Life — February 1, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis The cartoon depicts a cigarette shop scene where a young man browses while two customers (appearing to be older gentlemen) stand nearby. A prominent poster advertises "Smoke the Shriek" and "The Passionate Cigarette." Below, the text "Meditations of a Young Intellectual" presents satirical commentary from a self-described "individualist" and "pagan" from Iowa. The narrator boasts of rejecting conventional morality, dismissing his parents' values, frequenting Sunday "ripping parties," and fabricating scandals at social gatherings to appear important. The satire targets young intellectual poseurs of the era—those adopting bohemian affectations and moral relativism while pursuing wealth and status. The cigarette brand "The Passionate Cigarette" likely mocks the affected sophistication such individuals cultivate. The overall piece ridicules the pretensions of would-be rebels who embrace hedonism while remaining fundamentally materialistic.