Life — June 22, 1922 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Good Clean Sport" - Analysis This satirical piece mocks the obsessive organization required for amateur tennis. The author (likely humorously exaggerating) describes Murgatroyd's systematic approach to the sport—organizing equipment, managing clothing, scheduling practice—suggesting that becoming competitive at tennis demands exhausting logistical effort rather than simple enjoyment. The accompanying sketch shows a woman and man discussing tennis logistics, with the woman complaining about heat and requesting a fan. The caption reads: "This heat is terrible. Why don't we get Johnnie to give us one of those osculating fans?" The joke plays on "osculating" (kissing) fans—a pun suggesting they'd rather have romantic attention than practical cooling. It satirizes how tennis etiquette and organization consume participants' time and focus, leaving them miserable despite supposedly engaging in recreational "sport."