Life, 1920-01-08 · page 38 of 44
Life — January 8, 1920 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains two main satirical pieces: **"Fair Exchange No Robbery"** satirizes a hypothetical scheme to deport American authors to England while importing British writers. The joke lists famous British authors (Shaw, Bennett, Kipling, Wells, Gosse, Lodge) and imagines absurd American jobs for them—Shaw editing a "girls' department," Kipling becoming a columnist, Gosse editing the Congressional Record. The satire mocks both British literary pretension and American cultural anxiety, suggesting Americans desperately need European sophistication. It's a tongue-in-cheek commentary on early 20th-century transatlantic literary rivalry and America's cultural inferiority complex. **The "Taxi" cartoon** shows a well-dressed couple in a taxi, with the man worried the woman will embarrass him by discussing unfamiliar topics like "horizontal valve racing motors" and debutante gossip at dinner. It satirizes masculine anxiety about appearing knowledgeable in social situations—a dated but recognizable concern about performing sophistication. Below is an advertisement for *Vanity Fair* magazine, emphasizing it covers leisure, arts, fashion, and social topics for cultured men.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE NewYear right witha (ring Motrol ola i Phonograph Just touch the button when you put on a record-that’s fort cary flee is can use it—will not mar the most ex- peaaive ca Used in place of the winding crank ‘The MOTROLA, elecicalell winder, cn be fnstantly attached t> cay phonoeraphr—winds with: apices i cvemwadogn Sdsrenlleto he at vag “phonograph shops everywhere, ‘ot & post-card will bring dealer's name to you. JONES-MOTROLA, INC. 29 West 35th Street, New York 57 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago RP 315 South Broadway, Los Angeies Fair Exchange No Robbery (A Possibility) HE great scheme of exchanging authors is at last approaching realization. In a short time all our authors will have been deported to England and we shall have turned our literature over to the British littera- teurs who come to this country. Some arrangements have already been made. Mr. Shaw has asked permission to write exclusively for a leading wom- Certain difficulties are foreseen in this case, but we hope to an’s magazine. give him a young girls’ department Arnold Bennett, immediately upon his arrival, will be deported back again gland, where he will tour for a He will then write a book telling the English about England. Mr. Kipling will almost certainly be- come a colyumist. His talents for this are unquestionable. There seems no reason why his colyum should not be syndicated. Mr. H. G. Wells, the well-known prolificist, has decided to give over writing for a time. He is engaged to demonstrate the value of the dicta- phone to English literary style. Edmund Gosse’s scholasticism will not be wasted. We feel that we have need of scholars in America. Mr. Gosse will edit the Congressional Rec- ord and instruct congressmen in the Proper grammatical use of the lan- guage. Sir Oliver Lodge, while not exactly a litterateur, is more literary than scientific. His occult powers will be utilized to find ‘out just what Wash- ington meant, anyway, by his farewell address. Other British authors are invited to * speak up if they have any preferences. Otherwise they will be retired to Greenwich Village to live on the movie royalties of their stories. It must be said, however, that this regal treatment is dependent upon what London does in honor of our dear deported. The first instalment of OING out? To din- ner? The theatre? | You're perfectly done, from your most cherished topper to your favorite English boots—correct— vogue in every detail. | But what are you think- ing about? | What will you say when the talk gets ‘round to horizontal valve racing motors? Whendebutantes eebeecoe eee: American authors will sail almost a once. Only three dared to take the plunge, Harold Bell Wright, Grantlang E Rice and Amy Lowell—under the com. mand of Miss Lowell, naturally Rumor has it that elaborate subter. ranean suites are being prepared ig the Tower for their reception. If this ; is the case, all may yet be well, and the future of American letters bright. - ens at the mere prospect. | I —you have to tak them, you know! on about Li ot your opinion af the Four Bronze Hors New dances. New p know them Or, do you know whe to find out about then’ VANITY FAIR | the magazine of leisure interests for men who know enough to have thea | ANITY FAIR collects and reflects the gleam and brilliance from every shin- ing facet of metropolitan life. HE STAGE? P. G. Wodchouse— George Jean Nathan—Dorothy Par- ker—write about the stage, Dorothy he- ing the inciter of “The First Hundred Plays Are the Hardest.” ATIRE? Stephen Leacock—Robert Benchley—George Chappell—humor- | ists with a bite—witty with a dash of acid. PORTS? Grant Rice and other keen writing sportsmen do the golf, motors, airplanes, and the skiing, skating, skid- ding winter sports. Five Issues of Vanity Fair for $1 Six, if you mail the coupon now | G@ormnectemensea a = Six whole months of Vanity. Fair for less than the cost of luncheon—Vanity Fair for half a year for less than a taxi fare to Grand Central. . . . Why hesitate? Life isn’t so full of cheerful things that you can afford to ignore Vanity Fair. Sign that coupon. Stick it in an envelope. Get contact at once... . And what’s a dollar, anyway? Sea: ETTERS? Lord _ Dunsany—G. Chesterton—Hugh Walpole—TI Burke—voyageurs in a New World of ters, | RTS? Sir William Orpen—Jo Davi son—Paul Manship—Brangwyn— the younger artists. ILOTHES? = The only department sensible, well-bred, correct fashis for men published anywhere. ORTRAITS? Vanity Fair pride: self on knowing every lovely, or bizarre woman in the world and pra ing her photograph in its pages. Vanity Fair, 19 West 44th Street, New York Gr Tam going to sce for myself if you you think you are. Here's my dollai your next FIVE. issues—SIX, if this coupos gs! you in time (OR) I'll remit one dollar on rece? ] your bill. (Canadian $1.25.) Street so cscceesccccoscssssconsauegcesosgectee inhustratices copyright Veniyy Pair ' ' ' ' ’ ‘ ' ' ' ' ' ‘ ' § City... comicbooks.com