Life, 1920-02-19 · page 31 of 48
Life — February 19, 1920 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several brief satirical pieces typical of Life's humor: **Top cartoon**: A doctor reassures a hypochondriac woman that nothing is wrong with her—ironic, since she's visibly distressed. The satire mocks both malingering patients and doctors' perfunctory examinations. **"Civilization" piece**: A witty list where different nations define civilization through their values (France: art; England: conquest; America: energy; Russia: work; Japan: imitation). Satan's definition as "his private movie" suggests civilization itself is entertainment or delusion—darkly satirizing post-WWI disillusionment about Western progress. **Bottom cartoon**: A restaurant customer and cashier have switched items—money wrapped, steak in till—a visual gag about comic incompetence. **"Tea wagon" quip**: Social climbing humor: a lowly pushcart achieves respectability through rebranding as a "tea wagon." The page satirizes hypochondria, false civilization, and class pretensions—typical early-20th-century American magazine humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Doctor: Lady: NoTHING THE MATTER WITH ME! bout quite wildly indeed. It is some rt of a tableau. At last she sinks to the floor with a plunk. She assumes a very tragic expression. She has lost a lover, one supposes, or got a splinter 1 her toe. But no, she is up and out. While le orchestra buzzes extra loudly to event your leaving on the excuse it the end of the show, the Pretty Lady is changing her costume. She is rather nger at it than you might imagine, ering the costume. But here she s again, This time she is an Egyptian ummy—an unwrapped mummy. The Pretty Lady wiggles her wrists, id walks about stiffly. Perhaps she 1s caught a cold in her joints from Xposure. It reminds you of the time sou took the bath in the hotel, found » towels, and modestly hesitated too long trying to remember whether two ings brought the maid or the valet. LAST NIGHT. Your attention becomes diverted to a box where sit other Pretty Ladies in much deleted gowns. It is then your wife takes you home, There is all the difference in the world, you learn. The Pretty Ladies in the box are not doing Classic Dane- ing. Fairfax Davis Downey. Civilization RANCE says it is art England says it is conquest. America says it is energy. Italy says it is song. Russia says it is work Japan says it is imitation. Satan says it is his private “ movie.” FTER all, a tea wagon is only a pusheart that has broken into so- ciety. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THE MATTFR WITH YOU, MY DEAK LADY SUSANNE, COUGH FOR THE DOCTOR, THE WAY 1 COUGHED TT greatest failure in the world— Success. Customer; EXCUSE ME, BOSS, BUT YE'VE PUT THE STEAK IN THE TILL AND WRAPPED UP ME MONEY comicbooks.com