Life, 1920-05-13 · page 20 of 52
Life — May 13, 1920 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces targeting early 20th-century American progressivism and film industry practices. **"Fed Up"** (poem by Berton Braley) attacks intellectual magazines and progressive movements—specifically referencing *Appeal to Reason* (a socialist publication) and *The Liberator*—mocking their influence on American opinion-making. The speaker expresses exhaustion with self-righteous reformers dictating public thought. **"Example"** satirizes movie producers who exploit animals for profit. Animals capture a studio magnate to subject him to the same cruelties inflicted on them during filming—being thrown off cliffs, dragged, and bombed. The collie lectures that audiences don't understand the suffering required, claiming the violence is "educational." The satire critiques both animal abuse in cinema and producers' self-righteous justifications for it. **"A Fellow Feeling"** (brief joke) mocks traffic enforcement: a speeding defendant admits rushing to a rental house and receives dismissal, suggesting judges sympathize with urgent housing needs. Together, these pieces reflect Progressive Era anxieties about reform movements, animal welfare concerns in emerging cinema, and class sympathies.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“I'm going a-milking, sir,” she said Fed Up (Apologies to J. K. Stephens) E are weary of opinion, Of the supercilious crowd Who hold sacrosanct dominion Over magazines endowed; For it is a fearful trial, * Which we suffer for no crime, That the hands upon the Dial Try to regulate our time. Could we, with a knotty club, lick Common sense into the wits Who would mold the New Republic On the old one's scattered bits? Will there ever come a season Which shall rid us of the curse Of a shrill Appeal to Reason Which is Bolshevik or worse; When we'll dodge the fell afflatus Of these brilliant hare-spring brains, And the fates shall liberate us From the Liberator's chains? Ah, with what unbounded gle Will be filled upon the day When the world is free of Freemen And the Nations pass away! Berton Braley . men yo will find an excuse for his own cts at the basis of every man’s phil Example “Wt have you at last!” It was night. The moving-picture magnate, the counting of his week's profits, was entire- having been detained by ly alone when the door opened. silently from his rear, and he ‘was seized by a strong pair of teeth, while his arms were pinned behind bim, He turned and confronted his captors, who proved to be a collie dog, a mule, a broncho and a frisky calf. “What does this mean?” he sputtered. * And what are you going to do with me?” The collie, who was directing the opera- tions, barked softly “Oh, nothing much,’ he replied cheer- fully. “Don’t be alarmed. It will be all over in a couple of days. We're going to throw you over ‘a precipice, drag you along the ground, trip you up, lasso you, fire off a few bombs in your ears, and, in short, fun with you as you movie peo- ple like to have with us.” “ But, friend,” chattered have as much my dear the movie mag- nate, “you don't under- The animals forcommercial pur- stand. exploiting of come one of our We Surely you poses hast great necessities. must make money “LOOK OUT POR THE PAINT, KITTY ON MY HANDS THIS MORNING AN’ ALMOST HAD TO WASH 'EM.” “You mean you think it has become a necessity,” said the colic. “Well, believe me, my friend, you have another euess coming. Bill, just press your hoot on this rib, will you. Thanks, old man. No, sir! You're mistaken. The public does; want to see films in which animals are maltreated and half killed, and the public doesn't understand always how lony a process it is for us animals to be trained, and what cruelties are done to us. All We are not doing this to you for money—v they see is the finished picture doing it to educate you. When we cet through with you, you n feel d ently, All ready, hoys? So saying. (The remainder of this thri will not be published. A veil show drawn over the sufferings of even am magnate.) . Bury the Post-Mortems VERY once in a while we go th a flock of post-mortems, jus earth does in March with the falling st We now have navy admirals disp whether the navy was as ready as it she have been. Even Mr. Bryan has been t ing to revive Free Silver. A Fellow Feeling UDGE: You are accused of speedir What have you to sa: r Prison: I heard of a house for rev and was trying to get there first “ The case is dismissed.” 1 GOT SOME comicboo! \ in your defense? ks.com