Life — January 5, 1922 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic uses the fantasy premise of a ten-year absence to mock contemporary social situations. The six panels show various characters making arrangements for decade-long disappearances: a man dodging a phone call, someone celebrating a prolonged absence, a couple meeting secretly in a wine cellar, and a spouse departing for ten years. The satire targets common domestic frustrations and social obligations of the era—avoiding creditors or annoying calls, escaping marriage or responsibility, and general social entanglements. The humor relies on the exaggeration that these situations are so unbearable that vanishing for a decade seems preferable to dealing with them. The comic reflects early-to-mid 20th century attitudes toward marital discord, financial pressures, and social constraints, presenting escape fantasy as comedic relief from everyday annoyances.