Life, 1921-01-13 · page 23 of 36
Life — January 13, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"Those Fiendish Traps"**: An editorial critique of the fur industry, calling out the cruel practice of animal trapping. The accompanying cartoon shows a grotesque figure eating pie—likely mocking those who defend or profit from the fur trade while ignoring animal suffering. **"How to Reform the Movies"**: A two-part satire exposing hypocrisy. The left column shows what people claim to want (educational films about travel, history, industry), while the right shows their actual theater behavior—complaining those same educational subjects are boring. The joke targets moviegoers who publicly advocate for "improving" cinema but privately just want entertainment. **"Unique Sight"**: A brief joke panel (bottom) depicting a child in snow with accompanying caption about seeing "a Los Angeles girl in her street clothes"—humor based on the stereotype that California women dress scantily year-round. The page exemplifies early 20th-century American satirical magazine humor, mixing social criticism (animal welfare, hypocrisy) with lighter observational comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A PICTURE OF Those Fiendish Traps ‘OW is the time, ladies of the winter furs, to let your mind dwell for a brief moment upon the animal whose skin you are wearing. Was it a mother? And was it caught in one of those devilish traps whereby innocent and unthinking animals are permitted to writhe in torture for hours or days, until the leisurely trap- per, sure of his prey, finally arrives and A MAN EATING PIE puts them to death? No doubt haven't thought of it. you LIPPER: I some of the stuff that made Mil- waukee famous. Flopper: That's nothing. I know a place that has some of the stuff that made Kentucky famous, and it isn't a museum either. sce a museum has got WV OB V7 fs “HERE COMES YOUR PA WID A WHIP. NY 67 How to Reform the Movies What Ie Said at Home: ERTAINLY, the movies are all right. I don’t object to them; but the films ought to be educational. It isn’t so bad for us grown-ups, but think of the im- pressions on the minds of the children, and the ideas they are getting about life. The movies themselves have their place, but I object seriously to their never-end- ing sensationalism, If I could see some- thing instructive—travel, history or in- dustry—I would go often. What He Said in the Theatre: Humph! Who do you s'pose cares an thing about the fish-scaling industry Inner Sumatra? Every time I come to a movie I have to sit through a long, tedi- ous film showing something about fish or lumber; cither that or a travel picture showing waterfalls in some part of the world that nobody ever heard of. I wish the movie people would get rid of the idea The people If I could be assured that they have to improve us, want to be amused. of seeing a good, snappy drama without this educational stuff I'd come often. Unique Sight UB: You are looking surprised. Dun Angeles girl in her street clothes. 1 just saw a picture of a Los DUCK AND I'LL TELL ‘IM 1 HAVEN'T SEEN YE” comicbooks.com