Life, 1921-09-29 · page 23 of 34
Life — September 29, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Cum Quot" Story**: A racist "joke" playing on anti-Chinese stereotypes. A wealthy American widow, Mrs. Marshall, loses her dog "Mustapha" and visits a Chinese restaurant owner seeking comfort food. Cum Quot serves her dog meat (implied by the punchline), then gives her a card she cannot read. Her Japanese servant translates it as saying "Litty doggie"—revealing she unknowingly ate her own pet. The humor relies on depicting Chinese people as deceptive, untrustworthy, and cruel, while mocking the Chinese language as incomprehensible to white Americans. **Historical Context**: This reflects early 20th-century American xenophobia and widespread "Yellow Peril" anxieties about Asian immigrants. The story's morality is inverted—Cum Quot "restores his lost face" through deception rather than facing consequences. **Other Content**: A brief Henry VIII joke and a flirtation joke at page bottom, typical period humor. The entire piece is offensive by modern standards, exemplifying how mainstream publications normalized racist caricatures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
September 29 He: To look at that big bay you wouldn’t think he had a pedigree a mile long. She: You can’t always go by heredity. For instance, look what a clever man your father is. One, two, three days Cum Quot waited in back of the counter of the uptown chop suey restaurant where Mrs. Marshall had first become aware of his existence. On the fourth day she came, seeking to dissipate the sorrow caused by the loss of her beloved Mustapha. Oh, Cum Quot,” she said, “what do you think? Musta- pha has disappeared. You know—litty doggie?” Oh, y said Cum Quot. Fix me something special to-night, Cum Quot. I don’t know just what—but something. I feel so badly since Mustapha .. .” ‘I fixee,” said Cum Quot with uncustomary eloquence. ek OK OK * \Irs. Marshall paid her check. “It was delicious, Cum not,” she said. “What was it?” ollowed a succession of Cantonese polysyllables. Goodness, I can never remember that. Write it down.” ‘um Quot smiled faintly—and wrote a single ideograph ‘on an ornate business card. Thank you,” said Mrs. Marshall. Good night,” said Cum Quot. * * * * * “Ladee feel better?” Suki, her husband’s Japanese hand- van, made her comfortable in her favorite chair. “Yes, thank you, Suki. I have had such a nice new dish at the Chinese restaurant. Suki, can you read Chinese?” “Maybe-so. Some Chinese like Japanese.” “Then what does this mean?” Mrs. Marshall handed the ornate card of Cum Quot to Suki. Suki’s face crinkled into a broad simper. “What was it I had? What does the card say?” Suki’s simper set idio! y. “C y, Missy Marshall,” he giggled, “card say—‘Litty doggi + «ow ® In the evil heart of Chinatown, the flickering smoke from a joss stick twisted the hideous smirk of a grinning idol into a more sinister leer. Cum Quot’s lost face had been restored. Henry William Hanemann. Next! Henry VIII watched the lovely Anne Boleyn’s head roll off the block. “Well,” said the bluff monarch, playfully chucking Lady Jane under the chin, “easy come, easy go!” Gittett: Did you ever kiss a girl when she wasn’t looking? Terry: Not when she wasn’t good-looking. comicbooks.com