Life, 1921-02-10 · page 11 of 42
Life — February 10, 1921 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces about automobiles and class. **Top section:** A lengthy text column mocks wealthy car owners who refuse to employ chauffeurs, arguing they should either hire professional drivers or accept pedestrian accidents as inevitable. The satire suggests that amateur drivers cause more danger than trained professionals. **"Diplomatic" cartoon:** A brief humorous exchange where an old-time darkies (appears to use period racial terminology) negotiates cab fare, with Uncle asking "How much is it?" The joke plays on haggling stereotypes. **"Guaranteed" restaurant joke:** A waiter quips that the food comes "with a kick in it," implying quality issues—common restaurant humor. **Bottom comic strip:** Shows a wealthy boy repeatedly losing his top hat in winter sports, satirizing frivolous upper-class pastimes and wastefulness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
trie. to hide behind the steering wheel with the visor of his cap pulled low over the Llush that mantles to his sunken cheeks; but you,are not in their class. As r owner you are not prepared to treat a chanffeur as a self-starting device pos- s-ing no more honor or shame than a starting device. If you take a chauf- fexr from the higher walks of automo- bile driving, you wouldn’t have the heart to let him fall to your level; you would ris. to his by cutting out one of your clul's, allowing*a couple of your life poli- cies to lapse, selling the old bus and buy- ing a new one with a custom-built body an! a silver-plated radiator front. It would look so imported that it would fool the Collector of the Port of New York himself; and with the very first garage Lill that you received, you would give up the plans you had for sending your eld- est girl to Vassar. Now I ask you, are you going to sac- rifice your daughter's chances and your own happiness in order to hire a chauf- feur so that you shall not run over pedes- When a pedestrian reads about an automobile owner overturning his car in trying to avoid running over a pedes- trian, does the pedestrian attribute it to > pedestrianism and determine there- r to ride in a street car? He does not. He keeps right on being a pedestrian, so don't you be weak and hire a chauffeur. Steel yourself against pedestrians and drive your own car. Diplomatic H"™ was one of the few remaining old- time darkics. He had finished the od jobs for which.he had been employed, an! hat in hand, appeared at the back door How much is it, Uncle?" he was ed Yo" say how much? yo" all say, missis.” ac trians? Jest: whateber i, 1 ll voll QS “| HEAR THAT YOUR WIFE IS GOING TO DELIVER AN ADDRESS HERE TO-NIGHT, MR. SOPHLEY.” “MY DEAR LADY, IT’S NO USE TO APPEAL TO ME. 1 CAN'T STOP HER.” “Oh, but I'd rather you would say how much,” the lady of the house replied. “Yas, m'am! But, m’am, Ah'd rather hab de seventy-five cents yo’ all would gimme dan de fifty cents Ah'd charge yo’ all.” Guaranteed TAURANT PATRON (whisper- ing): Waiter, can you serve us something with a kick in it? Warter (whispering): Wait until you get the bill. THE FOOe LITTLE RICH BOY Gos IN FOR WINTER sroeTs. comicbooks.com