Life, 1921-04-28 · page 23 of 36
Life — April 28, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Photograph:** A Prohibition-era scene showing men discussing beer and Sunday leisure. The caption quotes a working-class man lamenting that alcohol has been banned ("they've took away our beer") and now "they're goin' to take away our Sundays"—likely referencing attempts to restrict Sunday entertainments or activities. He notes only his poor health keeps him cheerful. This reflects working-class resentment of Prohibition (1920-1933) and moral reform movements that restricted leisure activities. **"No Sale" Joke:** A book agent tries selling a multi-volume set of scandalous memoirs. The husband refuses, explaining his wife already gets plenty of gossip from three afternoon card clubs—so he won't pay for more scandal. The humor targets both women's social gatherings and door-to-door sales tactics. **"Detective" Joke:** A brief quip suggesting someone named Jinkson tells unfunny jokes with "very low risibility" (laughability). **"Freddy Firefly" Comic Strip:** Four panels showing a mouse or similar creature getting increasingly intoxicated from "Home Brew," culminating in explosive chaos—satirizing homemade alcohol production during Prohibition.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TOOK AWAY OUR BEER, BILL, AN’ NOW THEY'RE GOIN’ TO TAKE AWAY OUR SUNDAYS. 11'S ON’Y MY BEIN’ NEAR DEATH’S DOOR FROM HEART DISEASE THAT CHEERS ME UP,” as good a mystery as ever poked its head out of a dark corner and said “ Boo!” However, Eden Phillpotts consumes so much time in inane discussion of the mystery by characters “none i! cient intellect or ability to create for himself any posi- in the world save that won by accident of money made by ir progenitors” (the English is his, not mine) that after a while 1 forgot I was all heated up over an inexplicable and in- soluble secret. If dull dialogue doesn’t detract from your in- quisitiveness, you'll probably like The Grey Room immensely. Henry William Hanemann, you can’t fool all the people all of the time; but then, most of us are alive only part of the time. No Sale "CN I interest you in this beautiful ten-volume edition of ‘ The Secret Memoirs of Cleopatra's Court’ ?” the agent. “You can not,” replied the man of the house firmly. “My wife belongs to three afternoon card clubs and I can hear all the scandal I really care for without paying you a dollar a month for the rest of my life.” inquired Defective “D?® you consider Jinkson a funny man?” “Not much. His jokes are of very low risibility.” FREDDY FIREFLY, THE UNINVITED GUEST, GETS ALL LIT UP, comicbooks.com