Life — August 18, 1921 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Hall of Infamy" - Explanation This satirical piece presents two scenarios mocking social types. Panel VII, "The Man Who Whistles," ridicules someone who constantly whistles and hums, disrupting others. The poet wishes to place such an annoying person in a "Hall of Infamy" with poor acoustics as punishment. Panel VIII, "The Exhibition Child," satirizes parents who parade their precocious young children as entertainment for guests. The verse criticizes keeping such children "upstairs" initially, then displaying them as curiosities—the child has been "on exhibition far too long." The "Fantasy" section below expresses the author's desire to escape to an idealized tropical paradise, contrasting with urban American life. The final note humorously suggests movies need "a reel for good behavior"—mocking audience conduct at screenings.