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

What you’re looking at

# "The American Humorist's Creed" This page presents satirical observations about American life and character types. The "creed" consists of nine humorous "beliefs" mocking various stereotypes: absent-minded professors, inept newlywed women, office boys, tramps, spinsters, boarding-house keepers, cat owners, chorus girls, and Irish immigrants. The accompanying illustration shows a social scene where a man (labeled "Milliner") proposes settling a bill with a woman (identified as "Miss Filmer," apparently a movie star). His suggestion that they settle publicly "for the publicity for both of us" satirizes both the emerging film industry's obsession with publicity and the era's materialism. The humor relies on period stereotypes and observational comedy typical of Life magazine's early 20th-century satirical approach to American social habits.