Life, 1921-04-21 · page 5 of 36
Life — April 21, 1921 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes British newspaper scandal-mongering, particularly the "yellow press" (sensationalist tabloids). The poem mocks how these publications spread rumors and discord—"blood and tears and carry capers"—while the public mindlessly absorbs them. The cartoon depicts "Any Day in England": a man reading yellow papers while conversing with women in a parlor. The caption's sarcastic "Fond English Mother" congratulates Harold on publishing his first book, now enabling him to "lecture to the Americans"—suggesting British authors profited by exporting sensationalism abroad. The satire targets both the irresponsible press manufacturing outrage and credulous readers accepting fabrications without question. The "yellow papers" reference alludes to the infamous yellow journalism that flourished in the late 19th/early 20th centuries.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Ballade of the Ho springs eternal! Well it may; Let's hope that it may go on springing! For who could live another day, Without its optimistic singing? With all this deadly doleful dinging Of blood and tears and crazy capers That greets us at each day’s beginning— If one believed the yellow papers! Best not believe a word they say, Their mud and blood forever flinging, If we would go our peaceful way; With all their stenches and their stinging, We cannot ‘scape some poison clinging ; How keep alight our moral tapers, Or our immortal souls up-winging— If one believed the yellow papers? Yellow Papers How work, or meditate, or pray, Within our ears this Babel ringing? How can we have the heart to play, With all these woes our bowels wringing ; Each pestilent edition bringing New filth to feed the gossip-gapers, The long-eared public slyly “ stringing "— If one believed the yellow papers! Envoi. Prince, they talk much of your un-kinging, These world bashaws and scandal-shapers: Believe them not—we'd all be swinging, If one believed the yellow papers! Richard Le Gallienne, ANY DAY IN ENGLAND Fond English Mother: CONGRATULATIONS, HAROLD. NOW THAT YOUR FIRST BOOK 13 PUBLISHED, YOU CAN GO OVER AND LECTURE TO THE AMERICANS, comicbooks.com