Life, 1921-12-22 · page 31 of 34
Life — December 22, 1921 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **safety advertisement** by American Chain Company promoting tire chains (for winter driving). It's not political satire but rather a public-service campaign against reckless drivers. The "thick-skinned driver" is a generic caricature representing any careless motorist who ignores road safety: doesn't use tire chains in winter, cuts corners, ignores traffic signals, and endangers others. The hippopotamus metaphor emphasizes imperviousness to criticism. The advertisement uses aggressive, militaristic language—"steel-jacketed bullets of public opinion"—to shame unsafe drivers into compliance. It's a sequel to an earlier campaign called "The Slip-Shod Driver." The underlying message: unsafe driving kills; tire chains prevent accidents; public shame and peer pressure should modify dangerous behavior. This reflects early-automotive-era safety concerns when driving standards were largely unregulated.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
You know him. You have suffered from his ways. Your protests are like arrows against the armor of his thick, hip- popotamus hide. Nothing but the steel-jacketed bullets of an indignant public opinion will make him realize that his s/ip-shod driving jeopardizes the life of everyone in his path. The thick-skinned driver leaves Weed Tire Chains in the locker when careful drivers put them on their tires. The thick-skinned driver comes recklessly cut of side streets; the thick-skinned driver cuts corners; the thick-skinned driver never inspects his brakes or steering gear; the thick-skinned driver does not signal before turning or stopping; the thick-skinned driver does not give a warning signal of his approach. Let us get together. Let us mould the steel-jacketed bullets of public opinion that will pierce his thick skin; make him realize that he must consider the rights of motorists and pedestrians. Maybe he has a conscience and the thick hide is thoughtlessness. Maybe he has only a sense of fear. The bullets can reach that too. Show this to the thick-skinned driver. Let him choose his own class. And keep on the firing line till every human hippo who is muscle-bound above the ears, is driven from the road. This is a sequel to our famous advertisement: ‘‘The Slip-Shod Driver’’. Reprints of both sent on request AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY, INCORPORATED BRIDGEPORT Xe/ CONNECTICUT In Canada: Dominion Chain Company, Limited, Niagara Falls, Ontario District Sales Offices: Boston Chicago NewYork Philadelphia Pittsburgh Portland, Ore. San Francisco The Complete Chain Line—All Types, All Sizes, All Finishes—From Plumbers’ Safety Chain to Ships’ Anchor Chain ; THE LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF CHAIN IN THE WORLD -comicbooks.com