Life, 1922-03-23 · page 13 of 34
Life — March 23, 1922 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This illustration satirizes domestic life and fashion through a dialogue between two women named Elise and Betty. The scene depicts Betty showing off new pajamas to her friend Elise. Betty's comment—that the pajamas are so attractive "if the house were to catch fire some night they'd make a tremendous hit"—is the joke's punchline. The satire mocks the era's emphasis on fashionable appearance even in private, intimate wear. By suggesting fire as a scenario where pajamas would be "seen," the cartoon humorously critiques women's concern with looking attractive at all times, even in hypothetical disaster situations. It reflects early 20th-century attitudes about femininity, propriety, and the sometimes absurd priorities of fashion-conscious society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
t; ngth’ Word a On Being Prepared e, j Elise: How do you like my new pajamas, Betty? nest They're lovely, dear. If the house were to catch fire some night they’d make a a . tremendous hit. comicbooks.com