelows for use on babies are herewith taken over by the Soviet and will be immediately started on the manufacture of short trousers and coats, as Soviet members have decreed themselves emancipated from all the old-time mollycoddle stuff. Children The characters of “Little Women" may be worth the while of children; and it is not an adverse criticism of Louisa M. Alcott to say that they are not worth the w of mature menand women.—Clayton Hamilton, in "A Manual of the Art of Fiction.” ONSENSE. Mr. Hamilton may be a very clever writer about the drama and literature, but he knows little of children or human beings when he says that. We know mature and hard-headed and prosaic gentle men who read “Little Women” over and over every year or so with unfailing delight. ATT! Nubb’s bride worships him, doesn't she? Mattie: Well, she places b ings before him three times a d nt offer- lay. comicbooks.comg