Life — October 28, 1920 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Signs of the Times" - Life Magazine Editorial Cartoon This 1920 cartoon satirizes public apathy toward major sporting events. The illustration shows a crowd gathered around a platform offering "FREE AIR" — a stark contrast to three significant concurrent events: yacht races, Olympic games, and the U.S. presidential election campaign. The satire suggests Americans are indifferent to these momentous contests, instead clustering around a trivial giveaway. The accompanying article criticizes the lack of enthusiasm for the sporting events and election, attributing this to growing public apathy or noting that the contests themselves lack their usual lustre and inspiration. The cartoon mocks American civic and sporting disengagement during the 1920 election year.