Life, 1920-03-04 · page 18 of 78
Life — March 4, 1920 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **"Program of America"** (left): A mock theatrical cast list caricaturing American social types and institutions. Characters include "Columbia" (the nation personified as a young woman), "Mamma Prohibition" (the alcohol ban), "Ananias" the newspaper reporter (alluding to biblical lies), "Major Taxes," and "Old Lady Wall Street." The joke presents American society as a comedic drama populated by stereotyped figures—journalists, profiteers, politicians—suggesting the absurdity of contemporary social problems. **"A Message from Mars"** (right): A science-fiction satire about an astronomer receiving signals from Mars. When Martians correctly calculate "two and two are four," the astronomer praises their perfectly ordered, "conservative" society. But when they signal "two and two are five" (intellectually challenging conformity), he notes a "revolutionary party" exists there. The satire critiques rigid social perfection, suggesting that nonconformity and imaginative thinking—even error—may be preferable to sterile order. It implies critique of American conformity.
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402 Program of “America” A Comedy-Tragedy-Melodrama By Uncle Sam & Co. IN TWO ACTS First act: In the open country. Second act: In the underground Persons of the Drama in the disorder of their appeorance. CoLumat A: A young lady without a past. Mapam Prourpition: An old lady without a future. ANANIAS: A newspaper reporter. Maccie Zeng: Who lives for dis- play, Dame Worry: A Christian Scien- tist in disguise. Major Taxes: An autocrat, Tne Screen Fimer: From the original Hebrew Stock Company. Moe. Bestsetter: Who thinks of nothing but money. Otp Lavy Watt Street: Who has fits. Coronet Concress: A ne’er-do-well. Chorus of underpaid school-teachers, itinerant college professors, impoverished heroes and plutocratic mechanics. THE LAST INSTALMENT OF THE TURKISH INDEMNITY A Message from Mars HE astronomer was at last getting communicat through from Mars. Conversation was nece: limited to the simplest mathematical combinations, | astronomer would, he felt sure, be able to “inte: even the scantiest data. In the field of his mighty telc the flashes looked like the faint testamer commy tions of an expiring firefly. Wink, wink—pause wink—slightly longer pause—wink, wink, wink, wink, very rapidly. Pwo and two are four cried the astronomer. And, seizing his notebook, he wrote: “The typical Mart conservative and unimaginative. His hard-headed sense of fact has resulted in the upbuilding of a highly indus- trialized society, which displays a perfect balance and symmetry in all its parts. The Martians have clearly evolved the perfect social type.” Mars was communicating again. Wink, wink— wink, wink—longer pause—wink, wink, wink, wink ( can it be? It is!) wink. “*Two and two are five!" cried the astronome And he wrote: “There is, however, a revolutionary party among the Martians, one which brings facts to the test of the imagination, eagerly enjoying novel experiments and . 7 ; welcoming novel conclusions. For the moment we may Voice from Upstairs: HURRY UP, LOUIS, OR WE'LL BE LATE FOR THE PARTY, e . " “ ALL RIGHT; I'M READY, I'VE JUST BEEN TAKING A LAST Look against the monotony of Martian social perfection or 2 AT THE FURNACE.” striving for a perfection which, in spite of our reasons for leave it undecided whether this party represents a revolt comicbooks.com care