Life — November 2, 1922 — page 25: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a Thanksgiving humor cartoon from *Life* magazine depicting an African American family receiving game as a holiday gift. The dialogue uses heavily stereotyped dialect ("Yo' all," "bettah gib thanks," "rheumatiz") common to early 20th-century racial caricature. The joke hinges on the recipient's complaint: he's grateful for the food, but notes he has rheumatism in his arm and lacks a "broom-handle handy"—implying the game (likely a bird) needs to be beaten/prepared. The humor relies on racial stereotypes about dialect, poverty, and crude living conditions. This reflects the racist comedic conventions of *Life*'s era, when such caricatures were considered acceptable entertainment for mainstream audiences.