Life — May 5, 1921 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily an **advertisement for Life magazine subscriptions**, not a political cartoon. The illustration shows two women reading together, accompanying a romantic aphorism: "When our sweethearts are our wives, then our wives are our sweethearts." The text promotes upcoming special issues—a "Wives' Number" (May 12) and "Husbands' Number" (May 19)—positioned as must-read publications for readers seeking romantic guidance. The satire is gentle: it gently mocks matrimonial expectations by suggesting that maintaining romance in marriage requires reading Life magazine. The joke targets both hopeful bachelors seeking wives and existing husbands needing marital advice. This reflects early 20th-century Life's positioning as a magazine of sophisticated humor and social commentary aimed at middle-class readers interested in relationships and manners.