Life, 1923-03-08 · page 33 of 37
Life — March 8, 1923 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising and filler content** rather than editorial satire. The main article, "Teaching the Old Idea to Skate," is a humorous first-person account of an adult learning to ice skate, depicting physical anxiety and loss of dignity on ice. The satirical content appears in "The Progress of Invention," a brief humor column listing technological advances paired with their social consequences—all cynical observations about human nature. Notable examples: cotton gin paired with "synthetic gin invented, 1917" (Prohibition-era joke); the telephone with "two hundred new curses invented"; the automobile with "five hundred thousand families go into bankruptcy." The page otherwise contains legitimate product advertisements (Edison Mazda Lamps, Q-W Dog Remedies, boat manufacturers) typical of 1920s Life magazine. The satire's point: technology doesn't improve society—it simply creates new ways for people to be foolish, wasteful, and immoral.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
12 Mea PRansi wt Teaching the Old Idea to Skate (Continued from page 5) much colder than they used to in the old days. I worked for some time trying to slip a strap- -end under the buckle before I discovered that it was not a strap-end at all but my forefinger. By the time I was firmly shod, | was chilled through and felt alittle grippy. Then I stood up. The sensation was similar to that of mounting a horse for the first time. | was incredibly high up in the air. I looked to the right, ex- pecting to see Long Island Sound over the tree-tops, but the day was not ¢ enough. There was a sick- ening lack of stability about every- thing below my knees and I suddenly realized that my ankles were rest- ing on the ice. There ahead of me stretched a glassy expanse, with my little boy shivering and urging me on. young people seemed to have stopped their graceful romping and stood watching me. A tinkling girlish laugh rang out on the frosty air, followed by a “sh-h-h-h!” Very well, | would show them. So, gathering myself like a pan- ther for a spring, I straightened up my ankles, clenched my fists, gave a powerful swing with my arms, and, with head bent low, pushed off with my right foot into a slow, gliding stroke which carried me easily out to the middle of the pond. “Come along, son,” I called back, “follow Daddy !” 0 i ae O Mores! what’s meant by ‘inhibi- at's something we had before ‘prohibition’.” Free Dog Book by need speciale. Tells how to keep Him HEALTHY CURE DOG DISEASES How to put dog in condition kil fleas, cure scratching. temper. Gives twenty-five eg Q-W DoG REMEDIES ed 150 illustrations leads, _traini ppt comb dot howen ee Maik fr Pe ape ar | Dept. 19 Bound Brook, New Jersey A GENERAL ELECTRIC PRODUCT The Progress of Invention Ext Wuirtney invents cotton gin, 1792. Synthetic gin invented, 1917. Anthracite discovered, 1812. Pheebe Snow born, 18967 Telegraph invented, 1837. Col- lege students wire home for more money, 1837-1923. Invention of sewing machine, 1845. Ten thousand men stop work and let wives support them. Vulcanized rubber invented, 1837. Used in manufacture of pancakes by owner of chain restaurants, 1919. Travelling salesmen come into vogue, 1870. Joe Miller writes new joke book. Phonograph Twelve 1876-7. Alexander Graham Bell invents telephone, 1876. Two hundred new curses invented, 1876-1923. Electric lights invented, 1879. Col- lege students stop burning midnight oil. Invention of automobile, 1896. Five hundred thousand families go into bankruptcy, 1896-1923. Radio invented, 1920. First radio divorce, 1921. Eda: 1876, move, invented, thousand families Sail and Motor BOATS Sturdy Craft at Moderate Prices Inquire About Our Boardman-Hoyt Design Five-meter Racing Knockabout an Our Coupe Automobile Boat with Electric Self-starter Cape Cod Shipbuilding Corp. 18 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. PREPARE now for the finest vacation you ever had. Make it possible with the WATERFORD, a com- plete motor boat that you can pull up on the drive in shallow water—over Togs or rocks in absolute safety. A regular family boat—moderately priced—that you will want at your cottage this summer. ‘Write for illustrated booklet **1500 Miles in Canadian Wilds” and descriptive folder. DISAPPEARING PROPELLER BOAT CORPORATION 320 Robinson St., North Tonawanda, N.Y. The Disappearing Propeller Boat- comicbooks.com