Life — December 29, 1921 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *Life* magazine presents five satirical vignettes titled "Around the World," depicting New Year's celebrations in different cultures: 1. **"New Year's Eve on the Russian Steppes"**: A figure in black fur plays a stringed instrument atop a pyramid of stacked people, satirizing Russian cultural practices. 2. **"A Chinese New Year Resolution"**: A figure holds a scroll with Chinese characters, mocking cultural stereotypes about New Year's resolutions. 3. **"Hairy Ainus preparing for the holiday"**: Indigenous Ainu people are depicted with exaggerated features. 4. **"A New Year Children's Party in Mazatlan, Mexico"**: Shows a Mexican figure in a sombrero with children and animals. The cartoons employ ethnic caricature and stereotypes typical of early 20th-century American humor, presenting non-Western cultures as exotic, primitive, or comical for domestic audiences.