Life, 1921-09-22 · page 26 of 34
Life — September 22, 1921 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes exaggerated product testimonials common in early 1900s advertising. The main article "If They Get Any Better" mocks absurdly unrealistic customer letters praising manufactured goods—a tire lasting 765,000 miles without wear, a shaving brush surviving since 1865, soap lather filling a yard to one-foot depth. The accompanying cartoon shows a child refusing to pull a wagon uphill, saying he'll be the "engine goin' down hill" while the adult goes up—a joke about fair division of labor that parallels the article's theme: as products become impossibly perfect, consumers' expectations become equally unrealistic and unfair. The top illustration depicts a farm worker quitting because he didn't know "ye had to plow hornets to raise wheat"—suggesting impossible or absurd labor demands, reinforcing the satirical point about unreasonable expectations in both product claims and working conditions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Green Farm Hand: I quit. I didn’t know ye had to plow hornets to raise wheat. If They Get Any Better F manufactured products get any better and the testimonial letters become more glowing, the following may be expected: “I just wish you to know that the Fearnot automobile tire I purchased of you in 1899 is still in good shape. It has gone 765, ooo miles and shows no signs of wear.” “Back in 1865, when I came out of the Civil War, I purchased one of your Bulldog shaving brushes. I wore whiskers in the army but decided to shave and bought the brush. It never shed a bristle until yesterday, where- upon I dropped some of your Chain Lightning hair tonic on it and six bristles have grown in to take the place of the one that dropped out.” “I confess I never saw any- thing like the lather your soap makes. My six-year-old boy was crying for snow one day this summer, and, as Nature re- fused to provide a snowstorm “Say! I’m on to you, You want to be the engine goin’ down hill, an’ you expect me to be it goin’ up.” for him, I took a cake of your toilet soap and made some lather. I filled the front yard with rich, creamy lather, an average of one foot deep. My boy has played in this lather for two weeks and it is in as good shape as when I made it. “Your silk hosiery is the best ever, according to my opinion, I have been wearing a pair of your Nevertear hose since 1901 and as yet neither stocking has developed any defects what- ever.” “I cannot say enough for your Resisto collars. I have one that has been to the laundry 7,544 times and it is as good as new.” “Tam unusually hard on shoes, but I have worn a pair of your Hopover brand for twenty-seven years and so far they do not need half-soling.” “Ten rs ago I had 1 hair permanently waved with your special waver and I am happy to inform you that it has not needed combing since.” comicbooks.com Se un ity me pr we to th