Life — March 22, 1923 — page 31: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page combines a cartoon and advertisement. The cartoon depicts "Singleton," a guest at what appears to be a social gathering (card game or similar), complaining to his hostess. He's frustrated because she's been called away to answer the telephone repeatedly—at least half a dozen times. His sarcastic comment "I'll make it one without telephones" satirizes the intrusive nature of the newly ubiquitous telephone in early 20th-century American homes. The joke captures a common social annoyance of the era: telephones interrupting domestic leisure and entertaining guests. It's nostalgic humor about technology disrupting social etiquette. The right side advertises Empire Loomcraft silk shirts, promoting quality through brand recognition—a straightforward commercial ad with no satirical content.