Life, 1921-09-22 · page 14 of 34
Life — September 22, 1921 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a stern adult (likely a priest or authority figure in dark robes) standing over a young boy in an interior setting, asking: "Well, my little man—and what is it you want to ask me?" The boy responds: "Can you put your toe in your mouth?" The satire targets adult hypocrisy and pomposity. The cartoon mocks how authority figures adopt exaggerated formality and self-importance when addressing children, while children respond with innocent, literal-minded questions that deflate such pretension. The humor lies in the contrast between the adult's dignified pose and the child's absurdly practical query—exposing how adults' ceremonial gravity means nothing to youngsters. The accompanying article "Our Criminal Department" humorously suggests America has abundant criminals worthy of study and offers satirical "instruction" in criminal behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Well, my little man—and what is it you want to ask me?” “Can you put your toe in your mouth?” Our Criminal Department P to the present time there are in the United States only 18,943,212 criminals—not including ourselves and two others who feel that they are not yet quite expert enough, and wish to wait. While it is quite true that this is a greater number of criminals in pro- portion to the population than in any other country on earth, it must be re- membered that we are a great country, full of the highest ideals, which we ought, in all conscience, to live up to. Our new classes are forming all the time. Come into our Bandits’ Club, which now only lacks four to make the circle of twenty-five complete. This club, will be coached in New Jersey, which offers the finest field for exten- sive operations like these. If you pre- fer to do lighter work, get a copy of our Kidnaper’s Guide, and learn in ten lessons how to abduct babies. This in- cludes chapters on “How to Ask for Ransom,” “In and Out of Telephone “Keeping a Baby Alive on Ten Cents a Day,” and “Working Up the Parental Agony.” We have a few left-over movie babies on hand, which you can practice upon for a minimum sum. Remember, if you keep on trying to be honest you will soon be ostracized by everybody. Come in now while the going is good. Remember our motto: Let us then be up and doing Everybody’ with a will. Still a-thieving, still pursuing; Learn to sandbag and to kill. Special Legislation Nortu: Did Senator Bulger make you a promise? West: No—a price. Who’s Who in America HE fellow who can listen to “that squeak” and tell you exactly what ails the car. Whose smile means something to a traffic policeman. Who knows where to get a quart of the real thing. Who knows of a flat to rent. Who doesn’t tell you the plot of the movie he saw last week. Who doesn’t believe that baseball is crooked or that there is any connection between the girls’ modes and_ their morals. Orrice Boy: There’s a member of the ’Varsity team outside. He wants his photo done. PHOTOGRAPHER : Orrice Boy: Side face? o, half-back. Tue man who keeps his friends is the one who never gives them away. Se; M blov thro R Clif nou at h fact comicbooks.com