Life, 1923-03-01 · page 34 of 36
Life — March 1, 1923 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the popular self-help movement of the era, particularly **Émile Coué's autosuggestion method** (referenced in the text and illustrated by the cheerful figure). Coué's famous mantra was "Every day in every way I'm getting better and better"—which Life mockingly adopts as its headline. The page poses absurd, mundane complaints (sleepiness, card boredom, hunger) as if they're serious afflictions requiring cure. Life then advertises itself as the remedy: read our magazine for 10 weeks, practice "auto-suggestion" by concentrating on our coupon, and supposedly your personality will improve through humor. It's satire aimed at both the pseudoscientific wellness craze and Life's own commercialism—essentially mocking the very self-improvement culture while simultaneously trying to sell subscriptions as a "joy ride" cure-all. The joke undercuts its own sales pitch.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Every Day in Every Way We re Getting Better and Better! Do you ever feel sleepy late at night? Do cards ever bore you? Do you ever enjoy playing cards? Do you ever feel hungry after go- ing without food for a day? Do you ever feel a loss of appetite after a heavy dinner? Do you ever see strange lights be- fore the eyes if you run into an open door head-on? Do you ever feel that Life is a pretty serious proposition? Cheer up, --It isn't! Week by week, you hear ‘em speak that LIFE gets funnier and fun- nier. Perhaps you don’t think this issue is such a scream, but that’s to give you more contrast with next week's, and from then on. Crank up your auto-suggestion, and take it on a 10 weeks’ joy ride. Concentrate on the Coupon in the corner, and Thursday by Thurs- day your personality will derive the benefit. Obey that Subconscious impulse! Clip the Coupon “Coué, Coué, oh frabjous day,” He cooed in his joy. —Old Song. LIFE, 598 Madison Ave., New York City. Dear Docror:-| feel that my sense of humor needs a little less sense and a little more humor. Here is a dollar fora 10 weeks’ Trial Cure (Canadian, $1.20; Foreign, $1.40). Yours hopefully, 271 One Year, $5.00. (Canadian, $5.80; Foreign, $6.60.) comicbooks.com