Life, 1921-03-10 · page 24 of 36
Life — March 10, 1921 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon - "Not Quite Right":** This satirizes the archetypal village procrastinator—a tradesman who finds endless excuses to delay work. Despite the woman providing every necessary resource (shingles, nails, staging equipment) and favorable weather conditions, he invents supernatural concerns ("the first time all the elements have been with me") to avoid starting. The joke targets chronic procrastinators who blame external circumstances rather than admit laziness or incompetence. **"The Over-Playful Kiki" Section:** A humorous accounting ledger mocking contestants who enter Life magazine's title contests. It balances debits (time spent, disappointment, wasted energy) against credits (intelligence test, anticipation). The ironic "Balance due" suggests contestants waste more effort than they gain—satirizing the futility of contest participation. **"Scandal" Cartoon:** A brief social joke about propriety: a society hostess (Mrs. Van Antler) worries that arriving with her husband might "embarrass" her, implying an affair or scandal requiring discretion. These pieces exemplify *Life*'s satirical approach to American social types and manners circa the early 20th century.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lr Pag Not Quite Right A WOMAN wanted her barn shingled, and she called the village procrastinator in to talk it over. “Can you do it right away?” she asked. “Wall, now, I haven't any shingles here.” “T have—plenty of them, all you need; also nails.” “That's fine. And I could start in this minute, but I have no stagin’, you sce.” “T have. There's a whole outfit in the barn.” “Wall, that’s a coincidence, ain't it? And I could get right up there now, if it wasn’t for—” “I£ it wasn’t for what?” she snapped. “Why, the weather, It's bound to rain afore many hours, and—” git a thing | the gu time it turkey degre warde ever § Dur have we d White “See that weather vane? Does that say rain? Do you se any clouds? Is there any good reason why you can't ¢o right to work? Everything’s ready.” . “That's just, it. This being the first time all the clements have been with me, so to speak, I’m so durned nervous and superstitious, 'twouldn’t be safe for me to work nohow.” THE OVER-PLAYFUL KIKI A TRAGEDY OF THE SANDS AT PALM BEACH An Account With LIFE In re Title Contest. EBTOR to Self: Three hours time on contest at $1.00.. ++$ 3.00 Postage ahd stationery....... 05 Time lost dreaming of first prize, 10 hrs. at $1.. 10.00 Energy dissipated by such dreams. .. sseeee 100,00 Disappointment at not winning (punitive) Credits: One intelligence test Development in origina ‘ Pleasure discussing winners Pleasurable anticipation of next conte Satisfaction at Editors’ decisions SCANDAL? Total... Bohemian Hostess: pwox’T YOUR HUSBAND COME Balance due Lire, $3.00. Remittance will be made to subserip- tion department before next contest. Mrs. Van Antler: we's COMING LATER. WE THOUGHT IF WE CAME TOGETHER, IT MIGHT EMBARRASS YOU, comicbooks.com