Life — June 2, 1921 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is primarily a **Chesterfield cigarette advertisement** rather than political satire. The page features a humorous narrative about "Parley-Voo" (French slang for "parlez-vous," meaning "do you speak French?"). The joke concerns an American who couldn't speak French visiting Paris. He attempts to communicate with a French barber through pantomime—making signs in a mirror and wiggling his fingers through his hair. The barber eventually understands and cuts his hair. The American then smokes a Chesterfield cigarette, which the advertisement humorously suggests would have satisfied the barber, implying cigarettes transcend language barriers. The cartoon illustrations show exaggerated, cartoonish faces typical of 1920s-era advertising. The humor is gentle and relies on the Universal-language appeal of smoking, rather than political commentary.