Life, 1923-07-12 · page 13 of 40
Life — July 12, 1923 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes radio as a social escape from formal obligations. The top cartoon shows well-dressed men at a formal dinner table, with the caption noting that unfortunate guests must "suffer the tortures of dressing and dining out in order to listen to their favorite after-dinner speaker." The bottom cartoon presents the satirical "solution": a slovenly man lounging in bed in casual undress, smoking and listening to the radio—requiring "no more preparation than that prescribed in every well-appointed home." The satire contrasts the tedium of formal social dining with radio listening's convenience and comfort. Radio allows people to enjoy entertainment without dressing up or leaving home—presented both as liberation and as a commentary on declining standards of formality in modern society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF UNFORTUNATES WHO MUST SUFFER THE TORTURES OF DRESSING AND DINING OUT IN ORDER TO LISTEN TO THEIR FAVORITE AFTER-DINNER SPEAKER, WHEREAS— SOME OF US NEED NO MORE PREPARATION THAN THAT PRESCRIBED IN EVERY WELL- APPOINTED HOME. ADVANTAGES OF THE RADIO comicbooks.com