Life, 1921-06-23 · page 11 of 36
Life — June 23, 1921 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces: **Top Image**: A pastoral landscape scene showing two figures at a fence overlooking a river valley. The caption jokes that such "wonderful pictures" are made "furty" (dirty/crude), suggesting the romantic nature scene contrasts with bawdy humor. **"Active Depressants"**: A satirical list by Dorothy Parker mocking tedious social types—people who quote poetry, give unsolicited advice about weight, tell bad jokes, make puns about prohibition and marriage, mispronounce French, and organize raffles. It's social commentary critiquing boring conversationalists and annoying personality types. **"The Faithful Servitor"**: A brief comedic dialogue between a waiter and patron about boiling eggs precisely, demonstrating servant obsequiousness and class-based humor common to the era's satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Visitor: WHAT A WONDERFUL PICTURE! Native: THEY DO MAKE A PURTY PICTURE, DON’T THEY? Active Depressants EOPLE who quote poctry. . . . People who give imi- tations of the sounds their baby makes when he takes his People who ask you what do you care if you © put on weight, so long as you feel well. . . . People ho relate the plots of movies. . . . People who tell you to w a card out of the pack, and be sure to remember what one it People who use water wings. . . . People who y black cords, to attach their hats to their shoulders. People who get up charades. . . . People who make s about prohibition, marriage, cheese, Saturday night bath- s, and the difference between an optimist and a pessimist. People who name their summer cottages. . . . People gn their letters “as ever.” . . . People who show Ibums of snapshots taken on the beach. . . . People get a laugh by mispronouncing French words. . . . who explain what foods disagree with them, and People who organize raffles. . . . People who lists of people like this. 2... Dorothy Parker. The Faithful Servitor “WWMITER, I want two boiled eggs.” “Yes, sir. How will you have them, sir?” “Have them boiled exactly three minutes—no more, and no Tess,” “Yes, sir. Hard, soft or medium, sir?” “1 WANT YE TO PULL THIS ONE OUT SO I CAN WHISTLE LIke SPIDER SMITH.” comicbooks.com