Life, 1920-07-29 · page 12 of 36
Life — July 29, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces of satire: **Top Illustration**: "If the Girls Should Wear Their Old Bathing Suits This Summer" depicts women in Victorian-era bathing costumes interacting with men on a beach. The joke satirizes outdated fashion—the women's heavy, restrictive old swimsuits contrast with modern expectations, creating awkward social situations as men react with surprise or discomfort. **Bottom Cartoon**: Shows a servant presenting hunting equipment to his master, captioned about wearing a sport suit. The humor appears to concern class distinctions and servants' presumptuous suggestions about their employers' attire. The accompanying text pieces ("Songs," "Why They Don't Wear Old Clothes," "Its Attractiveness") are humorous observations on fashion, social status, and human behavior typical of Life's satirical commentary on early 20th-century American society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IF THE GIRLS SHOULD WEAR THEIR OLD BATHING SUITS THIS SUMMER manently by jarring their eardrums in their wild attempts to catch me.” “What fun! What fun!” cried Edna Elephant. “1 must try it myself just as soon as ever I get home.” “It is often a good plan to make he- lieve that you have been caught after one of the swats,” continued Lillian Mosquito, “and to keep quiet for a while, It makes him cocky. He thinks that he has demon- strated the superiority of man over the rest of the animals. Then he rolls over and starts to sleep. This is the time to begin work on him again. After he has slapped himself all over the face and head, and after he has put on the light and made a search of the room and then bse, Cassin (Gangs gone back to bed to think up some new words, that is the time when I usually bring the climax about. “Gradually approaching him from the right, I hum loudly at his car. Then, suddenly becoming quiet, I fly. silently and quickly around to his neck. Just as he hits himself on the ear, I bite his neck and fly away, And, voild, there you are!" “How true that is!” said Mother Nature. “ Voild, there we are! ‘ Come, children, let us go now, for we must he up bright and early to-morrow to learn how Lois Hen scratches up the beets and Swiss chard in gentlemen's Robert C. Benchley, Valet Master: By Jove! BRING BEG PARDON, SIR, BUT I AVE AN IDEA 1 EAR BURGLARS IN THE DINING-ROOM, ME THE SHORT G' PARKER, AND I'LL WEAR MY SPORT sult. Songs " HAT use are all my songs?” singer said. “She will not hear them, And all their magic and their joy is dead And wasted quite.” Yet they were songs that touched a thou- sand hearts And served to cheer them How shall the singer know what he im- parts Of life and light? For no song made of truth is sung in vain. Though one who wrought it May find the heart he sang to all disdain, Untouched and chill, Somehow, somewhere, that song will reach the ear OF one who sotight it— So shall its every cadence, year on year, Be singing still! Berton Bre Why They Don’t Wear Old Clothes ATHER—Because he never can tell when he might be detained at the office on business. Brother Bill—Because he has got to look his best in case he meets (a) a cer- tain young lady, (b) her father, (c) her mother, (d) any other near relative of (a). Sister. May—Because everybody would ke it if she put on one of last year’s dresses. Angela, aged five—Because she has out- grown everything she ever wore. Tommy, aged seven—Because he has outworn everything he hasn't outgrown. The Richest Man in Town—Because he can't afford to look shabby. The Poorest Man in Town—Same rea- Because he is mayor His Chief Rival—Because he hopes to The President of the Ladies’ Federa- tion—Because the newspapers are forever sending photographers after her Mother—Because there's no fun play- ing the game alone. Its Attractiveness ROSPECTIVE BUYER: You talk about the desirable location of this house, but I don’t see it. Reat-Estate Acent: Youdon't! Why, Great Scott, man, it is just across the street from a still, just around the cornet from the Canadian Bootleggers’ Club, and seventy per cent. of all the home brew in the city is made within five blocks of this house. ee Oe Oe ee ee NSS SSS SSS SSS Se Lage lh EE Oe SN