Life — August 31, 1922 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 10 The single cartoon at the top depicts a restaurant scene where a waiter approaches a table with a dirty plate. The guest responds defensively: "Beg pardon, force of habit. I'm an umpire." This is a straightforward joke playing on the stereotype of baseball umpires. The humor relies on the implication that umpires are accustomed to making dismissive gestures (the wiping motion) as part of their job calling plays—specifically, calling runners "out." The cartoon suggests the guest unconsciously mimicked this habitual gesture while handling the plate, conflating his professional role with everyday dining etiquette. The page also contains two poems: "It Is to Yawn" and "The Elfin Secret," which are unrelated to the cartoon.