Life, 1921-05-26 · page 25 of 36
Life — May 26, 1921 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains satirical commentary on early 20th-century American culture: **"Next Case"** critiques sportswriting clichés. Judge Landis (baseball's commissioner) is urged to enforce vocabulary standards on sports reporters—banning overused slang like "hurler," "pill" (for baseball), "bingles" (hits), "wallop" (home run), and "slant" (pitch). The satire mocks journalists' lazy, repetitive language. **"The Human Cycle"** presents a moral diagram showing civilization's inevitable decline: virtue leads to prosperity, which breeds sin and arrogance, triggering war and defeat—requiring repentance to restart the cycle. This reflects pessimistic early-20th-century anxieties about social progress. **The other comic vignettes** depict domestic humor: a wife's confused reference to "Peace Without Lansing" (likely a confused book title involving Secretary Lansing), a couple debating grape juice, and courtship scenarios. These represent genteel middle-class life and the era's prohibition debates. The overall tone is lighthearted social commentary on American manners, language, and morality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
y, and child’s to ap. ceep it y ends splea- [ great exces: tacked is cv © eight is her es, th xt Case ARTES Judge Landis gets through giving troublesome haseball players a chance to ex- plain, he should send for the baseball writers. He might tell them that if they hope to stay in organized eball they must agree to refer to every player team by his correct least once before the dose 0 He should rule that a pitcher is not to be alled a hurler more than once is a column, and that the ball may be called a pill only once a month, Ie should order a vaca- tion on full pay for the word pilfer when used to describe stolen hases, and might suggest also that base-hits shall not be called bingles in leagues above Class Aa. The same rule should be ap- plied to the word slant when carve is meant. If, in addition, Judge Landis can persuade the reporters to refrain from refer- ring to a home run as a four-ply wallop, he will have earned the undying affection of the public. of every rame at he season, “you can't give me some idea of the title of the book you want, madam?” “I think it is called ‘Peace Without Lansing.’” “ WHAT DOES IT SAY, DEAR?” “11 TELLS US TO DRINK SOME DARN FOOL GRAPE JUICE.” e AND EFFECT. but I've read “ Br'er Rabbit.” “VOU mustn't cat so much appetite for dinner.” 765 The Human Cycle ‘AR Victory Arrogance Sin War Defeat Repentance Virtue Prosperity Sin War Nocturne HE WIFE (after the usual ain struggle to recall a Well, I will remember that name before I go to sleep name) : to-night. Tue You you'll remember that name be- fore I go to sleep to-night. Huspanp: mean, (to Have you read “ Beowulf?” Sweet Younc Tun No, Isn't Uncle Remus adorable? candy, Willie. You'll spoil your “Oh, well, I'd have to spoil it at dinner time anyway.” Mesanay Exewarey 4 HIS FIRST PROPOSAL, comicbooks.com