Life, 1923-10-18 · page 40 of 44
Life — October 18, 1923 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes automobile and product advertising with social commentary. The main content is **"The Importantly Unimportant,"** a humorous essay satirizing people in service positions—an elevator starter and bus conductor—who deliver mundane instructions with exaggerated gravity and dignity. The author humorously suggests these workers infuse ordinary phrases like "Right!" or "Don't stand up" with such portentous weight that they seem to invoke divine authority, despite saying practically nothing of substance. The advertisements include General Cord Tires, Bel-Ans indigestion relief, and a Wasco garage heater. A small note promotes Life's upcoming "Great Football Number" (November 15). The humor relies on observing early 20th-century working-class dignity—how ordinary laborers adopted an almost religious solemnity in performing humble duties, transforming routine commands into something grandiose. This reflects period class dynamics and the aspirations of service workers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HEN you think of riding \\ comfort as well as mileage you will know the reason why the General Cord has been so successful. y goes a long way to make friends THE GENERAL CORD TIRE Burtt IN AKRON OHIO BY THE GENERAL TIRE & RUBBER Co, Dp English Silber BOOKLET OF HALLMARKS ON RE QUEST RD Make Your Reservations Early! The Great Football Number of Lire— coming. Whistle blows Nov. 15 sharp. The Importantly Unimportant I Have always heard that true art consists in economy—of line, of gesture or of words. A painter or an actor or a writer who can get down to essentials and stay there is the real boy or girl. If this is so, I have discovered— stop me if I haven’t—a new art, that of saying practically nothing with the most terrific importance. Don’t get me wrong. I do not mean the crude puttering of retired army officers, statesmen, fathers, oil sales- men or the characters of a prize play. They say little enough, but oh, Lord! how long it takes them to do it. No, my artists are concise, brief—almost sketchy. But the implied weight of their words would bring the A deck of the Leviathan to within ten inches of the cold, angry sea. Take, for instance, my friend the elevator starter. All I have ever heard him say is “’Right!” implying that the elevator has now his full permission to elevate. But it isn’t what he says, if you follow me: it is BELLEANS Fe TION, ap 6 BELLANS Hot water Sure Relief SELL-ANS FOR INDIGESTION | 25¢ AND 75¢ PACKAGES EVERYWHERE the way he says it. The minute »ou hear him say “’Right” you can s insurance that God's in heaven, etc. The starter’s entire is bound up in that one word. \\ a wealth of dignity and a breadt! expression, it discloses his comp. te cosmos. Then I have another friend. He is a bus conductor. When he says, “I bridge—don’t stand up,” he is Moses, hurling forth an commandment. Majestic! Supernal ! They are a brave and gallant cr these purveyors of the importam'ly unimportant, whose contributi range from the aloof “Custome Miss Blatz!” of the superbly detached aisle-man to the esoteric and terrible “Hrrmpf!” of the oldest living mem- ber of the Centurion Club. H.W. H Wuat women are fitted for nowa days: Knickers. THE WASCO GARAGE HEATER REGULATES ITSELF ALL WINTER While Others Walk, You Can Drive In and Gut of Warm Garage All Winter your eleve Coloss night may be garage is al warm, dry, ready to st warm in the morning—y A to regulate little coal once a day— Without attention. This uniform 0 per cent. cou! and gives a steady afe, hot-water heat that Drevents costly a pair bills, DRIVE IN AND OUT OF AWARM GARAGE ALL WINTER Any handy man can set up a WASCQ System. I shi al with pipes It today for Catalog and Price Lis W. A. Scuxert Mere. Co., Ive. 348 Eastwood Station Syracuse, N. Y. Some good territory open for live distributor Prepare Also now sed and drive in comfort a winter. comicbooks.com