Life, 1923-04-26 · page 12 of 36
Life — April 26, 1923 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page announces a caption-writing contest for the cartoon below. Readers submit witty titles for the illustrated scene, with prizes up to $500. The cartoon depicts a formal dance or social gathering. A man with a notably large, round head (shown in profile/back view) stands prominently in the center, while well-dressed couples dance around him. A woman holds a box labeled "SUGAR MONEY." The caption reads: *"Mary has absolutely no backbone, has she?" / "I haven't danced with her yet."* The joke appears to satirize social dynamics at formal events—specifically, a woman's passivity or lack of independence ("no backbone") being attributed to her not yet having danced with a particular man, suggesting women's agency and self-worth were defined by male attention.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE LIFE’S Picture Title Contest For the best titles to the center-page cartoon in this issue, Lire will award prizes as follows: First Prize Second Prize .. Third Prize ... Fourth Prize . The Contest will be governed by the following ConpITIONs. (Contestants are advised to read these conditions carefully, and to conform to them exactly. Lire can- not undertake to enter into correspondence or to reply to inquiries.) By “best” is understood that title which most clever- ly and briefly describes the picture referred to above. The contest is now open and open to everybody, and will close at this office at noon on Tuesday, June 12th. Titles will be judged by three members of Lire’s Editorial Staff, and their decision will be final. Titles may be original, or may be a quotation from some well-known author, and should not exceed twen- ty words each. Contestants may send in more than one title, but not more than ten to a sheet. -» $500 $300 -» $150 Should we have duplicates of any of the winning answers, the full amount of the prize will be given each tying contestant. The final award will be announced as early as possi- ble after the close of the contest (allowing for com- pletion of the final reading). Checks will be sent simultaneously with the announcement of the award. The members of Lire’s staff, of course, are not per- mitted to compete. All titles should be addressed to Lire’s Picture Title Contest, 598 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y. Envelopes should contain nothing but the competing titles, typewritten or very plainly written, using one side of paper only, with the name and address of the sender on each sheet. Answers which do not conform to these require- ments will not be considered in the Contest. “Mary has absolutely no backbone, has she?” “T haven't danced with her yet.” comicbooks.com