Life, 1920-12-23 · page 39 of 44
Life — December 23, 1920 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Flapper" Poem**: This satirical verse mocks the 1920s "flapper"—a young woman with bobbed hair, visible ankles, and carefree demeanor that shocked conservatives. The poem questions whether these modern girls are empty-headed "painted puppets" or will mature into respectable women, reflecting widespread anxiety about changing female social roles and morality during the post-WWI era. **"Where Politeness Reigns" Cartoon**: A brief joke about restaurant etiquette. A patron complains he cannot use a finger bowl without a napkin; the waiter offers to remove the bowl. The humor lies in the miscommunication and the waiter's casual dismissal of proper dining protocol—likely satirizing either declining service standards or the mixing of social classes. **"Looking Backward" Column**: Humorously applies reincarnation theory to explain genius, using chess prodigy Samuel Rezeschewski and baseball star Babe Ruth as examples. The satirical point appears to be that reincarnation is a more convincing explanation for exceptional talent than actual skill development.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
UROPE 1921 Parties enrolling now. Moderate prices Most interesting routes. Great success 1920. MPLE TOURS &,Lrankuin street Boston, The Flapper ER tiny ears are covered With her hair of golden brown. | [Her swan-like neck is open To the gaze of half the town; \|Her ankles, trim and graceful, That delight the roving eye, With a filmy gauze are covered That intrigues the passer-by. \ thing of youth and beauty, As she gaily trips along, With her laugh and with her giggle And her little snatch of song; Her head, both light and empty, She holds high as any queen, he “flapper” of the moment Thus upon the street is seen. Vhat dwells within the compass Of that decorated head? Vhat thoughts and what ambitions And what dreams within are bred? is she a painted puppet, But for laughter and for scorn, A little social butterfly | That but for play was born? Will she, sedate and serious, As years speed on apace, Grow more mature in wisdom, And more matronly in grace? Shall youthful effervescence Disappear, a lightsome gleam, And the “flapper” be a woman, Yes, the woman of our dream? Alee Walker. Where Politeness Reigns REStAUR: ANT PATRON nantly Waiter, T can’t use this finger howl; I have no napkin Warten: Jes’ a moment, take dat bowl away, sah. (indiy- sah, an’ I'll ‘Dry”’ or “Moist” You are sure of getting 100% satisfaction in REND. FORMERLY KNOWN AS CHECONA EVANS ALE Try with Luncheon, Dinner or Supper SUPPLIED IN CASES FOR HOME COMFORT | EVANS & SONS Hota 1186 HUDSON, N.Y. ha Foes NS US dim sue the Ke evs Lé "% red iG Mt: A he ccrpars bcd ian CC) =e Mt tin pon eu Wetoks whi Sag 2 Heol Wj Whe gle of cevoal Mat oa as $$ te ites Cote a a lee Yn ZL, le three weet, L QR cote tum, ‘* hie ee ete Cidatermans \deal Konan as wih me wh L. E. Waterman Company 191 Broadway, New York 129 South State Street, Chicago, Ill. 24 School Street, Boston 17 Stockton Street, San Francisco Looking Backward AMUEL REZESCHEWSKI, the baby boy from Poland, who ca: S est experts at chess, can be explained only on the theory of reincarnation as simple a game as paper dolls, requiring no real mental exertion, or little Rezes- This explanation of Is there the peat the world’s great- Either chess chewski possesses the soul of a former chess marvel returned to earth genius is convincing, logical, unanswerable. Take Babe Ruth, for instance. slightest doubt that he has in him the errant soul of Homer? Think it over. can spot ’em, and sometimes you can’t. We've got Ruth's incarnate spirit tagged, but that other babe, the chess “nut,” worries us. explanation, it’s a sure cure for insomnia. Sometimes you However, we're strong for reincarnation, As an comicbooks.com