Life — March 31, 1921 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis The top illustration satirizes theatrical mediocrity. The caption shows Mrs. Argyle asking the Butler if he makes salads; he responds that he "creates 'em and orders 'em made, mum"—a pretentious answer. This appears to mock both servants who affect grandiosity and the theater world's tendency to overstate the importance of minor roles. The accompanying article "Merely Players" critiques early 20th-century theater productions where minor actors interpreted their parts too seriously, taking small roles as major artistic statements. The satire targets theatrical vanity—the inflation of minor contributions into self-important performances. The other brief pieces discuss writing, insurance, and political patronage, but the main visual humor centers on class pretension and theatrical self-importance masquerading as artistic creation.