Life, 1923-09-06 · page 36 of 40
Life — September 6, 1923 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines a Vogue advertisement with satirical commentary on intellectual pretension. The left side promotes a $2 Vogue subscription as fashion "insurance," arguing that buying the right clothes prevents waste—a straightforward pitch targeting women concerned with wardrobe economy. The right column, titled "Bromidiocy," mocks aspiring intellectuals who affect superiority through affected language and dismissive attitudes. It satirizes young people seeking to appear clever by using obscure vocabulary ("scathing article," "bromide"), adopting affected speech patterns ("'I'm going, now'"), and scorning "common folk." The piece ridicules this performative intellectualism as hollow posturing. The bicycling illustration at bottom includes a London humor caption mocking wealthy American tourists for their obvious displays of wealth—another jab at social pretension. The satire contrasts superficial cleverness with authentic substance, suggesting that genuine sophistication requires more than affected speech and snobbery.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE $2 Invested in Vogue a tiny fraction of your loss ona single ill-chosen gown Will Save You $2.00 True economy isn’t in going without—a hateful process. Or in buying fewer or cheaper things. True economy is in getting the right clothes. Then you don’t discard, later on, and buy again. The gown you buy and never wear is the really expensive gown. Gloves, boots, hats, that miss being exactly what you want, are the ones that cost you more than you can afford. VOGUE suggests that before you spend another penny on new clothes, before you even plan your wardrobe, you consult its great Autumn and Winter Fashion numbers. every cent expended—if you spend the first two dollars on Vogue. © Vogue Superlative chic for the country h been knitted into this cos- from Cream-col cd, with ti ds of yellow and black — a yok crean kasha stitched in nd black with a high collar to button up if one chooses— skunk fur in luxurious abe quantity—and a one require tight clothes, Pe will develop ‘naturally asa result of the ensemble! YOU Autumn Fabrics signs (Extra complimentary copy) Earliest authentic news of the newest fabrics for your fall and winter costumes. and Original Vogue De- September 1 Autumn Forecast and Millinery The newest hats from eve September 15 where, Early Paris Openings October 1 For the woman interested in clothes for the more formal occasions. Paris Fashions October 15 The fall and winter modes devised by the wits and executed by the fingers of Paris. New York Winter Fashions Things that New clusive clientele. November 1 York creates for its ex- * SPECIAL OFFER It your order will start your is received immediately, we ription with the ‘cur- Fabrics Number — eleven numbers of ten without” any thus Vogue extra rent Autumn S giving you inst of charge. N Since the additional copy must come out of a small supply on hand to meet the demand for this big special number we cannot guarantee being able to send it unless the coupon {s mailed imme- diately. NUMBERS OF You get full value for HERE ARE THE 10 VOGUE WHICH WILL RECEIVE FOR $2.00 * Eleven if you mail the coupon now Vanity Number November 15 Pet extravagances of smart women. Christmas Gifts Several hundred gifts for every fancy, every taste and purse. Holiday Number Holiday furs and fashions and frivolities; new gift suggestions. age and Motor and Shops January 1 Motor fashions for cars and their owners. Features of the motor shows. Fashions for North and South January 15 Gowns, hats, shoes and wraps worn in the South and copied for the North. Spring Fabrics and Original Vogue Designs February 1 Fabrics and working models for your spring and summer wardrobe. In the next few months, during the very period in which Vogue's special Fashion umbers appear, you will be selecting our entire wardrobe for the coming Autumn and Winter, and spending hun- dreds of dollars for the suits, hats, gowns and accessories that you select. Consider then, that for $2, a tiny frac- tion of your loss on one ill-chosen hat or gown, you may secure eleven issues of Vogue—an assurance of valuable and new ideas and an insurance against costly failures. - TO NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY We're sorry to have to differentiate be- tween new and old friends, but this in- troductory offer is limited to new sub- scribers only. If you aren’t getting Vogue’s advice, and would like to econo- mize this season—and enjoy it—all you December 1 | December 15 | Bromidiocy You seek to shine, a glorious, A wittily censorious, A corruscating, scintillating, journal- istic star? Then first, m Imply how vastly cleverer Than all the leaden multitude you eminently are. young endeavorer, To prove yourself superior, Let nothing make you wearier Than commonplace expressions that the common folk abuse. Project your choicest quiddities At what we term “bromidities,” Which lofty Intellectuals, like would never use. us, Assume the scornful attitude And sneer at every platitude Of printed page or spoken word, and pillory the play Replete with such formalities And ludicrous banalities “Show him in,” “Be pleas “Good “Good day.” seated, afternoon,” You'll have to work a particle To frame a scathing article Containing no locution ever bandied ‘round before; Yet prove your wit now, That he now,” Is nothing but a bromide and a devas- tating bore. by showing, who writes, “J'm going And when by being finical You've reached your dizzy pinnacle And had your fling at everything in poetry and prose, You'll find yourself a hideous Bromidiot bromidious ; For what is more bromidic than this anti-bromide pose? First Tramp: THESE ’ERE GLASSES 1 FOUND SUIT ME A TREAT. Second Tramp: av, BUT THEY'VE GOT NO BEGGING VALUE, MATE. WHO'S GOIN’ TER TIKE PITY ON YER PF YER LOOK LIKE A WEALTHY AMERICAN TOURIST? —Humorist (London). Regular subsertption price $5 a year (24 tssues) have to do is to sign the coupon—NOW! See comicbooks.com