Life, 1920-05-27 · page 15 of 44
Life — May 27, 1920 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct sections: a poem titled "The Fan" celebrating a grandmother's use of a decorative fan, a satirical piece called "LIFE's Little Candidacies" proposing a gardeners' candidate for President who would eliminate neighbors' chickens and fight daylight saving time, and a series of cartoon vignettes labeled "now THAT HYPNOTISM IS RAMPANT, WHY NOT MAKE IT USEFUL?" The cartoons humorously depict using hypnosis to accomplish difficult social tasks—quieting babies, avoiding the American Sign Language (ASL), seducing police officers away from burglaries, and soothing agitated cooks. The satire suggests that hypnotism, presented as trendy or fashionable, could comically solve everyday domestic and social problems. The page reflects early-20th-century American humor about contemporary fads and domestic frustrations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
der for Large Family (accomplishing suicide) PAPA THE PRICE OF POTATORS LIFE'S Little Candidacies gardeners’ candidate for President will s for a constitutional amendment to pro- hibit the existence of neighbors who keep hich His first official act will be to call aordinary session of Congress to con- the fate of all who opposed national day- nt saving. It is understood by those close to him that he favors capital punishment. Ex- tension of the franking privilege to all pub- cis of seed catalogues, free fertilizer by congressional distribution, and an investigation of the cost of tools are on his program. The thing that endears him to his advocates, and which is depended upon to win for him, is his policy respecting the western arid lands. It is revolutionary and monumental. He regards all -empts so far to make them productive as wastciul and impractical from a political point « hecause of the sparse population of those So he would propose to remove those it once to the populous eastern states, Two Classes S far as our contact with others is concerned, e world is divided into comfortable and rtable people. The comfortable ones hose to whom we can expose our weak- s, without fear that they will underestimate a totality. The uncomfortable ones are who are constantly exposing what they our weaknesses are, and then getting it & without admitting it. yO you mean to say that Peterkin didn’t show you over his new house?” yo; we never got any further than the cel- The Fan G RXANDMA was a sweet coqueite, Grandfather told me so; Likes to boast about it yet— With hair as white as snow The way she used her little fan And caught the eye of every man! Grandma, knitting lamb’s-wool socks For grandpa’s tender feet, Showed me once an oblong box The wood still faintly sweet— In which she keeps the little fan That caught the eye of every man! And though she turns her face away Whene’er the tale is told, I think she loves to hear him say, How fair she was of old. She loves the little fan, 1 know, All fragrant with the long-ago! Mabel Haughton Collyer ONCE AGAIN, HILARY, READ at . J | a are: il . oe Prying your host loose from his precious “five stars!” Soothing cook. NOW THAT HYPNOTISM 1S RAMPANT, WHY NOT MAKE IT USEFUL? comicbooks.com