Life, 1920-05-13 · page 36 of 52
Life — May 13, 1920 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate humor pieces reflecting early 20th-century racial attitudes: **"His Preference"** depicts a dialect-heavy conversation where a Black man explains he prefers staying in America despite segregation, violence, and racial slurs rather than returning to Africa—a satirical jab at colonization arguments. **"The Long Run"** is a brief advertising joke about newspaper contracts with no clear social commentary. **"Plumb Enervating"** shows a white colonel visiting his Black military orderly (Sam) who catalogs brutal beatings he's received from someone—presented as comedic complaining. The humor derives from the orderly's casual acceptance of violence. All three pieces rely on racist stereotypes and dialect humor typical of early Life magazine. The page also advertises the Locomobile automobile as "The Aristocrat of American Motor Cars." These pieces reflect period attitudes treating racial violence and degradation as acceptable comedy material for white audiences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
sAvT ¢| ISSR), F ANT, Nytlv od was QLEGa es His Preference “Do you eve » xo back to Afric feel that you woi ; not me, sah,” replied Brother “TT druther stay yuh in de Newnited ates, whub a cullud o ocial di kicks yo" den slips ndin’ and dey cusses yo nd and calls yo" ‘nigger, 1 ‘casional hatfer dollah to saturate yo" feelin’s, dan to go over dar to Africa, whuh everybody is free and chil and dey cuts off yo’ head wid a kyahvin’ knife.” Kansas City Star The Long Run “T—er—wish to—er—advertise paper for a house es, sir, How many insertions? We a reduction for a twel month . or there is our cheap contract for s hard to wl The Chistocrat of American Motor Cary 1, Canada, tions THE LOCOMOBILE HARE’S MOTORS, INC., NEW YORK CITY + We Shall Keep Faith - Plumb Enervating The colonel’s negro orderly and inquiry developed th to quarters as the result ¢ tous as to the welfare of his str Man visited him personally where he found him in a tion, ker, the Oly harrac ed cond “ How's this, Sam?" he inquir »een happening to you?” “Well, suh, you know und after supper we gets me. come “bout tw friendly 1 e hits me in de my fo’ teef, and he hits me in de ¢ dem, and he blame near bus and mah jaw. Den he gets me zround and stomps on me and ribs, Fo’ God, cunnel, Ah tiahd of a man in all mah life The Glass of Fashic My dea urasthenia, why don't you wwame PLANCHER uid reach this office ten da comicbooks.com