Life, 1920-12-23 · page 28 of 44
Life — December 23, 1920 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **rejection page** — a deliberate self-parody where *Life* magazine publishes submitted material they deliberately rejected, with editors' explanations. The page functions as satire on amateur writers and their submissions. **Key content:** The **portrait** shows a "level-headed business man," likely satirizing a typical contributor — probably someone with conventional thinking who submits unfunny jokes. **The humor targets:** - Amateur poets and joke-writers submitting poor material - Predictable puns ("Why is the moon like a gas meter?") - Saccharine children's dialogue ("Little Marian") - Heavy-handed verse about South Sea customs **The "Important!" section** lists political figures (Cox, FDR, Al Smith, Barleycorn) as "editors" — suggesting *Life's* editorial staff includes everybody from competing political camps, a jab at editorial confusion. The page itself is the joke: by publishing rejected material with why it failed, *Life* mocks both submission quality and generously compensates rejected writers ("paid for"), maintaining goodwill with contributors while entertaining readers with the material's badness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The contributions here is a reason in each case. himself. Rejection Page this page have been rejected. Why? The reader may judge for All this rejected material is paid for, and its publication here is not intended as any reflection upon the authors, among whom are some of Lire’s most valued contributors.) Flatterer! K goodness for “ Rejection inventor was a wise old sage; For that’s as far as I have got— Rejection always was my lot P, S.—An envelope I here enclose, "Cause this one, too, comes back, I s'pose. Bertha Lloyd Freeman. Now—Alltogether—Laugh ! D R EDITOR: In looking over your magazine, I noticed that you seemed short of material, and most of that was not funny. Lam sending you by freight a barrel of copy, which you may have at ten dollars a pound. As I could not see the point in most of your jokes, I have marked the laugh-provoking places in mine with an asterisk, for the con- venience of hurried readers. Affectionately, Your friend and sympathizer, Avoustixe Rotre, Sample Joke: *A Gassertion First Launoress: Why is the moon like a gas meter? Srconp Launpress ce it takes no time at all for it to run through a quarter. Becau Willie's Peculiarity RS, BENHAM to bathe before breakfast Bexuam: No; he says he never washes his face on an empty stomach You can't get Willie Sayings of Little Manan (And, as usual, sh "MiBRIAN: dear, sauce to-day mother. “T don’t know, mamma.” Marian. le twas only five years of age) what makes you so asked the child's replied Little inless it’s that hig dose of sav parilla you gave me this morning. Jarring South Sea Islanders have a curious method of salutation, which is to fling a jar of water over the head of a friend. —Tit-Bits. HE natives of far Polynesia, Whose habits induce anxsthesia, ive cach other cold showers When we would send flowers— It makes a warm friendship muah easia. PORTRAIT OF A VERY LEVEL-HEADED BUSINESS MAN Important! DITOR of Live: United we fall, rejected we stand Our motto: ames M. Cox Franklin D. Roosevelt Al Smith H.C. John Barleycorn Venizelos Made in Germany The Solid S All About Organs N organ may be vocal, church, house oF hand Some organs are bound to make a noise in the world; others are not fit for publica- tion There is also the labor organ, which is the same. The movie organ often speaks for itself, It is organized for this purpose. Jazz so! Ho! Ho! Ha! Ha! HERE was a young son of Lythoonia, Whose manners grew madder and loonier From sleeping each night In the pale lunar light, So they said he'd contracted new-moonia. Two Wamings MISTRESS: husband catch you ALOUS Don't you dare mistletoe! Pretry Mat (haughtily): And you dare to let my young man catch y under the mistletoe under the don’t husband catching n The Postman’s Christmas HEN the postman called on Christmas morn At a mansion old and gray, A millionaire came to take the mail, And said, “ Postman, don't go ‘way. I think my daughter wants to see you. She's on the upper floor. Tl just run up and call her. Come in and shut the door.” Soon she came tripping down the stairs With a “greenback” in her hand. To the postman it sure did look big; Tt certainly looked grand. And as he reached out to take it, Thinking how his “roll” it would en: hance. She said. “ Merry Christmas, postman! Please bring some two-cer XUM comicbooks.com