Life, 1921-09-01 · page 23 of 35
Life — September 1, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The top cartoon** depicts workers criticizing repair efforts, with one complaining that constant infrastructure work is "ruining the country"—likely satirizing post-WWI concerns about government spending or management. **The main feature** is a humorous survey of various fictional characters explaining why they've stopped attending baseball games. Each represents a social type offering absurd or contradictory reasons: an educator complains about defective peanuts; a worker claims the crowd lacks class; a textile merchant wants softer balls; a baseball fan blames Prohibition for bad language; a revivalist says players need higher wages; a boiler maker wants spiritual renewal; and a clerk argues tickets are paradoxically *too cheap*. The satire mocks how people rationalize abandoning leisure activities with exaggerated grievances. The final complaint—that cheap admission means attending prize fights instead—reveals the joke's underlying absurdity. This reflects 1920s-era anxieties about changing entertainment and social values while poking fun at manufactured excuses and class pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
September 1 The Gleaners “I don’t want to complain, y’ know. But it’s too bad, the way they’re repairing everything, everywhere!” “Rotten—rotten! Why They Don’t Attend Baseball Games ‘ARNSWORTH T. MERRIWEATHER, educator— he last time I bought a bag of peanuts at the Polo Grounds they swindled me. Two of the shells were duds and in a third even the worm had begun to turn. No more ball games for me.” \ubrey St. Claire Tourraine, iron worker—“The class of people one meets at the ball park nowadays is not what it used to be. No one in my position can afford to be seen there.” Terrence F. X. Haggerty, lace goods.—“The game is getting too rough. I believe a soft ball and rubber-soled shoes for the players would help materially.” Oscar Romagnetti, insurance adjuster—‘“I have quit going to ball games because of the language one hears in the bleach- ers. Prohibition is to blame.” T. J. Donnerschwimmer, revivalist—“The ball players are not being paid enough. In order to live most of them have I tell you it’s simply ruining the country!” been forced to engage in sidelines, which naturally has hurt their playing.” Etienne J. Mirabelle, boiler maker.—“For some reason the spirit of sportsmanship has disappeared from the game. What we need is a spiritual reawakening.” H. Van B. Muddleberry, clerk.—“The trouble is with, the prices. They are too dirt cheap. Who wants to waste time at ball games when he can attend prize fights for $50?” Seven Wonders of the World I Wonver who—— I wonder what I wonder why: I wonder where———— I wonder when I wonder how: I wonder which. comicbooks.com