Life, 1923-07-12 · page 17 of 40
Life — July 12, 1923 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon mocks wealthy New Yorkers who claim to love "roughing it" in nature while bringing all their urban luxuries along. The joke: the couple discusses the wilderness's charms while enjoying champagne, pâté sandwiches, cigars (Coronas), a phonograph with records, and scented cigarettes. They abandon their "outdoor adventure" after just three hours to return to their club. The satirical point is the contradiction between romanticizing rustic simplicity and their complete inability—or unwillingness—to actually rough it. They've brought civilization's comforts into nature and call it authentic. The final line from Charles G. Shaw drives this home: "There's nothing like the wilds, is there?"—exposing their self-delusion. This reflects Jazz Age anxiety about authenticity and class pretension among the wealthy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Roughing It 4 Long Island thicket. afternoon in summer, ‘wo gentlemen and two First GENTLEMAN here’s nothing like the wilds, is Srconp GENTLEMAN Nothing in the world, Splendid r, this. First Lapy fectly delicious. How charming re is in the rough! Seconp Lapy yt it, These are excellent paté wiches. First GENTLEMAN Everything tastes so good in the Do have another glass of pagne, First Lapy . Outdoor life is so won- Srconp GENTLEMAN agnilicent. Where are the cigars? First GENTLEMAN there's a box of Coronas under the case of How I love the quiet of the woods! First Lapy sn't it delightful. Shall we start phonograph? First GENTLEMAN Yes, let's. We brought a stack of new records along. Seconp Lapy | adore these scented cigarettes in a place like this. First Lapy lve smoked three cases already. First GENTLEMAN Suppose we'd better be getting ick to the club. Srconp GENTLEMAN iy George! That’s right, First Lapy We've been gone ever since half- past eleven. — And it's almost three o'clock now, Seconp Lapy Here comes the car. ther about the dishes. Srconp GENTLEMAN Certainly not. First GENTLEMAN There’s nothing like the wilds, is there? Charles G. Shaw. marrons. Let's not Superfluous “D2 you believe the Prohibition Act will ever be repealed?” “What for?” AND HOW'S YOUR FATHER? Fay: NOT SLEEPING VERY WELL, HE HEARS ME EVERY NIGHT WHEN I COME IN. Jonesville Enjoys the Circus “[™ going to bed early to-night,” remarked the gray-haired travel- ing salesman wearily. “I went to the circus with an old customer over in Jonesville yesterday and I’m all in. We went with a party from the Jonesville Chamber of Commerce, all of them go-getters. You know, I had always gone to the circus to be amused and to relax. I expected to have some fun. But those fellows sat there and counted the crowd and fig- ured up the day’s business, worked it out ‘into weeks, subtracted the ex- penses and computed the income tax. They took an inventory of the lemon- ade stands. They estimated the cost of feeding the horses. They checked the number of performers against the program and worried when a ring- ful refused to check. They counted the number of times Lily Leitzel turned over on her perch and had a hot argument over whether she had left one turn out. They audited the elephants and ‘certified the clowns. “Driving back from the grounds they worried about whether the owners made six per cent. net. I got my host to drop me downtown as soon as possible so I could go into a movie and get some rest. I'll catch up with the circus in Peoria and then I'm going again.” McC. H. TANDARD OIL may share its profits with its employees. In fact, by giving them enough to buy cars the company hopes even to turn a small profit. comicbooks.com