Life, 1921-12-29 · page 28 of 35
Life — December 29, 1921 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Life* magazine page contains several satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century American humor: **"The Mad Book"** mocks everyday frustrations—rude clerks, abusive conductors, frustrating customer service—anticipating modern complaints by decades. **"And So It Goes"** features a philosophical quote by Don Marquis about local pride and people's irrational attachments to unpleasant places (with a jab at Bolshevik Russia, reflecting anti-Communist sentiment of the era). **"How to Treat the Booze Sponge"** is a three-panel comic about a man seeking sympathy for romantic rejection, apparently hoping to access someone's private alcohol supply. The punchline suggests taking him to the river instead—dark humor about disposing of the unwanted drunk. **"Bernice Decides to Flit"** depicts a young woman feigning illness (refusing food, declining social invitations) to manipulate her parents into sending her to a beach resort—satirizing both youth manipulation and parental anxiety. The magazine's humor relies on recognizing social pretense and human weakness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Mad Book HY doesn’t somebody write a Mad _ Book, dedicated “to all the poor people who have lost their tempers and don’t know where to find them”? A few suggested chapters: To have your feet stepped on. To have a conductor abuse you before a carful of people. To have a cross voice on the telephone tell you to “Butt off the line.” To see what you want on the counter and have a clerk tell you, “We don’t keep it.” To ask for The Mad Book and have a clerk say, “It’s never been published.” And So It Goes F a pound of cheese could think, it would think it was the center of the uni- verse. * ok * No place is without its lo- cal pride. Hell is probably full of people who think it very queer if a friend ex- presses a wish to leave. Bol- shevist Russia is the only country whose passionate ad- mirers refuse to live in it if they can get away. Don Marquis. “ve been jilted and don't know Wife: Can we go to the masquerade ball to-night? Husband: No, dear. I don’t think nature intended us to decorate ourselves like that. Bernice Decides to Flit OTHER: I wish | knew what ails Ber. nice. She isn’t eating enough to keep a bird alive and she won’t go anywhere. Last month she was on the go day and night, and now she is even refusing dance invita- tions. I have asked her and asked her, but she just says she'll be all right. I’m going to have the doctor in to see her and try to find out what's wrong. FatHer: She does look thin, now you speak of it. And it has seemed quiet around the house lately, Don’t put off having the doc- tor, Mother. Better be safe than sorry. Broruer Bos: She isn't sick. She’s up to something. I know her. You just wait and see. * * * Bernice: Maybe if I do my hair this way I'll look worse. If I can manage to stay off the food for a couple of days longer, they ought to begin to be really i about me. Then may the first of the week tl decide to send me to Beach for the rest of the winter. How to Treat the Booze Sponge “You'll show me where? That sounds “Oh, no! There’s no privacy about where to drown my sorrow.” great. Some private stock?” this stock. It’s the river.” comicbooks.com