Life, 1922-03-16 · page 3 of 34
Life — March 16, 1922 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily an advertisement for *Life* magazine itself, disguised as satirical poetry and editorial copy. The poem "Chanson de la Ligne" ("Song of the Line") is a humorous take on New York City subway lines—the Skyline, Timberline, Boundary Lines, Streamline, Breadline, and notably the "Dotted Line," which the poem calls "JAKE" (slang for satisfactory/acceptable). The subway references suggest this is from the early-to-mid 20th century when NYC's transit system was expanding. The satire appears gentle: poking fun at the city's infrastructure while celebrating the Dotted Line as superior. The piece then pivots to promoting *Life*'s subscription offer (10 weeks for $1), positioning the magazine as essential urban reading for sophisticated Americans interested in theater, literature, and humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE CHANSON DE LA LIGNE (“Song of the Line”— must have a little French in the ads. nowadays) The Skyline’s too uneven, The Timberline’s too cold, The Boundary Lines are crooked, The Streamline’s hard to hold. The Breadline, standing quiet, Dreams of sirloin steak, But the Dotted Line! Say, the Dotted Line! Aw—the Dotted Line is JAKE! Life! Now that the entertainment is over, please come down close to the plat form, where we are about to give off some facts about this periodical. So: Crosstown Lines are bourgeois, The Battle Line’s passé, The Green Line and the Black Line Ball up New York's subway. Firing Lines and Color Lines And Danger Lines mean strife, But that Speckled Line! That Spotted Line! That Dotted Line means LIFE is a weekly magazine of the best thought and work in America on the theatre, literature, and the various humorous aspects of human affairs. LIFE is keen and brilliant in its way of talking about these things, through its editorials, articles, and reviews. It is equally so in its manner of presenting them through the dozens of clever drawings that appear in each issue. LIFE is thoroughly American in its attitude and view- point. It is impatient of ignorance, but it is fair. It has little to do with yesterday, but it has a literary background. It is of the present, and of tomorrow. It is anti-everything that is gross, ugly, dull, pompous or profound. LIFE wants you to become a subscriber. And it bases this simple request on what it knows it can be worth to you. In interest. In appreciation. In sincerity. In cheer- fulness. LIFE doesn’t want you for a subscriber because of what it did yesterday—and it has some brilliant yesterdays! Nor for its long and interesting record among publications— did you know LIFE is nearly forty years old? Nor forany reason except that it isa corking, breezy, modern magazine with some remarkable and very much alive people editing and contributing to it. It's worth your money. And your attention. Special Introductory Offer—10 Weeks for $1 Now! What about that dollar? Suppose you don’t _ subscribe, what becomes of it? You don’t know: You never know. Take a dollar out and look at it. What good is the thing to you—all by itself that way? There are few places where a dollar will amount to anything. There is NO place where it will do you as much good as in an envelope addressed to LIFE! Obey that impulse—sign on the dotted line 0000 OOOO 0 Ce Bede core eeecesescceeneeese Ot a LIFE, 598 Madison Avenue New York, N. Y. Dear Life:—Here’s my dollar. It hasn't amounted to much. 224 Peeve ceesmncenaccnerecenarececsesen Wneeeereeeereccccaccecseesserees vm Coreen se ceeecoces eon sees comicbooks.com