Life, 1922-08-10 · page 23 of 36
Life — August 10, 1922 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top illustration shows a child viewing a stage with "FINE FOR FUTURE" written across it—a satirical commentary on theatrical performances or entertainment aimed at younger audiences, likely critiquing overly moralistic or simplistic shows. Below, the "Sonnet of Strange Similes" is light verse comparing love to everyday objects (spearmint gum, Ford cars, kettledrums), typical of Life's humorous poetry. The substantial article "What the 'Yellow Peril' Has Done for America" satirizes contemporary anti-Japanese sentiment and xenophobia. It mockingly credits the "Yellow Peril" panic (American fears of Japanese expansion) with providing: California publicity; ammunition against publisher William Randolph Hearst; dramatic material (the "Japanese butler" villain trope); political capital for Senator Phelan; college debate topics; and distraction from genuine geopolitical threats. The final jab—that fear prompted Americans to stop keeping goldfish as unpatriotic—reveals the absurdity of the hysteria. The piece critiques both the manufactured nature of this panic and media/political exploitation of xenophobia.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Private Performance Sonnet of Strange Similes Y love is like a stick of spearmint gum— he flavor lasts—my love is like the tune y neighbor plays cach morning until noon (That is, it haunts me always); mute and dumb My love is, like a punctured kettledrum. is brightest after sunset, like the moon, nd, like the onion, strongest during June; My love is ardent as forbidden rum. Sometimes my love is diffident and shy, Like a Ford car seeking a place to park, Or like a husband in a corset shop; Sometimes it struts and holds its head up high, ike a Knight Templar or a meadow lark, Or a dress-suited freshman at a hop. S. K. A girl’s summer wardrobe should include several bath- ing-suits and at least one suit for bathing. What the “Yellow Peril” Has Done for America T has enabled California to keep in the public eye at times when tennis stars, movie scandals and seismic disturbances were not to be relied upon. It has brought to light certain baneful characteristics of Mr. Hearst concerning which the American people might otherwise never have been informed. It has supplied jaded dramatists with a wealth of ma- terial in the form of slant-eyed Japanese butlers second to none in villainy. It has provided Senator Phelan with a sure-fire issue whenever he needs one. It has given our college debaters a topic that can be fittingly described as among “the vital questions of the day.” It has served to distract attention from Mexico, Ger- many, Russia and other sore spots at times when too much attention in any of these quarters might have led toa state of war. It has persuaded thousands of Americans to discontinue the keeping of gold fish, as a patriotic duty. FLW. comicbooks.com