Life, 1923-05-17 · page 19 of 46
Life — May 17, 1923 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **censorship and social hypocrisy** in early 1920s America. "The Wooing of the Amoeba" mocks the Pennsylvania State Board of Censorship by presenting an absurdly innocent biological narrative—an amoeba reproducing asexually—yet framing it as a movie that would need censorship approval. The joke: even this clinical origin story gets subjected to moralistic scrutiny. The accompanying "Welcome Home" piece parodies **political inconsistency**, showing Woodrow Wilson's administration constantly reversing course on America's involvement in WWI and post-war policy (1911-1923), with women's rights similarly flip-flopping. The satire critiques how public opinion whipsaws policymakers. The cartoon below depicts a **suicide intervention**, with an officer threatening force to prevent self-harm—darkly comedic commentary on desperation and authority's crude responses. Together, the page attacks institutional censorship, political vacillation, and social contradictions defining the post-war era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE The Wooing of the Ameba (A Movie as Possibly Passed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Censorship.) ESTLING in the sands of time when eternity was but begun, the first amoeba grew lonely. eee Long sought the amoeba, but no mate found he, or rather, it. eke Had it found a life partner, there would have come a day of rejoicing, with the mate sewing upon Tiny Gar- ments. ‘Ke Or the stork would have been seen winging its way to the amoeba ménage, in its beak a Precious Burden, eK But the lonesome ameeba simply said to itself, “There are going to be two of us, dear.” *k* Dividing in half, the amoeba kept itself company and lived happily ever after. F.D. What Life Is OU take these poems Beginning “This life is but a.” You know— A game of Cards in which Death is the Dealer; A Football Game wherein Old Doc Time blows the Referee’s Whistle; A blank sheet of paper; Laid end to end they’d reach to some body of water, Which would suit me fine. If this life were like anything else it'd be terrible. You take these poems telling you what it’s like— Take ’em away. I don’t want ‘em. Officer (to would-be suicide): Drop that gun or I'll fire! I Welcome Home June, 1911—Made Woodrow Wilson President. August, 1915—Took it back. April, 1922—Took America out of the war except for busi- ness purposes. May, 1922—Put it back in by popular demand. August, 1922—Gave America to England. September, 1922—Took it back by popular demand. October, 1922—Took away women’s souls. November, 1922—Gave them back. January, 1923—Took off long trousers February, 1923—Put them back by popular demand. April, 1923—Ceded Peacham, Vt., to England. There being no great popular objection in America, this single act of the Ambassador will be allowed to stand. Book Lists HE making of many book lists is laborious ; it breeds endless argument and ill-feeling. To reduce the * argument and ill-feeling to the minimum, we suggest that the following list be brought to the attention of Mr. H. G. Wells and that he consider the advisability of recall- ing the two lists he has already given us, destroying them, and substituting it in their stead, for it is thought there will be very little difference of opinion with regard to the past, present and future importance of the books that compose it: - Pocketbook 2. Checkbook . Cookbook . The Almanac . Official Baseball Guide 6. Old Family Doctor Book 7. Telephone Book 8. Guest Book 9. Social Register 10. Automobile Blue Book Misleading Hussy: Isn’t the dinner bell early? Wu: That’s not the dinner bell. “What is it?” “Only our daughter trying on her new earrings.” comicbooks.com