Life, 1921-08-18 · page 34 of 35
Life — August 18, 1921 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **subscription advertisement** disguised as humor. The page contrasts two images: a dour, unhappy-looking man (left) versus a grinning, exaggerated caricature (right) with grotesque features. The satirical "joke" claims the left man won a Life magazine prize for never reading a copy. After subscribing for a few weeks, he supposedly transforms into the cheerful (if absurdly drawn) figure on the right. **The pitch:** Reading Life magazine regularly will make you happier, improve your social relationships, and change your outlook. The exaggerated caricature on the right parodies the promised transformation—it's deliberately ugly-comic, suggesting the promised happiness is somewhat ridiculous. This is typical early-20th-century magazine advertising using self-referential humor: Life promotes itself as essential to happiness while mocking the premise through the absurd "before/after" contrast. The special offer (one dollar for three months' subscription) appears in the left margin.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The gentleman whose features are dis- result. Unfortunately we could not get closed above was awarded the first prize his photograph, as he wouldn't sit still in Life of June 16 as being the only man long enough, and our artist had to do the who had never read a copy of Life. Later best he could. on four others were discovered. But in- asmuch as he was the first one, the award still stands. In the meantime, he began taking Life in’ weekly doses, with this— (See opposite) HAT GREAT LESSON do we learn from these two companion pictures? First, unless you are always taking LIFE in some form, you are certain to be unhappy. Second, if you take LIFE for only a few weeks, EVERY- THING IN THE UNIVERSE changes for you. As you go about, you will notice how kindly everybody acts. You will be able to get on with anybody, even your landlord. In these two pictures lies THE SECRET OF HUMAN HAPPINESS. Many people have difficulty in OBEYING THAT IM- \ PULSE at first. NY This is natural. We build up our characters slowly. It \ takes time to know how to enjoy LIFE thoroughly. Do not be discouraged, therefore, if you now feel like the Special \ man in the first picture. Ofer If you TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK and sub- Enclosed find scribe to LIFE for three months, in almost no time you will nadian $1.20, For. 1S. feel LIKE THE MAN IN THE SECOND PICTURE. 193 Open only to new subscribers; no subscriptions renewed \ at this rate. LIFE, 598 Madison Avenue, New York. i Ne One Year, $5.00. (Canadian, $5.80; Foreign, $6.60.) \. ae ~ 30 comicbooks.com