Life — November 30, 1922 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine contains a satirical story and illustration about a wealthy man's romantic entanglement. The narrative describes a man with a Rolls-Royce and a colored chauffeur attending a Brazilian Minister's event, then hearing Russian music from a cloisonné box and lighting a Havana cigar with a German lighter—details emphasizing his cosmopolitan affectations and wealth. The accompanying illustration shows an intimate bedroom scene. The caption reads: "You're looking terribly, dear—liver?" / "No—lover." The satire targets upper-class hypocrisy and infidelity. The joke plays on "liver" (illness) versus "lover" (affair), suggesting the woman's exhaustion stems from an extramarital relationship rather than health problems. The detailed setup mocking the protagonist's pretentious lifestyle makes the moral failing more pointed.